Caka wins Dawson Marine Big Bass tournament
By PATTY LENDERMAN Lakecaster Managing Editor

Big Bass tournaments are a lot of fun to fish. There's no pressure to get a big stringer of fish, just looking for one. Nearly 400 anglers headed out on Sam Rayburn March 29 to find that one big bass that would get them in part of the money to be won in hourly checks, and hopeful to get that really big one that would win the Grand Prize - a Skeeter ZX200 powered by a Yamaha VMax motor.

The format to win money in this tournament was through the top 10 bass of each hour, the first hour 8:00-8:30. Lonnie White of San Augustine fired up the scales with the first fish of the day weighing 4.74 lbs. He warmed several of the hot seats as more anglers weighed in and bumped him down to finish 9th place that hour.

Top weights 8:00-8:30

1st $500 - 8.92 lbs. Todd Soape Orange

After the weights were made official, they were back out on the water.

Very few anglers weighed in during the 9-9:30 hour. Only six anglers brought their fish to the scales, leaving four chairs and $455 unclaimed!

1st $500 - 7.02 lbs. John Gothia Bridge City

As the 10 a.m. hour approached, moments of sunshine began peeking through the dense clouds. A slight breeze picked up, and anticipation rose in the crowd of spectators as to what we would see weighed in next.

There were no seats unclaimed this hour, and a new big bass of the day was established by Keith Caka of Brookeland, TX

1st $500 - 9.32 lbs. Keith Caka Brookeland

More and more anglers bringing their fish to the scales this hour, including the first woman and youth angler of the day to weigh in.

1st $500 - 8.28 lbs. Gary Boyett Etoile

With only three more hours of weigh in to go, anticipation is still high to see the double digit bass that Sam Rayburn has been famed for. With just a few hours left in play, more fish were brought in keeping the final standings in shuffle to the end.

1st $500 - 7.86 lbs. Dennis Oates Pollock

The fight got tight this hour with two ties in the standings!

1st $500 - 7.12 lbs. Ryan Hightower Lufkin

And the last hour

1st $500 - 7.42 lbs. Don Rossell

At 2:30 the scales officially closed. Keith Caka was called to the stage as the overall winner of the tournament with his 9.32 lb bass!

He reported catching his winning bass on a 5' grassy flat that had a 10' drain on a Senko. Belinda Dawson of Dawson Marine congratulated the winner giving him his trophy and presenting him with his Skeeter ZX200 powered by a Yamaha V-Max motor. His bass just reached a new value of $4,000 per pound!

Bass Champs is coming back in two weeks for more fish catching, money winning action April 12 on Sam Rayburn with their East Texas Team circuit. For more information on any Bass Champs event, click to www.basschamps. com or call 817-439- 3274.