Thompsons win Texas Forest Country Shootout
By DONALD GERVAIS Lakecaster Correspondent

BERT AND MARTIN THOMPSON show part of the 24.33 pound catch that earned the top spot and big bass at the Texas Forest Country Bass Circuit's team tournament held Dec. 8 at Toledo Bend Lake.The father and son team qualified for the championship event with their catch. Outdoors photo/Donald Gervais

Huxley Bay Marina-Bert and Martin Thompson were the top team at the Texas Forest Country (TFC) Bass Circuit's final qualifying event held Dec. 8 on Toledo Bend Lake with a five fish limit weighing 24.33 pounds. The father and son's catch was anchored by the big bass of the tournament weighing 8.1 pounds.

The list of the 68 teams that competed in the fourth tournament of the inaugural year of the TFC Bass Circuit read like a who's who of Texas and Louisiana bass fishermen. Weathered veterans, journeymen anglers and young guns competed for the top prize of $7,000 and qualifying rights to the championship tournament to be held Jan. 5 on Lake Sam Rayburn, where the winners will take home a fully rigged Legend Bass/Mercury motor boat package valued at over $54,000.

Outdoors photo/Donald Gervais STAN BURGAY AND CHARLES REAGAN took second place and the honors as top team of the season with this 20.72 pound catch at the fourth and final qualifying event of the 2007 Texas Forest Country Bass Circuit.

"I've been trying to get dad to fish a team tournament for years," said Martin, co-owner of River City Fire Protection, a contractor for commercial and home sprinkler systems in Shreveport and a veteran of several BFLevents. "We fished three of the four events and needed this top finish to qualify for the championship."

Teams who fished all four events of the season qualified for the championship as did the top three finishers of the final event who had not qualified otherwise.

"It was a good day out there," said the senior Thompson, a GM plant worker in Shreveport, a seasoned veteran of the Louisiana BASS Federation for many years and past BASS Classic qualifier. "The kicker fish made the difference."

Indeed, the 8 pound bass provided a 4 pound margin of victory for the Thompsons, besides giving them the $750 big bass pot. They bested the second place finishers, Stan Burgay and Charles Reagan, who have had a couple of second place finishes in area tournaments in the past months, including the TCF Nov. tournament.

"Second is better than third," said Burgay, an accomplished tournament bass angler and constable of Shelby County, with a grin. "We just couldn't get the big ones in the boat today."

He and fishing partner Reagan, winners of the first Texas County tournament, managed to bring in a five fish limit weighing 20.72 pounds and take home a check for $2,000. The duo led the circuit in the season's point race.

Although the third place finishers, Harold Allen and Glen Freeman brought in a limit weighing just 1/3 of a pound less, 20.41 pounds, they took home half as much for their efforts.

Butch Carmack and David Curtis took 4th place with 19.521 pounds, followed by the team of Scooter Clark and Lance Hughes in 5th with 19.41 pounds. Jason Wells and Vic Cooper rounded out the top six spot with 19.1 pounds

"If I have to loose to anyone here," said pro angler, Toledo Bend guide and Skeeter factory representative Allen, as he offered a congratulation handshake to Bert, "I'm glad it's to you."

Although competitive on the water, once on shore, anglers showed their sportsmanship and renewed friendships at the Huxley Bay Marina weigh in site. Among the anglers on the shoreline was Ben Matsubu, winner of a recent BASS Elite series event in Florida, a Classic qualifier and Legend Bass Boat pro. Matsubu fished with Mike Cortelloni and finished in 7th place.

In order to attract quality anglers to a tournament, more must be offered than just a good payout, explained John Salamone, TFC tournament director.

"Anglers have to know that their money is coming back to them and not going into other people's pockets," said Salamone of Jasper. "Everyone working the tournaments is a volunteer. We had over 100 teams in all but this final tournament. This was the first time the top prize was less than $10,000."

TFC was formed in order to bring a quality team circuit to venues around lakes Sam Rayburn and Toledo Bend during "off season" times to help local county businesses.

Shelby County Chamber of Commerce members provided support for the Huxley Bay tournament. The chamber's team effort was headed by Pam Phelps with the help of chamber members, including junior members who assisted at weigh in.

Besides the local chamber of commerce support where each tournament is held, Salamone has put together a group of local and national sponsors, including their premier sponsor Legend Boats.

"I look forward to the championship next month and to next year," said Salamone. "I hope to expand and make the tournaments bigger and better, to attract anglers from other parts of Texas and Louisiana and more sponsors."

Salamone reported that the circuit will return with monthly tournaments in Sept-Dec. 2008 with the locations not quite finalized. Plans are to keep the entrance fee for each event at $250, with a one time association fee of $25 and most importantly, to provide a quality tournament trail for anglers.

For a list of the Huxley Bay team finishers, information of the season standings and the championship event visit the TFC homepage at: http://www.tfcbasscircuit.c om/index.php?action=hom e

Salamone can be reached through the online site or by calling him at 409-383-5222.

For information about Shelby County visit their Chamber of Commerce site at: http://www.shelbycountychamber. com/

Information on the host marina: Huxley Bay Marina's online site at: http://www.huxleybay.net/

Tournament Conditions and the Winners' Ways

Sounds of the Christmas season filled the air but snow and cold weather were not the conditions faced by the competitors of the Texas Forest Country event on Dec. 8. It was 68 at the 6:45 take off time at Huxley Bay Marina and anglers were forced to endure the temperatures that rose to 80 degrees at the 3 p.m. weigh in time. A steady South wind blew between 10-15 mph with gusts to 20 under mostly sunny skies. There was an hour of early morning cloud cover after dawn. Water temperature hovered in the low 60's.

Bert and Martin Thompson used Carolina rigged green- pumpkin lizards in North lake areas on the Texas side and in the middle of the lake to entice the bites that gave them the victory. Their set-up included 36-inch leaders, _-ounce weights and 50-pound braided line spooled on Shimano reels attached to Shimano rods.

Bert used his Ranger bass boat powered by a Yamaha motor to concentrate their fishing efforts in 12 feet of water around humps and drops.

Bert's big bass of the tournament bit at 11:30. They reported culling two fish in this their best ever finish as a team.

Burgay and Reagan used their local home water knowledge of the North end of the lake to take second place. Key to their success were crank baits, in shad and fire-tiger colors, fished slowly in 8-10 feet of water around structure. Most of the 30 fish they caught during the day came on a steady retrieve.

Burgay used his Triton bass boat, powered by a Mercury motor, to get to his fishing spots. "H&W Marine keeps us going," acknowledged the self employed Reagan of Martinez.

Third place finishers Allen and Freeman also reported the same lull in their fishing day. However, they used Texas rigged plastic baits to entice bites from the 30 fish they caught throughout the day in depths of 8-15 feet in Northern and upper mid lake areas. 11-inch B&M worms and Yum Craws rigged Texas-style (5/16 and 3/8 ounce sinkers) were their successful baits.

Both anglers used Shimano rods and reels. Gamma fluorocarbon line in 16-pound test and Triple Fish line were spooled on the reels.

The championship finale will be held Jan. 5 on Lake Sam Rayburn from the Umphrey Family Pavilion. The public is invited to the weigh in which begins at 3 p.m.