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Herring wins at Toledo Bend's McDonald's Big Bass Splash
"This year's tournament is dedicated to the men and women of the Armed Forces," said Bob Sealy of Sealy Outdoors, co-sponsor of the tournament with McDonald. "They do what they do so we can do what we do." Herring had the endure the results of over two and a half days of hourly weighins before he was declared the winner after weighing his fish during the 10-11 a.m. hour on Friday. "I won't lie to you. I've hardly slept in two days."
The leaders were not in jeopardy on Saturday as only the two 9-pound bass of the tournament crossed the scales. However their lead was in question at the very first hourly weigh-in on Sunday when two anglers brought in their 10+ pound fish back-to-back. Cody Whitaker, a 15- year-old of Woodville, MS, fishing in his second Big Bass Splash, weighed in a 10.53 fish followed by Walter Wilson of Hemphill with a 10.47 bass. Whitaker took home the third place prize, a Cherokee travel trailer valued at over $14,000 for the biggest fish of his life and Whitaker took home an all electric 4- wheel drive Bad Boy Buggy. A record 2,200 anglers competed for over $360,000 in prizes and cash at this year's event. Anglers competed for hourly big bass payouts. The top 12 anglers of each hour receive cash awards, 14 on bonus hours. A daily T-shirt hour awards an additional $500 to the winner if they have a tournament T-shirt. Anglers were kept abreast of the hourly standings by a live feed from Kicks 105 radio. In addition to the hourly awards and the grand prizes, the first 3.00-pound bass weighed each day wins a Triton bass boat package valued at over $20,000. No even 3.00 bass crossed the scales on Friday so the boat was up for an open draw amongst the anglers present at the finale on Sunday. It was won by Ron Scofield of Opps, AL. Saturday's 3.00 fish crossed the scales on the final 2-3 o'clock hour. Dustin Wilson, fishing in his first Big Bass Splash with his father Danny, claimed the boat. Sunday's 3.00 bass came earlier in the day, during the 9-10 o'clock hour when Sulphur, La angler Thomas Lee crossed the scales. Lee had offered a word of wisdom during his previous trip to the weigh-in on Friday. He and fishing partner Rick Miller had caught a good fish at 7 a.m. and decided to wait until the last hour to weigh the fish. The 7.18 pound bass would have won several top place finishes during the day but as part of their strategy they decided to continue fishing and wait until later to bring it to the scales. With 10 minutes to go in the final hour his fish was pumped to second place when Wayne Huckabay of Houston brought in his 7.43 pound bass. Instead of $1,000 he earned $900. "Think too long, you think wrong," offered Lee with a not too disappointed shrug. Early on Sunday morning Lee and Miller each caught several fish, one very close to 3.00 on their scale. "I told him it was his choice to wait or not," said Miller who was piloting his boat. "But remember what you told that man from the newspaper. I was glad when he said let's go." Spectators at the finale were eligible for a chance to win a Cherookee Travel Trailer, provided by Kite Bros. The camper, valued at over $14,000 was won by Sammy Ray Foote of Anacocco, La. Anglers were not the only winners at the Splash. Sealy presented a check for $10,800 to Sandra Crow, of the Leesville McDonald restaurant. The donation that will go to the Ronald McDonald Houses, which offers lodging for children and their family who are undergoing medical treatment near hospitals. Young anglers are given the opportunity to win during the Splash. Children are eligible to win awards and prizes in four categories. The top three fish in bass, brim, white perch and catfish received awards and gift certificates to Academy Outdoors stores. A list of the Little Anglers daily winners and information of the scheduled events can be found online at the Sealy Outdoors website at : http://www.sealyoutdoors. com/ Sealy Outdoors continues to grow from the humble beginnings that began 23 years ago on the shore of Lake Sam Rayburn. Sealy announced that a Big Cat Splash would be scheduled for Toledo Bend in 2008, under similar rules of the big bass format. "The potential of Toledo Bend as a fishery is being realized," said Sealy. "It's not a difficult lake to fish or get around. The best is yet to come." Fishing Conditions Air temperatures began in the low 70's each