Lakecaster Online
5 Bass/25.00 Lbs Wins Rayburn Excel
Team
-10 lb "Kicker" Lands Big Bass Honor-
By Ed Snyder
Excel Fishing Tournaments Sportsman Series
Sunday, January 27, 2002, Twin Dikes Marina, Lake Sam Rayburn, TX.
With Saturday's Excel Sportsman anglers intimidated by
the 5 bass/34.73 Lb sack that overpowered a leader-board marking 145.47
lbs for the top-6 slots, with11.65 lb & 10.21 lb lunkers weighed-in,
Sunday's tourney crowd waited with baited breath to see what the Open
Team anglers would bring in. "Five bass/25.00 Lbs, Randy Knight announced
to the waiting crowd, "with a 10.00 lb 'kicker" for big bass
honors!"Not bad, not bad atall"
The new EXCEL Fishing Tournaments will have two circuits, Sportsman's
and Open Team series that is scheduled at Rayburn (3 times)- Toledo Bend
(2 times)- and Livingston (2 times), informed Excel tournament director,
Randy Knight, "with seven regular season events for each circuit
plus each circuit will have its own championship. "The 50 teams will
qualify for each circuit championship with guaranteed payouts for each
championship. "The World of Fishing -(www.fishingworld.com)- is providing
our Anglers a www.excelfishing.com a web-sight that will enable them to
enter the tournament on-line, as well as view the tournament results and
year to date standings. The World of Fishing will also be our media-sponsor.
SPORTSMAN'S -Saturday tournaments are called the Sportsman's Series- (Team).
OPEN TEAM -Sunday tournaments will be called the Open Team Series- (Team).
1st place-(5 bass/25.00 lbs)-Chris Wilson and David Harvey of Nederland TX, ran their Skeeter/Yamaha to mid-lake grass-beds to work Kistler rods and Shimano reels spooled with 15 lb test Berkley Big Game mono. The winning team slow-rolled 1 / 2 and 9 / 16 oz shad patterned Mr. Blitz double willow spinner-baits w/white trailers along 4/-8' and 10'-14' grass-edges to catch 5 bass from an all day bite. "We lost three huge bass at the same time I caught my 10.00 lb big bass at 10am, David groaned, "as they all wrapped around timber and broke off.
2nd place-(5 bass/19.21 lbs)- Dicky Newberry and John
Gunnels of Houston TX, put their Skeeter/Yamaha over mid-lake grass to
work Falcon rods and Shimano reels spooled with 17 lb Stren. The Dawson
Marine Team fished 1 / 2 oz red Rattle Traps along 6'-7' grass-edges to
catch 15 bass from an all day bite. "RAYBURN IS BACK" Dicky
praised!
3rd place-(5 bass/18.14 lbs)- John Salamone from Spring and Ricky Guy
from Deer Park TX, put their Ranger/Mercury bass-rig over south-lake grass
to work Allstar rods and Shimano reels spooled with 20 lb test Gamakatsu.
The 3rd place team managed to catch 25 bass from an all day bite by fishing
red lipless crank-baits along 4'-12' grass-edges.
Top 5 Open Teams:
1-(25.00)-Kris Wilson/David Harvey--------$1,800
2-(19.21)-Dicky Newberry/John Gunnels---$1,075
3-(18.14)-John Salamone/Ricky Guy--------$900
4-(Albert White/Bill Harlan-------------------$800
5-(David Vance/Rob Harty--------------------$750
Overall Big Bass-(10.00)-Kris Wilson/David Harvey-$210
2 nd Big Bass-(7.08)-Clayton Boulware/Roger Boulware-$150
This tournament paid the top 5 teams from a field of 37 teams with a 18.11 lb cutoff.
Post-front calm conditions provided 54-56 degree waters under hard blue-bird skies with dropping lake levels slightly above normal pool.
All bass recovered and live released by the Excel fish recovery team with 101 bass weighing 299 lbs.
For more information on the Excel Tournament Series contact Randy Knight at (979)-694-7634 -or click to- www.excelfishing.com
Excel Tournament Series Sponsors: Motor-Guide- Holliday Inn Express, Needmore Tackle- Daichi Hooks- www.fishingworld.com- and the Open Team Series anglers.
Wilson and Harvey heft 4 reps to their 25.00 lb win, which includes the 10.00 lb "kicker"
Dicky Newberry shows off his and Gunnels 19.21 lb 2nd place sack
Clayton Boulware with 7.08 lb 2nd place big bass
Top 3 teams- 1st front- 2nd - 3rd
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