Newberry commands first at Bassmaster Weekend Series Pro-Am on Rayburn
By PATTY LENDERMAN Lakecaster Managing Editor

Outdoors photo/Patty Lenderman WITH THE HELP of Tournament Director Porter Trimble, Dicky Newberry hefts the best three of his winning 28.65 lb limit for a quick shot, including his Big Bass that weighed nearly 11 pounds.

New records were set at the season kick-off for South- Central Region, Division 10 of the Bassmaster Weekend Series operated by American Bass Anglers. The field consists of Boaters and Coanglers, with boaters fishing against other boaters up to a five fish limit, and Co-anglers fishing against each other with only their best three bass of the day. When the weights were tallied, the day belonged to Dicky Newberry winning the boater division with more than 28 pounds.

Catching heavy stringers on Sam Rayburn is considered the norm, almost expected at most tournaments. When a team brings in a sack of bass that weighs nearly 30 pounds, it is exciting no matter what lake it happens on. The Bassmaster Weekend Series is not a team event, but rather mono y mono, each angler on their own to catch what they can for individual weights. New records were set when Dicky Newberry brought in 28.65 lbs. on the Boater side including a 10.36 Big Bass!

Outdoors photo/Patty Lenderman REESE SPARROW had the best three fish Co-angler limit to take 1st place with 12.10 lbs.

"This is definately the heaviest sack I've weighed in," stated Tournament Director Porter Trimble.

As the rest of the field weighed in, several respectable limits over 20 pounds were tallied but did not come close to Newberry's weight, and he was declared the winner with nearly a six pound margin.

"I stayed around the midlake area," Dicky explained. "Out of the ten spots I hit, about six of them produced for me. I caught two nice fish from one spot, then broke off on a bass that was at least as big as the big one I brought in. I lost another five pounder halfway to the boat."

He reported that the fish seemed to be sluggish, and the bite was subtle.

"I was fishing a Carolina rigged green pumpkin brush hog, mostly in about 6'. They weren't really hitting it hard, it would just load up and they'd be there," Dicky said.

Outdoors photo/Patty Lenderman ANDREW UPSHAW took second place with 22.82 lbs. This was his first and biggest of the day weighing 7.77 lbs.

To top off the winning day, it also happened to be Dicky's birthday. What a great birthday present to catch all of those big fish, and go home with a $5,000+ payday!

The rest of the leaderboard did a lot of shuffling before it was said and done. Andrew Upshaw secured 2nd place by a fraction of an ounce, weighing in 22.82 lbs. Glen Freeman came in 3rd with 22.80 lbs.

Upshaw had a long, cold boat ride to get to his fishing holes. Heading north to spots past the 147 bridge, he hit main lake grass beds with red rattle traps and Yozuri lures in 5'-7'.

"I didn't have a single keeper in the boat until 11 a.m.," Upshaw reported. "Then I finally caught my first one (his kicker that weighed 7.77 pounds). I was pumped!"

It wasn't an easy day for him, having to keep at it until the last possible second just to wrap up a limit.

"It's not just the baits that are important, but the whole rig you use. I use 15 pound test Izor Line on Kistler rods with Shimano reels," Upshaw said.

He landed his last fish in the nick of time weighing 4 pounds, and he headed in.

Third place winner Glen Freeman said he enjoyed an all day bite.

"I fished the south end of the lake, throwing a Texas rigged Yum craw worm in 10'-20'. By 9 a.m. I had a limit put together, probably weighed around 16 pounds. I caught fish all day, and culled five times."

Top 5 Boaters:

1st - 28.65 lbs. Dicky Newberry Houston

2nd - 22.82 lbs. Andrew Upshaw Hemphill

3rd - 22.80 lbs. Glen Freeman Converse, LA.

4th - 21.78 lbs. Sonny Glasco Brookeland

5th - 20.15 lbs. Mark Richard Bridge City, LA.

Big Bass - 10.36 lbs. Dicky Newberry Houston

In the Co-angler division, only three fish are allowed per angler. There were a lot of limits brought in, and the totals kept getting heavier throughout the weigh in, keeping the leaderboard shuffling.

Reese Sparrow, among the last of the Co-anglers to come in, had the top weight of 12.10 lbs. to win in that division.

"It was a pretty good day," Reese began. "This was my first co-angler tournament. I caught my biggest fish on my 8th cast on a rattle trap. All total, I caught six fish - some on a white spinnerbait, some on a rogue. We were fishing depths less than 5' around grass."

Changing tactics worked to bring in the top weight, winning 1st place at the first 2008 event.

Leon Thompson won 2nd with 11.21 lbs.

"It was a long day. I only caught these three, but they were the right ones! When I did get a bite, it was aggressive."

Fishing in 15' of water, he found his luck on a white spinnerbait and a Carolina rigged lizard.

The Big Bass on the Coangler side was caught by Gregg Swindle, weighing 6.91 lbs. Flipping submerged stumps in 6'-8' with a black and blue jig with a Zoom speed craw trailer, he caught this winning bass at 12:30.

"I had to work the jig really slow. It was very tedious. Thankfully, it was a calm day today, and the only thing I had to worry about was the fish, not the weather. It worked out fine."

Top 5 Co-anglers:

1st - 12.10 lbs. Reese Sparrow Jasper

2nd - 11.21 lbs. Leon Thompson Beaumont

3rd - 11.10 lbs. George Eiland Jr. Haughton, LA.

4th - 10.89 lbs. Randy Hicks Lumberton

5th - 9.42 lbs. Robert Gray Conroe

Big Bass - 6.91 lbs. Gregg Swindle Katy

This tournament series is open to anyone who would like to join. The next event will be Feb. 9 at the Umphrey Family Pavilion on Sam Rayburn. For more information, call 888-203-6222 or click to www.abaproam.com.