| Bass-N-Bucks Bass-N-Bucks Champions Crowned |  |
| by Donald Gervais |
| Page(s): 1 |
More than $150,000 in cash and prizes were up for grabs for the 2009 finale. There were 163 qualifying teams for the no fee tournament. Anglers voluntarily joined in a side pot that had a 100% return to contestants. Bracket 1 had 46 qualifying teams. Top prize for this bracket was a Ranger Z-20 bass boat powered by a Mercury motor valued at more than $53,000. Bracket 2 consisted of 54 teams. The top prize for this bracket was a Ranger 188 VX powered by a Mercury outboard valued at almost $36,000. Bracket 3 had 63 teams who qualified. The grand prize for this bracket was a Ranger 178 VS and Mercury package valued at more than $32,000. In each bracket, cash was paid to the teams from the side pot that finished in second through 11th place. The top 15 places also took home prizes from the sponsors. Day 1 Five flights took off at safe light and began returning at their designated weigh in time beginning at 2:00 p.m. Bracket one was the first to weigh. 1st Bracket Stan Burgay and Lance Hughes were 3rd with 17.32 pounds. Ben Vaughan and Michael Latham were 4th with 16.18 pounds. Fifth place, with 16.16 were Alan Moore and Clint Teutsch. Rounding out the top six were Richard Draper and Phil Marks with 15.89 pounds. 2nd Bracket Mike Michalec and Rick Scott claimed 4th with 16.67 pounds. Mike Freck and Roney McMillen claimed 5th with 16.16 while Brian Schott and Kevin Coleman had 15.89 pounds to hold 6th place. 3rd Bracket Bob and Andy Vote sat in 4th with 17.56 pounds. The Schreibvogel team was in 5th place, thanks in part to their 6.60 pound kicker bass, with 17.17 pounds. William Roberts and Paul Saunders held 6th with a limit weighing 17.06 pounds. One hundred and two teams brought limits to the scales. Weary anglers were tight lipped about fishing spots and techniques. Many lamented the big difference they had found from the previous practice day, the fish were not biting as well as they had been. Several told of large fish lost during the tough day. Some teams wished that the sun would come out to better locate the fish on cover where they were fishing. Teams knew that any team from the back of the pack could do well on day 2 and overcome the deficit to take top honors. Day 2 Bracket 1 Johnston and Iles fell just 0.20 pounds short of the lead as they weighed in 14.32 pounds. They took home $2,000 and Lowrance X 135 units. Randy Millender and Kenneth Nichols made a charge from their 27th place day 1 finish with the biggest limit of the day weighing 21.54 pounds.. Their 33.13 pounds gave them 3rd place in their bracket. They earned $1,500 and Lowrance Fish finders. Dicky Newberry and Billy Skweres moved up in the standings from 7th to 4th with limits of 15.73 and 16.98 pounds for a total of 32.71 pounds. They took home $1,200 and gift certificates from TireMax. Clayton Boulware and Chris McCall jumped from 20th place to claim 5th with limits of 13.05 pounds and 18.37 pounds for 2 day total of 31.42 pounds. They took home $800 and American Rodsmiths rods. Phil Hennigan and Bobby Barreraz were in 6th place with 28.96 pounds and earned $600 and American Rodsmiths rods. Bracket 2 Scott and Michalec took home 3rd place with consistent limits of 16.67 and 16.17 pounds for a 2 day total of 32.84 pounds. They earned $1,500 and Lowrance fish finders. Billy Creighton and Doug Morgan had 17.60 on the day and took 4th place with 32.11 pounds, taking home $1,200 and TireMax gift certificates. Todd Castledine and Brent Broussard improved on their day 1 catch of 13.65 pounds with a limit of 16.32 for 29.97 pounds to earn 5th place and $1,000 cash and a pair of fishing rods.. Hooker and Rigby dropped a few places to 6th place with a total of 29.89 pounds. They earned a check for $900 and two rods from American Rodsmiths. Bracket 3 Charles Bebber and Keith Caka brought in a solid 18.05 pound limit to jump them from 10th to third place with 31.66 pounds. They pocketed $1,500 and gift certificates from TireMax. Greg Watkins and John Schweitzer also improved their day 1 position, from 12th to claim 4th with an 18.19 pound catch for a 2 day limit of 31.65 pounds. The duo went home with a check for $1,300 and TireMax gift certificates. Tullis and Thornton slipped from the top to sixth place when they managed to add but 11.45 pounds for a total of 30.58 pounds. Their wallets are $900 heavier and they have new American Rodsmiths rods. Winners Ways Rusty Clark and Cory Rambo fished the southern end of the lake concentrating their efforts in 8-9 foot depths around hydrilla bed edges with jigs and plastic baits. They culled 5 times on Saturday and 6 times Sunday on way to the victory in bracket 1. It was the first year they fished together. "Thanks to Brad Rutledge, of Golden Triangle Industries, who stood behind us," said Clark, who had finished in 11th in Angler of the Year standings, with a few top 5 finishes during the season. Rambo caught the big bass of the tournament on a buzz bait and said that it there was only skin hooked by the trailer hook when his partner netted it. Other sponsors they thanked were Texas Marine, Ranger Boats, Castaway Rods and Stanley Jigs. Doyle Tibbitts and Pete Shivers won bracket 2 on the south end of the lake using Yellow Magic top water baits for most of their fish. A worm flipped to the grass edge accounted for their biggest fish on Sunday. They culled 8 times Saturday and 4 times Sunday. They targeted depths of 2-6 feet at grass edges in a Champion boat powered by a Mercury motor. "It was a lot tougher today," said Shivers, "the cloud cover helped our top water bite both days. We don?t have sponsors. We are just two old fishermen." Wes Dawson and Teddy Joe Cloide won bracket 3 fishing mid lake areas in depths of 6-8 feet around grass edges. They credited top water baits for most of their catch on day 1 and flipping a Mr. Blitz jig on the final day for their catches. They caught 8 keepers each day culling at 10:30 and 11 a.m. The partners of 10 years fished from a Skeeter boat powered by a Yamaha motor. They thanked the help they received from Dawson Marine, Mr. Blitz, Shimano Rods and Reels, Skeeter Boats and Yamaha Outboards. David Concienne, tournament director thanked the anglers for their support in 2009 and the tremendous sponsors of the trail. He said he looks forward to the upcoming 2010 season. Bass-N-Bucks will also have an open team tournament on Dec. 5th at Lake Sam Rayburn. Sponsors for the Bass-N-Bucks season included: Ranger Boats, Mercury, American Rodsmiths, City of Jasper, Lowrance, Power Pro, Wulf Outdoor Sports, Snag Proof, TireMax, ProRule, E2 Bait Company and FishingWorld.
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