Trudeau and Thompson secure Team of the Year
Shelton Smith and Eric Andrews topped a 55 boat field at the final Bartow Ford-Toho Marine Elite Pro Team Trail qualifier at Lake Kissimmee. Smith and Andrews bested a field comprised of some of Central Florida’s top anglers with a 31.99-pound, 5 fish limit to win. The duo anchored their winning bag with an 8.37 pound TrophyCatch. James Watkins and Mike Watkins took home second place with a 28.71 pound, 5 bass limit. The team of brothers anchored their bag with an 8.67 pound TrophyCatch. Levi Brown and Roger Brown finished the day in third place with 24.52 pounds, anchored with a TrophyCatch of their own that weighed 8.12 pounds. Rounding out the Top 5 were the teams of John Huls and Michael DeJesus in fourth place with 24.45 pounds, followed by Gary Niemi and Rick Helmuth in fifth place with 24.24 pounds.
Terrance Gaar and Ricky Toney took home Big Bass honors for the day with a 9.81 pound TrophyCatch. Josh Wolf and Nate Bloom weighed the Second Big Bass with an 8.72 pound TrophyCatch.
Top 10
| Place | Team | # of Fish | Big Fish | Weight |
| 1 | Shelton Smith & Eric Andrews | 5 | 8.37 | 31.99 |
| 2 | James Watkins & Mike Watkins | 5 | 8.67 | 28.71 |
| 3 | Levi Brown & Roger Brown | 5 | 8.12 | 24.52 |
| 4 | John Huls & Michael DeJesus | 5 | 5.89 | 24.45 |
| 5 | Gary Niemi & Rick Helmuth | 5 | 24.24 | |
| 6 | George Short & Santos Solis, Jr. | 5 | 22.15 | |
| 7 | Ray Trudeau and Walter Thompson | 5 | 21.90 | |
| 8 | David Alfonso & Roger Browder | 5 | 7.53 | 21.23 |
| 9 | Chad Wagner & Jay Hagood | 5 | 20.38 | |
| 10 | David Crews & Troy Olivier | 5 | 19.90 | |
| 1st BB | Terrance Gaar & Ricky Toney | 9.81 | ||
| 2nd BB | Josh Wolf & Nate Bloom | 8.72 |
With their 7th place finish, Ray Trudeau and Walter Thompson secured a points race, earning the top spot as the Team of the Year. Trudeau and Thompson never had a finish outside the Top 10 in the 4 qualifying events, putting up finishes of 3rd, 7th, 6th, and 7th in each of the respective events.
Top 5 Team of the Year Race
1st: Ray Trudeau and Walter Thompson- 781 points
2nd: David Crews and Troy Olivier- 775 points
3rd: Ricky Teschendorf and Shane Gillman- 758 points
4th: George Short and Santos Solis, Jr.- 745 points
5th: Wesley Wise and Clayton Stokes- 742 points
The Bartow Ford-Toho Marine end of season classic will be held October 1st and 2nd on Lake Kissimmee out of Camp Mack.
Photos by Brian Stahl
