| Bass-N-Bucks Watkins & Blakelock sweated the win at Bass N Bucks Summer Series on Toledo Bend |  |
| by Patty Lenderman |
| Page(s): 1 |
Johnny Watkins & Bart Blakelock weighed their creel long before official weigh in time. "We had a great morning. Around 7:30, we caught a seven pounder and the 8.62 in back to back casts." Bart landed the biggest, which ended up winning Big Bass honors. Using Stanley Bug-eye jigs with Zoom trailers, they fished main lake drop offs in 15-25 foot depths. "After we got those two in the boat, about five casts later we added a four pounder. We stayed in that spot about an hour or so, then went to another area with a good drop and caught a few more with crank baits." At that point, their smallest fish weighed about two pounds. "We were able to cull the smallest one around noon with another four pound bass." Concerned that the fish were stressed, they came in and weighed their fish around 1:30 to get them into the treated oxygenated tanks in the release barge. They had set the mark for the rest of the teams, having a total weight of 26.34 lbs, including an 8.62 pound kicker. For the duration of the weigh in, they sat and watched as each team brought in their catch. In an effort to support and encourage fish care and conservation, almost all tournament circuits have a small penalty, a deduction from the total weight, for bass weighed in deceased. This encourages anglers to do everything they can to make sure the best care possible is taken to ensure a live release back into the lake at the conclusion of the tournament. At times, it can make all the difference in the final standings. Mike Metcalf and Glenn Kirk brought in a hefty sack of bass, the only other team to closely challenge the leaders. The weight for their five bass tallied at 27.53 pounds. Not all of their catch made it to the scales alive, so their penalty dropped their official total to 26.03 pounds for a 2nd place finish. "It was a pretty day" Metcalf stated. "We caught one here, one there anywhere from 17’ to 8’ in areas with sparse grass." Kirk added "It was a subtle bite. We managed two early, then we moved around a lot for the rest." They were throwing Carolina rigs and crank baits, and had a limit by noon. "We culled a few times after that then came on in." Their sponsors include Captain Kirk’s Marine, Mercury, Pro Craft and Ameritech Buildings of Jasper TX. Several teams temporarily held the 3rd place position but the Ebarbs, father and son Wayne and Cody ultimately kept it. Their five bass limit weighed 24.58 pounds. "All of the fish we weighed were caught between 9:30 and 2:00" Wayne explained. Throwing Mudbug 9A’s, they targeted ridges and drop-offs north of the bridge in 12’-17’. "We probably caught around 15 keepers today. It was fun." At the conclusion of the weigh in, Watkins & Blakelock were declared the winners of the tournament. Shaking the hands of Kirk & Metcalf they could finally wipe the sweat from their brow and enjoy the win. Their sponsors include Stanley Jigs, Tempest Rods, Bolton Ford, Al’s Custon Lures, Ranger Boats and Yamaha Motors. "We had a very blessed day. We’d just like to thank the Lord for it." Top Teams:
Ranger Boats rewards the top three Ranger Cup teams in every Bass N Bucks events. This sponsor incentive puts even more money in participants pockets. Ranger Cup Bonus winners:
The top 20 teams from the Summer Series will qualify for the Championship. The top 20 will be determined by those not yet qualified through the first series earlier in the year. Championship teams will be divided into three brackets, determined by overall standings. Each team will only fish against others in that bracket. Bass N Bucks will be paying back more than $100,000 in cash and prizes to these qualified teams, and 1st place in each will win a brand new Ranger Boat powered by a Mercury Motor! The final Summer Series event will take place at the Umphrey Family Pavilion on Sam Rayburn August 9. Anyone is eligible to fish, so grab your gear and sign up today. For more information, call Bass N Bucks at 409-727-8941 or click to the Bass N Bucks website.
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