day climbing to the mid 90's by day's end. Lake level remained steady near 171 feet mean sea level, after a fairly wet early summer. Scattered thundershowers peppered the lake area each day with mild winds mostly for the South and Southeast. Anglers fished under cloud cover to full sunshine during the 3-day event. Big Bass 10.93 pounds Houston angler Joe Herring chose to fish his 12th Big Bass Splash on Toledo Bend with his fishing partner Gene Clay of Deer Park, rather then attend a family reunion of his wife's family. While the decision may have put him in the doghouse with his wife of 17 years, it did result in him winning the grand prize valued at over $90,000. Herring chose to concentrate his fishing efforts in Patroon Creek in depths of 20 feet and more. Second Big Bass 10.83 pounds Unlike Herring, who had a couple of sleepless nights after weighing his fish and awaiting the final weigh in, Shawn Butler of Orange, "slept like a baby." Butler and his fishing partner of 13 years, Terry Mullen, also of Orange, cashed in during the bonus hour from 10 to 11 a.m. on Friday. The biggest bass of the angler's life fell for a Zoom Fluke in watermelon/red color fished Carolina style, using a _-ounce weigh and an 18" leader on the southern end of the lake on the Texas side. The fish that measured 25" long, with a 19 _-inch girth was netted by Butler, returning a netting job made by Mullen after he hooked a 12.53 bass earlier this year. The second place finish earned Butler a 2007 Dodge Ram pickup valued at over $20,000. Third Big Bass 10.53 pounds It was during the 12th trip to Toledo Bend and second Big Bass Splash for 15- year old Cody Whitaker of Woodville, MS that yielded the young man's biggest bass of his life. He took home a 17-foot travel trailer by Cherokee provided by Kite Bros of Deridder, La, valued at over $14,000. John McKinney his fishing partner for the day netted the bass, which came from the Housen area in 20-25 feet of water. It fell for a Texas rigged (3/16- ounce weight) 10-inch Red Shad worm on the third cast of the day at 6:15. Fourth place 10.47 pounds Catching bass over 10 pounds is not new to Hemphill resident Walter Wilson. The retired oil field worker collected two Toledo Bend Lunker replicas for previous catches this year at the tournament finale. He'll have another to add to his collection with the 10.47 pound bass he caught the first hour on the day 3. In addition, he cashed hourly checks the previous day for a total of $2,000. He took home a Bad Boy Buggy, a 4- wheel drive electric all-terrain vehicle. "I do 99 percent of my fishing between 9 p.m. and 3 a.m.," said the 65+ year old angler. "The checks will help pay for a new lower unit for my motor." It was his second Big Bass Splash. He shared his hole with another angler who also cashed a check on day 3. Fifth place 9.53 pounds Greg Batty of Pineville patiently waited for his big bite that came with 30 minutes left of fishing time on Day 2. He made it to the scale with minutes to spare. Batty and fishing partner, Jim Bains of Fairmont, were located at mid lake, on the Texas side, when the bass hit in 16-18 feet of water at the edge of a flat. Sixth Place 9.48 pounds Local angler Bob Laroux of Zwolle caught the biggest bass of his lifetime and brought in the second 9-pound fish of day 2 and the tournament. Laroux, who works in Africa in the oil industry, has not been fishing as much as he once had due to work. The amicable angler caught his fish in the Six Mile area of the lake. This was the 12th Big Bass Splash for Laroux. Big Bass Awards The Big Bass Splash on Toledo Bend has become the event where the Toledo Bend Lake Association (TBLA) and the Louisiana Division of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) award fish replicas to the anglers who have contributed to their respective lunker bass programs over the past year. This year the Lake Association awarded a record 40 replicas of fish over 10 pounds and the LA Wildlife and Fisheries awarded three awards, for fish over 12 pounds that were used in the state's Bass breeding program at the Booker Fowler Hatchery. Ricky Yeldell, Biologist manager, Inland Fisheries Division, Toledo Bend Research Station, was on hand to present the LDWF replicas. Sarah Medina, cocoordinator of the TBLA program, Duane Medina, TBLA president and Scotty Lucas, the taxidermist who made the replicas were on hand to present the awards.  |
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