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Lake Fork, TX .... With newly enforced Lake Fork slot limits now between 16 to 24 inches, the 14th Annual McDonalds Lake Fork event would seem to offer more of a "Splish Bass Splash" rather than a "Big Bass Splash" for its three day-long run. But with $300,000 offered in "guaranteed" cash & prizes, the tourney also promised to become one of the more "lucrative" people events of the year as "BIG BASS CASH" was to be paid out for "little bass splashes".
"As Lake Fork^s slot limit is now holding at 16 to 24 inches, stated Tournament Director, Bob Sealy, "the bottom end bass, of 16 inches and below, opens up a whole new ball game for the McBass anglers. "This means, Sealy informed, "that the opportunities for the anglers to hook onto some of the $300,000 offered in cash & prizes are greatly increased due to the fact that the tourney will no longer be dominated by the top-end, 24 inch and above, Mega-Bass. "Oh, we expect to see some real Lake Fork monster bass weighed-in during this event, advised Sealy, "But there will only be a few, which means that the balanced majority of the hourly money bass will go to those "bottom end" bass which will be weighed-in during our 3 day "McBass-a-thon.
"HOT"-"STICKY"-AND-"STINKY"- would be the predicted weather pattern for the next two days as the long "HOT" summer refused to give up its dominance, "But today was the first day of Autumn and relief was on the way via a Colorado cold front. Even though the heat was up, so would be the bass-bite as Larry Jones of Fruitville, TX, and Jason Gautney of Lake Dallas TX, set their hooks into their bass-bites at exactly 6:45 am, and both anglers immediately navigated to the weigh-in site at Lake Fork Marina. "Eight –point- nine/five pounds, announced Bob Sealy as Jones weighed-in his $1,200 bite, "and your tournament leader folks, Sealy advised to the early morning crowd just as Gautney stepped up to weigh-in his bite. "Point four/four pounds, Sealy chuckled as Gautney’s bass anchored his mini-bite for the 2nd place $1,000 lead, "But it wouldn’t last long as larger hourly bass began nudging down his effort to 3rd, then to 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, and finally10th until it was completely out of the money.
The 11: am to Noon T-shirt bonus hour provided excitement for the crowd as Randy Miller of Sulphur Springs TX, "double-trucking" his sack that held a bowed-up bass. "Our first double digit bass for this event, Bob Sealy announced to the admiring crowd, and at 10.44 lbs folks it takes over the lead for the "overall" big bass of the tournament.
"It hit my Norman DD-22 crank-bait at 11:35 am, Miller informed, as he told of fishing with his partner, Steve Taylor, also of Sulphur Springs. "I was working a 4^ to 6^ stump-flat that dropped down to 12^, Miller explained, "When, while fishing my Allstar rod and Citica reels spooled with 17 lb test Stren, when my crank started diggin^ mud at the 12^ break-line "WHAM" she hit me like a locomotive. "Man what a fight, Randy Miller admired, "stating that as soon as they got her in the boat they headed in to Lake Fork Marina. Randy Miller would win the $1,200 top of the hour as well as the $1,000 T-shirt bonus…."not bad"… but if his bass-weight held up for the next two days he could win the "OVERALL" tournament package valued at $35,000.
The final 2: pm to 3: pm hour held two surprises as Ed Holland of Allen TX, worked his Berkley lightning rod and Quantum reel spooled with 14 lb test Stren. "I was fishing a stumpy point around the Minnow Bucket area when the 5.99 lb -24 & 1/4 inch bass hit my Bagley pearl crank-bait. Holland^s bass would take the top of the hour for $1,200 as well as the 3rd place overall lead.
"THEN"- At 2:32 pm Kyle Ward of Corsicana TX, was working his Carolina rigged chartreuse/pepper Mark Pack baby fry along some bank-shallow water around Birch Island when the 2.50 bass hit at 2:25 pm. Kyle Ward collected the keys to a $16,500 fully rigged Triton/OMC bass boat for his exact weight 2.50 lb catch.
Top-end "Big Bass Splash" Leaders:1-Randy Miller/Sulphur Springs, TX 10.44 lbs $2,200
2-Larry Jones/Fruitville, TX 8.95 lbs $1,200
3-Ed Holland/Allen, TX 5.99 lbs $1,200
Bottom-end "Splish Splash" Leaders: 4-Tom Larkin/Sugarland, TX .2.72 lbs $1,200
5-Randy Gross/Oklahoma City, OK 2.69 lbs $1,200
All Bass Live Released by the Shimano Bass Recovery Team.
Day-1 tally-345 bass- weighing 658 lbs
Uploaded: 9/23/2000
Uploaded: 9/23/2000