The 33rd season for the Tampa Pro Bass Team Tournament Trail was a strong one, with seven different teams winning during the eight event season. The team that won twice? That would be the defending Team of the Year- Brian Mason and Bob Stringer. The duo won back to back events during the 2015/2016 season, with the first coming at the Harris Chain in March. They swept the field, winning first place and big bass honors, then followed up with another win in April at the Kissimmee Chain.
Both wins helped to secure back to back Team of the Year titles, but their victory wasn’t as decisive as their 2014/2015 campaign. They had stiff competition from Bobby Wooten and Chad Stewart, who led the points race most of the season. When it was all said and done, Mason and Stringer edged out Wooten and Stewart by a mere 6 points, claiming their second points title in as many seasons.
Both teams were solid picks heading into the club’s end of season classic on Lake Okeechobee, held June 4th and 5th, where 28 of the 31 qualified teams competed for the classic title. At the conclusion of day one, Alan Devane and Joe Johns led the charge with a 23.14-pound bag. Anchoring their limit was the day 1 Big Bass, weighing an even 8.00 pounds. Jeff and Dana Crosby put themselves within striking distance with 22.65 pounds. Richard Lancaster and Gary Silas sat in third place with 20.61 pounds. They were followed by Brandon Chambliss and Sam Guess in foruth place with 17.01 pounds, and Chad and Austin Schroeder in fifth place with 16.49 pounds.
Devane and Johns set out on day two to put the nail in the coffin. The duo had located a group of solid fish a few days prior to the start of the event, and hoped they would cooperate for one more day.
Devane and Johns got their wish on the final day, weighing another 20.37-pound bag. Their two-day total of 43.51 pounds was just enough to secure the classic title for the 2015/2016 season. They edged out Jeff and Dana Crosby by less than a pound. The husband and wife team weighed a 19.88-pound limit on day two, giving them a 42.53 pound total for the weekend.
Richard Lancaster and Gary Silas maintained their third place position with a 36.23 pound weekend total. The father and son team of Chad and Austin Schroeder moved up one spot to finish in fourth place, weighing a total of 32.51 pounds over two days. Bobby Wooten and Chad Stewart had a solid day two and jumped from eighth place to secure the final spot within the Top 5. Their two-day total weighed 32.27 pounds.
The Tampa Pro Bass Team Tournament trail will begin a new season in October, with event being held the first Sunday of the month. Check out www.tampaprobass.com for full results and schedule information.
Photo credit: Alan Devane
