Anglers Compete to Raise $10,000 in Funds for WWP

Silverman and Osborne Smash Kissimmee Chain Giants

Fun, integrity, loyalty, innovation, and service, those are the five core values of Wounded Warrior Project (WWP). Based out of Jacksonville, Fla., WWP serves veterans and service members who incurred a physical or mental injury, illness, or wound, co-incident to their military service on or after September 11, 2001, and their families. Since its inception in 2003, WWP has helped over 58,000 veterans, service members, and their families.

WWP has 19 programs in place, specifically structured to engage warriors, nurture their minds and bodies, and encourage their economic empowerment. Donations greatly assist WWP in providing these programs to soldiers and their families.

The Help Our Heroes Bass Fishing Tournament presented by Toho Marine was formed to help raise funds for WWP. The event took place May 31^st, where 108 teams arrived at Big Toho Marina, on the shores of Lake Toho, to attend the inaugural event.

The team of Micah Silverman and Russ Osborne smashed their way to victory and an $8,000 payday, weighing in an astonishing 34.37-pound, 5 fish limit of Kissimmee Chain largemouth. Silverman and Osborne weighed 2 fish over 8 pounds to anchor their limit. On the scales, they weighed 8.73 pounds and 8.81 pounds, respectively. This gave them a decisive advantage over runner-up finishers Jeremy Cannon and Brett Cannon.

The Cannon’s also broke the 30-pound threshold. The final total of their 5 fish limit weighed 31.56 pounds, anchored by an 8.83-pound kicker.

Jeremy and Brett Cannon

Brian Colson and Matthew Marinelli finished 3^rd with a 5 bass, 28.40-pound limit.

Corby Wimmer and Melvin Carter finished 4^th with a 5 bass, 28.18-pound limit.

Richard Anthony and Richard Perry finished 5^th with a 5 bass, 27.62 pound limit.

David Howell and Bob Wojcuich finished 6^th with a 5 bass, 25.72 pound limit.

Jason Guynn and Trevor Fitzgerald finished 7^th with a 5 bass, 25.71 pound limit.

Ken Lucas and Daniel Lanier finished 8^th with a 5 bass, 25.48 pound limit.

Steve Brown and Richie Jakubcin finished 9^th with a 5 bass, 25.26 pound limit.

Will Evans and Darrel Cranor rounded out the top 10 with a 5 bass, 25.25 pound limit.

Corby Wimmer and Melvin Carter also won 1^st Big Bass honors for the event, weighing a massive 10.97-pound lunker.

Jeremy Tate and Timothy Miller took home 2^nd Big Bass honors for their 10.81-pound giant.

27 teams caught limits that weighed 20+ pounds, and anglers produced 16 TrophyCatch quality bass during the event. 3 of those fish weighed over 10 pounds, 3 fish weighed in at over 9 pounds, and 10 fish over 8 pounds were showcased at weigh-in. The TrophyCatch program is ran through the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission as part of managing trophy quality largemouth. It gives anglers a chance to win various prizes for submitting catches of bass 8 pounds or heavier. Just for signing up for the program, participants are eligible to win a new Phoenix 619 Pro and trailer, powered by a Mercury Outboard.

The inaugural Helping Our Heroes Bass Tournament presented by Toho Marine raise $10,000 to benefit Wounded Warrior Project. For more information, or if you’d like to donate to WWP’s efforts, you can visit http://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/. Next years Helping Our Heroes Bass Tournament is already scheduled for May 30^th, 2015. For more information on the event, contact Joe Clements or Jean Phillips at 407-892-3200.