Clemons claims ABA District 53 title
By DONALD GERVAIS Lakecaster Correspondent

Chris Clemons captured the 2008 American Bass Angler (ABA) District 53 Championship tournament held May 10-11 on Lake Sam Rayburn with a total of 30.76 pounds. Terry Helgeson earned Angler of the Year title in a close battle.

Anglers of the ABA Dist. 53 began competing for the 2007-2008 season in November on Toledo Bend. Seven tournaments, held alternately on the Big Bend and Sam Rayburn, followed. Twenty-four of the season's anglers qualified to fish the Championship event. Of those twenty competed in the finale. Just as the majority of the tournaments presented challenges of weather, either cold fronts passing through or rain, so did the Championship event. Not only were the anglers competing for the championship but also for the Angler of the Year (AOY) standings. AOY would be determined by each angler's top six finishes of the year plus the Championship standings.

Though no rain fell on the contestants they fished under overcast skies Saturday.

They were also challenged with Southwest winds blowing from 5-15 mph. Most anglers were able to fish their favorite spots though some sought more tranquil water to cast.

Craig Hall took the opening round lead with a 5-fish limit weighing 16.89 pounds. Two dead fish cost him a pound penalty.

"I saw every fish I caught," said Hall. "I was fishing a weightless Senko and they just swallowed the bait deep."

Hall said he had two times of the day when he caught fish, early in the morning and again close to the weigh in time. He reported catching 7 keepers.

Sony Glasco sat in the #2 spot with a catch of 15.17 pounds, anchored by second big bass of the day weighing 5.07 pounds. Bobby Vice was in the third chair with his five fish limit of 14.29 pounds.

It was anchored by the 6.86 pound Big Bass of the day.

Tony Clemens, Chris' brother, sat in fourth with 12.68 pounds. Chris was close behind in fifth with 12.55 pounds. Mike Willis rounded out the top six with 12.27 pounds. Eleven anglers brought in a five fish limit. Most competitors voiced concern of the expected cold front and North winds that were predicted for Sunday, wondering how it would affect them.

Overnight a cold front, with an accompanying high pressure, moved into the lake area bringing with it thunderstorms.

By morning take off the thunderstorms had dissipated and the North wind was blowing 10-15 mph. Anglers made their way to their fishing spots, hoping for the best.

The best is what happened to Louisiana angler Travis Merritt, the best tournament fishing day of his life.

"This doesn't happen for me every day," said a happy Merritt as he placed his five fish limit on the scales. The digital scale read 22.2 pounds, anchored by the 7.08 pound big bass of the day. "It was the best fishing day I've ever had."

Merritt had experienced a tough opening day. He brought but three fish in weighing 6.51 pounds. His two day total stood at 28.71 pounds He lamented that there was a tree in the lake that had claimed numerous DD22's. "It must look like a Christmas tree with all those baits hanging on it."

Few of the first day's leaders had much to smile about besides Chris Clemens and Vice. Clemens bested his first day performance with a limit weighing 18.21 pounds, which included second big bass of the day tallying 6.59 pounds.

He took the number 1 spot with a total of 30.76 pounds.

Vice had another limit, though skinnier this day. It weighed in at 10.33 pounds and kept him into the third slot.

Tony Clemens also had a skinny limit. His limit weighed 9.36 pounds to put him in the #4 spot with 22.04 pounds.

He was but a handful of points away from AOY leader Helgerson when the tournament began. He would miss the AOY leader by 3 points.

Hall claimed the fifth spot with a total of 22.04 pounds. Hall placed in third for the AOY title.

Galen Bennett, the only defending two time backto back-champion of the district, claimed the sixth spot with a total of 21.19 pounds.

"I just started off the season well with a win in the first tournament of the year," said AOY Hall. "I didn't have less than a 10th place finish all year. I guess I was consistent."

Hall credits two baits for most his fish catching this year, a Senko and a Zara Spook, a top water bait. Hall also is a firm believer in using light line. He uses nothing larger than 12- pound test and says he gets many more bites fishing the lighter lines year round. It was Halls first ever AOY title. Nobody has won the AOY title more than once in the district. Hall will receive six one-day paid entries to next years' events and a free two-day pass to next year's championship. In addition he will receive an AOY jacket and an Ardent reel.

A first for the district was reached when the first woman made the district's top ten in the AOY standings. Sharon Withers, of Sam Rayburn, fishing her first year as a boater, accomplished that feat.

"It was a good tournament season," said tournament director Paul Henry. "The numbers stayed up from years past and despite all the inclement weather the anglers faced they caught some good fish. I look forward to seeing everyone again next year."

Henry said that many of the district's anglers would qualify for the regional tournament to be held at Lake Dardanelle in Arkansas in October. Hall was leading the regional point race at this writing. The top anglers from that contest would compete in the National ABA Championship at Lake Guntersville in November. Regional point standings, as well as the district standings can be found on the ABA website at: http://www.easttexasaba.c om/ Follow the links to the regional and national website.

November is when Henry expects the 2008- 2009 season schedule to be available on the website. Tournaments will again alternate between Rayburn and Toledo Bend, with next year's championship to be held on Toledo Bend.

Winners Ways

Two baits accounted for the champion's catch. Chris Clemens used a Pop-R for the early morning bite and once the sun rose he switched to a weightless Texas rigged Senko, in pumpkin/chartreuse color. The fire fighter from Hudson, Texas targeted fish in depths of 6-8 feet in mid lake areas both days in his Champion boat powered by a Yamaha motor. Rods and reels included Castaway and Daiwa, spooled with 15-pound test green colored Berkeley Big Game line.

It was his 4th year fishing with the ABA. He has been a member of the Ft. Polk Bassmasters fishing club for eight years. This was his best ever individual finish tournament fishing.

Runner up and big bag of the tournament angler Merritt used numerous baits to catch his fish. He too used top water baits early in the morning, Chug Bugs and Pop-R's. He had a limit in five minutes the final day. All that were caught were culled as he switched to a ounce Stanley tandem willow bladed spinner bait, in white/chartreuse.

However all of his big fish came in the last hour of fishing using a DD22 in the same place he had lost several of those baits the prior day, including being broke off by a large fish.

Merritt, of Iowa, La. started the day going to Five Fingers in his Nitro boat, powered by a Mercury outboard. He then went to Bear Creek. Gear of choice for the tournament organizer in the Lake Charles area included Shimano rods and reels, spooled with 17- pound test clear Ande and Big Game lines. He reported catching 35-40 fish on the final day.

The late bite fish came from depths of 14-16 feet. Anglers can check out his tournament site at: http://fishabt.com/

Third place angler Vice, who shares hotel costs with Merritt on the road, targeted fish in mid-lake areas in depths of 3-10 feet.

Early each morning he used ounce Booyah tandem willow blade spinner baits, in white/chartreuse.

He then switched to soft plastics rigged Carolinastyle. He caught 20 fish Saturday and managed but 7 on Sunday.

A contractor in Venton, La when not fishing, Vice used his Triton bass boat powered by a Yamaha motor to get to his fish where he picked up American Rodsmith rods and Pflueger reels, spooled with 15-pound test P-Line. He caught the big bass of day 1 at 2:30 p.m.