The long, hot, dog days of summer are here. Water temperatures have been reaching into the 90’s, sending big bass to search for cooler shelter. Though the heat has been bearing down, it has yet to hinder anglers from catching monster bags!
There were plenty of big bass to be caught for the 128 teams who competed in the second annual Help Our Heroes tournament presented by Toho Marine at Lake Toho. The event is held to raise money for programs benefiting injured service members of our nation’s military. Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) and Fighting for our Heroes Foundation (FFOHF) were the beneficiaries of this year’s festivities. The event, which raised $15,000.00 in donations to benefit both organizations ($10,000.00 to WWP and $5,000.00 to FFOHF), grew in size form the 108 competing teams at last year’s inaugural event. Joey Thigpen and Terry Friend samshed a 34.05-pound, five-bass limit to win the second annual event and the $8,600.00 first place prize. The 11.85-pound giant that anchored their bag earned the team an additional $3,000.00 for being the largest bass weighed for the day. Trevor Fitzgerald and Joey Bruce teamed up to crush a 30.67-pound, five bass limit, including a 9.52-pound lunker. That fish helped in anchoring their bag to a second place finish and $2,200.00 Ray Trudeau and Walt Thompson found few big bass as well. They weighed a 30.11-pound, five bass limit, anchored by a 10.37-pound toad. Trudeau and Thompson earned a third place finish worth $1,200.00, along with the Second Big Bass award worth an additional $700.00. William Farmer and Garrett Rocamora carried a couple of TrophyCatch quality fish across the scales to finish in fourth place. Their five-bass limit totaled 29.28 pounds, and was anchored by fish weighing 10.27 pounds, and 8.27 pounds, respectively. Those fish helped earn the team a check for $900.00. The Top 4 teams also have earned invitations into the 2016 Florida State Team Championship, where anglers will compete for a new Blazer 595 Pro Elite powered by a 200HP Mercury Pro XS. In all, there were 11 TrophyCatch quality bass, 8 pounds or heavier, weighed during the tournament.~
The Tampa Pro Bass Tournament Trail season capped their 2014/2015 season with a two-day championship at Lake Okeechobee, out of Roland and Mary Ann Martin’s Marina and Resort. 30 of the qualified teams participated in this year’s event held June 6th and 7th. Travis Cato and Bruce Bozman topped the field, weighing 42.88 pounds over two days of competition. After sitting in third place with 21.94 pounds on day 1, they were able to move up and edge out day one leaders Martin Dukes and Dale Lynn by six-one hundredths of a pound to earn $1,660.60. After catching a 26.42-pound, five-bass limit on day one, Dukes and Lynn finished the tournament in second place, weighing a total of 42.82 pounds to earn $1,201.75. Brian Divito and Sean Wiggins finished the event in third place with 39.56 pounds, earning $742.90 Brian Harvey and Rick Kyzer landed in fourth place, boating 38.17 pounds over the weekend to cash a check worth $502.55. Kyser’s 6.64-pounder caught on day two earned the Big Bass award for the day, and helped to earn an additional $300.00. Victor Cruz and Michael Bauer totaled 34.73 pounds en route to a fifth place finish and a $262.20 check. Bob Stringer caught a 9.31-pound lunker on day one to win the day’s Big Bass prize of $300.00.~
Eddy Mills swept honors at the Camp Mack One Man event held on June 6th. Mills weighed 22.35 pounds, anchored by the Big Bass of the tournament, an 8.30-pound TrophyCatch lunker. Dave Ochs finished in second place with 20.15 pounds. Jeff Crandon weighed 19.60 pounds to finish in third.~
Jim Topmiller topped the Florida Trails Bassmasters field of 15 anglers at the East Lake Showdown held on East Lake Toho. Topmiller’s five-bass limit weighed 8.31 pounds. Mark Malys finished in second place, weighing an 8.38-pound, five-bass limit. Matt Lawther finished in third place with 7.62 pounds. Brandon Prophitt caught the largest bass of the day, a 3.08-poundk kicker.~
Jeremy Smith bested 51 other anglers in the boater division of the American Bass Anglers Ram Weekend Bass Series event at the Harris Chain of Lakes. Smith weighed a 21.81-pound, five-bass limit, anchored by the day’s Big Bass, a 7.95-pound lunker. Smith earned $3,959.00 for the day. Eric Panzironi finished the day in second place, weighing a 17.81-pound, five-bass limit en route to a $1,183.00 check. Eric Conant rounded out the Top 3 with a 16.49-pound, five-bass limit, earning $1,051.00.
