Texas -

two teams tie for 1st place at Bass Champs on Lake Belton

There are tight competitions where only hundredths of a pound marks the difference in top weights, then there are those that are so close they can?t even be separated by those increments.  Such a day occurred June 12th on Lake Belton.  Two teams with exactly the same weight tied for 1st place.  Both teams fished the same area. Both teams had a dead fish penalty.  In the end, having the option for a 1 hour shoot out to determine an overall winner, they decided to shake hands and split the pot.

It was the final regular season event for the Central Region, and the final push for points in the Anglers of the Year race.  166 teams worked for every dollar of the $44,700 given away in cash and prizes.  Lake Belton had no intention to make it easy for them.  In 22 places paid, 8.10 lbs was the bottom weight to receive a check.

Before the checks were presented,  the top 10 teams in the Angler of the Year Race were announced.  Now that all five regular season events have been tallied, the Central Region Anglers of the Year are determined.  Congratulations to Brandon Tingey & Blake Poncio for accruing the top points for the year and achieving this status.  For their accomplishment, their 2011 entry fees will be waived for this region.  Good job! In addition winning the Angler of the Year, Brandon Tingey also was the first recipient of the new Dodge Ram Bonus that was recently announced. He was the highest finisher of the event in a qualified Dodge Ram.  "I thought I was just going to get free entry fees to all the events in the Central Region next year, when Chad told me it wasn't just the Central, it was EVERY Bass Champs event for the next 12 months, I was ecstatic.  I've loved my new Dodge since I bought it, but I REALLY love it now". 

After the Angler of the Year was announced, the focus shifted to the winners of the day. 16.91 was the winning weight split by two teams.  Travis Garner and Brian Harms had found a spot during practice off of a main lake point that was holding the bass they were looking for.  ?We were using Carolina rigged flukes in 18?-35? of water off of a main lake point.  First thing in the morning had the better bite for us, and we caught a few solid keepers.  The bite was subtle.  You really had to pay attention.?  With just a couple in their livewell, the bite slowed to a crawl around 10:00.  Their effort only intensified, and they managed a limit by 11:00.  ?We got our five, but never had an opportunity to cull.  That was it for us.?  They landed the top weight to co-win 1st place.  It is a rare occurrence, but Bass Champs affords the teams an opportunity to go back out fishing in a one hour shoot out to break the tie. This time the decision to share 1st place was made.  They each want to thank their wives for their support.  ?We couldn?t do it without them.?

Ronnie & Eddy Maynard had picked the very same area as their target.  ?We drew boat #8, which gave us a good start.  We were really lucky there.?  Knowing that it was no secret and other teams were aware of the bounty there they hurried to claim their territory.  ?Not to long after we got there, Garner & Harns came in and we fished within 50-70 yards of each other all day.?  Working the area over and over, they tried rigging several different baits including flukes, trick worms and brush hogs starting in 18?-20?.  ?The flukes were working best.  Later, when the sun was overhead we backed out to 35?.?  Around noon they had one in distress in the livewell.  ?We had to make a decision.  We could head on in and weigh, but there was still three hours to fish.  We decided to keep fishing and try to make other culls.?  This is where hind sight is 20/20.  There were no other culls to be made, and if they had gone in to weigh three hours early, they would have avoided the penalty and won the tournament outright.  ?Either way it is a blessing to win one of these.  It?s a tough crowd with a lot of good fishermen.?  Each team was awarded $11,500 for their win plus they each received an additional $200 from Sure Life for using the product in their livewell.  ?We?d like to thank our Mom & Dad so much for teaching us how to fish when we were young.?

JR Briant & JJ Jackson took 3rd place with 14.02 lbs.  They had done their homework and had five spots picked out to hit throughout the day.  ?We found our fish along shorelines that dropped out to 15?-20?.  One of our areas was a spot that Clint Foster of Academy turned us onto at a bluff.?  Trying spinnerbaits and worms the going was slow for them, only having two in their livewell at 10:30.  They tied on what has become their go-to bait, a watermelon Grande Rattle Snake and in the next four hours they wrapped up their limit and was culling before days end.  ?We?ve been fishing Bass Champs for the past 6 years.  It is still the greatest fun we have.  Bass Champs is a great circuit and very professionally run.  You guys do a great job!?  They would also like to thank Jerry of Grande Baits and Clint Foster of Academy for their help and support.

Bill Guzman landed the Big Bass of the day fishing with partner Edward Cruz weighing in at 7.46 lbs.  Using a weightless fluke, with waves crashing the shoreline, it was Bill?s 5th cast of the morning and first bite of the day. ?I was fishing it more like a buzz bait near the top of the water.  She just slammed it.?  Great way to start the day, but catching more was going to be the real trick. ?It was tough out there.  The bass were really quirky.  They were biting the tails of our baits and spitting them back.? The team managed but two more to go with their sow by days end.  ?It?s sickening to know how many we missed.  The direct connect was just not there due to how we were fishing the lures and the high wind.  They just kept coming unbuttoned!?  They received $1,000 for their Big Bass, and managed a 9th place overall finish for an additional $850 with a total weight of 10.17 lbs.  They also qualified for the $50 WFN Bonus.  ?We really want to thank Bass Champs for putting this tournament circuit on.  It?s really the big show in town.  This is a working man?s circuit and we really appreciate them sticking with us even in this tough economy.?

The series championship will be a two day event, October 9th & 10th on Toledo Bend.    A $50,000 cash payback is guaranteed between the top three places.  This is a no entry fee event for the qualified teams with side pot options available.

For more information, contact Bass Champs at 817-439-3274 or visit them on the web at www.BassChamps.com

By Patty Lenderman

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