The heat beat down on many anglers over Memorial Day Weekend, and a little sweat equity paid off for some.
The Crackerboys Bass Club took to lake Istokpoga on May 23rd for the fifth event of their season. It was a tight finish between the top three finishing teams, but Jeff Sweet and Glenn Peacock would prevail over the 69 boat field. The duo boated a 22.81-pound, five-bass limit to claim the win, including an 8.61-pound Trophy Catch. Stephen Bishop and Dell Massie weighed a solid 22.37-pound, five-bass limit to finish the day in second place. A deceased fish penalty caused the team of Andrew and Dennis Lee to slip down to third place. Their five-bass total, after penalty, weighed in at 22.16 pounds. The Lee’s anchored their bag with the day’s Big Bass, a 10.35-pound brute.Donnie Martin and Ken Jackson weighed three solid fish for the day, two shy of a tournament limit, but managed a fourth place finish. Their bag weighing 20.34 pounds was anchored by a 9.09-pound lunker. Brian Divito and Sean Wiggins rounded out the Top 5 with a solid 19.98-pound, five-bass limit. The Roland Martin’s Marina 2nd Big Bass was weighed by Mark Overstreet and Calvin Boyette. Their TrophyCatch lunker weighed in at 9.41 pounds. Wayne Swindle and Clint Boyles won the Elwood’s Taxidermy 3rd Big Bass award with a 9.13-pound TrophyCatch.
Istokpoga wasn’t as friendly to the anglers of the Lake Worth Boynton Beach Bassmasters. The club spent two days on the lake, competing in their eighth event of the season. With the club being draw formatted, competing anglers would be restricted to a three fish limit per day, the lake’s per person daily bag limit. Jesse Woodring bested the boater field over the two-day event. Woodring weighed 16.03 pounds, catching a three-bass limit each day to secure the win. Aaron Oder finished in second place, weighing 14.30 pounds. Scott Bumgarner rounded out the Top 3 with 11.91 pounds. Adam Trieschmann smoked the non-boater field over the weekend. Trieschmann boated three-bass each day for a 20.79-pound weekend total. Trieshmann’s 6.43-pound kicker was the largest single bass weighed during the tournament. Bill Wood finished in second place with 8.69 pounds, followed by Ron Hill in third place. Hill totaled 7.79 pounds for the event.
The Outcasts Bass Club competed at Lake Kissimmee on May 23rd, launching from the south end of the lake at Highway 60. Matt Faneuf and Dustin Hurn earned their first win of the season, topping the 20-boat field. Faneuf and Hurn brought a five-bass limit to the scales weighing an even 15.00 pounds in their victory. Tom Staiforthand Don Faulkner finished the day in second place, weighing a 13.67-pound, five-bass limit. John Catlin and Rick Bateman had the weight to finish in the runner-up spot, but a dead fish penalty knocked their weight down to 13.47 pounds, giving the team a third place finish. Chris Meuret and Steve Rabel finished in fourth place, weighing a 12.95-pound bag. Greg Remor and Doug Wilkerson rounded out the Top 5 with a 12.86-pound bag. Michael Johnson and Michael Capron only boated one bass in the tournament, but it was a giant 9.25-pound lunker, awarding the team the Big Bass side pot.
