Big bass events are becoming more common in tournament fishing, and for good reason. They are unique to the typical all day grind, fishing for eight hours in search of five bass to bring to the end of day weigh-in. There are a few variations to the format, but one of the more popular has been the hourly weigh-in.
Joe Bierfreund holds up the 8.47-pound Trophy Catch that earned him a second place finish overall
Each hour, anglers are allowed to bring one fish to the scales, in an attempt to ‘win the hour’. Anglers are updated via text on what leads, or wins, a particular hours time slot. This requires competing anglers to decide whether or not weighing their catch for that hour would be beneficial, or if they should wait if they feel they wouldn’t place within the top standings of a particular time slot. It then no longer becomes a game of who’s got the biggest sack of fish, but rather a game of strategy and chance.
On May 3rd, the Kissimmee/Osceola County Chamber of Commerce hosted the first annual Toho Big Fish Blast, the first of it’s kind on the Kissimmee Chain. 52 anglers arrived for the inaugural event, many of who decided to team up in the same boat. Anglers were allowed to form ‘teams’ of up to two anglers per boat, but each angler would only be able to weigh a fish if that particular angler caught it. Each angler was allowed to keep two fish in the livewell at any given time. This would allow an angler to weigh a fish at the end of one hour, and the start of the next. With five hourly weigh-in’s, and the Top 3 of each hour getting a paycheck, competing anglers would have fairly good odds at cashing a check.
“This is really a chance to showcase to the local area our eco-tourism, our beautiful lakes, and our beautiful wildlife here in Osceola County,” Chamber President John Neustreet stated of the tournament. “We look forward to growing this event, and making it successful for years to come.”
Anglers had three hours to search for a big bite before the first weigh-in began at 10:00, giving ample time for anyone who decided to lock out of Toho to make it back before the end of the first hourly weigh-in, if they chose to make the trip back. 10 anglers decided to start the day somewhere on the leaderboard by weighing a bass during the 10:00 hour. Brian Cutcher set the bar early in the day by weighing a 7.11-pound lunker to win the first hour. Raymond Trudeau caught a chunky 4.24-pound bass to finish in second place for the hour, while David Smith’s 4.02-pounder earned a third place finish.
Only a four anglers decided to try their luck during the second hour. Logan Murphy was one of those anglers, and he won the 11:00 hour, and overtook the lead in overall Big Bass, with a 7.45-pound lunker. Josh Wolfe weighed a 6.23-pound kicker to finish win second place. Wolfe’s boat partner Alex Funke took third place for hour number two with a 2.86-pound largemouth.
It seemed as the day went on, bigger fish were being caught. Raymond Trudeau weighed a 9.99-pound monster to win the 12:00 hour, and overtook the overall lead from Murphy. Alex Funke placed again in the third hour, this time in second place. Funke’s bass weighed just under the five-pound mark at 4.92 pounds. David Simms nabbed the final spot for hour number three with a 4.86-pounder.
John Armour claimed the 1:00 hour with an 8.32-pound Trophy Catch. Raymond Trudeau placed yet again, earning another second place finish with a 4.64-pounder. Luke Smith’s 3.93-pounder earned a third place finish during hour number four.
The final hourly weigh-in of the day was awarded to Joe Bierfreund, as he weighed an 8.47-pound Trophy Catch. Biefreund’s boat partner Joe Ventrello finished in second place for the 2:00 hour with a 4.20-pounder. Logan Murphy snuck back on the leaderboard in third place with a 3.75 pound largemouth.
In all, eleven different anglers earned a spot amongst the Top 3 throughout the day. But Raymond Trudeau would finish the day a little better than the rest. Trudeau earned two second place hourly prizes, a first place hourly prize, and the overall Big Bass award for his 9.99-pound giant, earning Trudeau $1,550.00. Trudeau stated that he was working a Zara Spook over hydrilla areas when the nearly 10-pound monster bit.
“We had a real ball today,” Trudeau stated after the event was over. “It was a fun format and we look forward to the next one.”
For more information on the Kissimmee/Osceola Chamber of Commerce, visit www.kissimmeechamber.com