Guy Scott topped the co-angler division with a three-bass limit weighing 8.40 pounds. Scott earned $1,500.00 for the win. Tomas Gomez finished in second place due to a dead fish penalty. Gomez anchored his 8.28-pound, three-bass limit with a 5.89-pounder.
Terry Metzger & Ron Roker show off their 30.34-lb. limit
That fish earned the division’s Big Bass honor, and helped Gomez earn $1,107.00 for the day. Nik Kayler rounded out the Top 3 by weighing an 8.23-pound, three-bass limit en route to a $551.00 paycheck.~
Lake Istokpoga was on fire for some of the 15 teams competing in the divisional event of the Xtreme Bass Series on June 7th. Terry Metzger and Ron Roker clobbered a 30.34-pound, five-bass limit to win the event. Anchoring their catch was a 10.32-pound giant that earned the team the Big Bass award. Will Benion and Robbie Rose finished in a distant second place, weighing a solid 24.29-pound, five-bass limit. Tom McGinnis and John Wood boated a 20.23-pound, five-bass limit to finish in third place.~
The UCF Bass Fishing Team held a fundraiser tournament on June 7th at Camp Mack on the Kissimmee Chain of Lakes in an attempt to raise funds for their trip to the Carhartt Bassmaster College Series National Championship being held on Wisconsin’s Lake DuBay July 9-11th. Garrett Rocamora and Levi Brown teamed up to boat a 19.70-pound, five-bass limit to win the event. Wesley Wise and Derek Moore finished the day in second place, weighing a 19.35-pound, five-bass limit. Brandon Smith and Cody Boutwell tied with Brandy and Jerry Hugh for third place. Each team had a 19.05-pound, five-bass limit. Danny Glisson fished with Corey Ash and caught the day’s Big Bass, a 9.00-pound lunker. If you’d like to donate to the UCF Bass Fishing Team’s fund, visit the link to view their GoFund Me page.~
Garrett Rocamora and Levi Brown with part of their 19.70-lb. limit
Lake Istokpoga proved to be tough for the Winter Haven Lunker Lovers on June 14th. Jim Rose bested the field with a 13.95-pound, three-fish limit. Rose anchored his winning bag with the tournament’s Big Bass, a 6.37-pound kicker. Barry Edie landed in the runner-up spot by catching a 13.43-pound, three-bass limit. Ron Oechsner finished in third place with a 12.32-pound, three-bass limit, followed by Allen Prince with a 10.38-pound, three-bass limit.~
The Bass Thugs Tournament Trail held their first ever event on June 14th at the Clermont Chain of Lakes. Ryan and Zachary Stephens won the event with a 10 pound, 4 ounce bag. Chris and Homer Harris finished in second place, weighing a 9 pound, 12 ounce bag, followed by Jesse and Dylan Harris in third with 7 pounds, 14 ounces.~
Jay Trudel and Paul Gale topped the Weekend Bassers tournament at Lake Okeechobee on June 14th. The team weighed a 22.13-pound, five-bass limit to take the win. OB O’Brien and Johnny Panozzo finished in second place with a 16.13-pound, five-bass limit. They boated a 7.80-pounder to anchor their bag and earn the Big Bass honor. Bill Dart took third place with a 13.40-pound, five-bass limit.~
Rich Patterson and Dave Smith walked away with a multiple victories at the USA Bassin’ event at Lake Toho. The duo won the tournament on June 14th with an 18.50-pound, five-bass limit, beating out 14 other teams. The duo also secured the points title for the organization’s Team of the Year race. Len Tyre and Robert Makuch finished the day in second place, weighing a 17.55-pound, five-bass limit. Guy Scott and Brandon Blondeel finished in third place with 17.40 pounds. Darrin Simmons and Phillip Anderson boated the day’s Big Bass, a 7.85-pounder.
