Purghan, Smith capture win at Anglers Quest event
By BILL and BARBARA LONG Lakecaster Correspondents

Courtesy photo THE TEAM OF Matt Purghan and Ross Smith show off some of their catch that captured first place with 22.53 pounds.

Anglers Quest 2008 Sam Rayburn Saturday Series # 2 out of Mill Creek Park in Brookeland began this event with 88 teamed anglers showing up to fish for the $4645.00 purse.

The team of Matt Purghan from Orange and Ross Smith from Bridge City, Tx brought to the scales five very nice bass that weighed 22.92 lbs to capture 1st place and collect $1525.00 for their day on the water.

The event began at safe light, which was 6:50 am. This Rayburn Saturday Series after all nine events will provide the Team Anglers of the year with free entries to all 2009 Rayburn Saturday Series events.

The Top 25 teams in pounds will qualify for the 2-day Championship in October on Sam Rayburn.

A special Top five group of teams will qualify to go to the "Tournament of Champions" to be held in November on Choke Canyon Reservoir and will pay the winning team $15,000.00.

All Anglers Quest Championships include Calcutta auctions which builds the Championship purse to some very nice dollars to fish for, for a very small entry fee of $125.00 per team.

Courtesy photo ALLAN AND LYNN SHIVERS came in second place at the Anglers Quest event with 21.69 pounds.

Sam Rayburn water was in good shape and about 5 1/2 feet below normal pool level with water temps running 48-52 degrees.

The weather at takeoff was a calm 50 degrees with a warming to 68 degrees by weigh in time.

The fish catching was good on Big Sam today as there were 21 limits brought to the scales, for a total of 137 bass at 402.82 lbs making the average bass brought to the scales today weigh 2.95 lb.

Allan Shivers from Vidor and Lynn Shivers from Kirbyville run their bass rig to various mid lake areas to finish in second with their best five bass, caught on crigs and rattletraps that tipped the scales at 21.69 lbs. Their day on the lake payed back $765.00 for their efforts.

Chris McCall from Jasper and Clayton Boulware from Zavalla run Clayton's Nitro bass rig to mid lake areas to finish in third place and have the third Biggest Bass of the event, a fine 6.61 lber. with a total of five bass at 21.14 lbs fishing with rattletraps.

They took home $560.00 for their day on the water.

Kerry Slaughter fishing alone run his bass rig to mid main lake areas with grass clumps in 5-8 ft water throwing traps and brought in five bass at 19.56 lbs. to garner 4th place.

One of Kerry's bass was the Big Bass of the event, a fine 9.00 lber. making him a total of $610 for the day.

Jonathan Simon and David Ayets from Orange finished in fifth place with a limit of five bass that tipped the scales at 17.44 lbs. to collect $320 for their efforts.

The sixth place check of $280 was gathered up by Larry Cotten and Chris DiBerardino from Huffman with five bass at 17.05 lbs. caught throwing lipless cranks in the grass.

The last two spots getting checks today was seventh place Tommy Hill and Kenneth Conkle with 16.37 lbs. receiving $205.00 and 8th place Elton Thomae and Allee Frazier with 15.34 lbs. receiving $160.

Anglers Quest will be at Kickapoo Bait & Tackle on Lake Livingston on Saturday, Feb. 9 for the second of nine Lake Livingston Saturday Series events.

On Feb. 16 Anglers Quest will be at Alpine Marina on Toledo Bend for the second of nine Toledo Bend Saturday Series events.