(Aug. 14, 2006 - Sam Rayburn Reservoir, TX.)... The ESPN Outdoors Bassmaster Lone Star Series (SE TX) division re-visited Sam Rayburn August 13, 2006. Sixty eight boats paired up boaters and non-boaters who tried their best to find some biting bass. Sam Rayburn was being stingy, not giving up very many. Tommy Loving won 1st place on the boaters side, and Pat Reid took 1st for the non-boaters.The format for this tournament series is a little different than most. The boater is allowed a five fish limit. The non-boater is allowed 3. The boaters total weight consists exclusively of the fish he / she catches. The non-boaters weight is a total of their weight plus the fish weight of the boater that they were fishing with, as long as the non-boater caught at least one weigh-able fish.
The scales turned on at 2:00, and the anglers began lining up with their bags of fish at the tanks. It was evident from the beginning that it was a tough day on the water. Was it the heat? Moon phase? Whatever the cause, the result was very few limits brought in.
On the boater side, Tommy Loving brought in the top 5 fish limit, weighing 15 lbs 7 oz. "I only had 5 bites all day" Tommy began. "We were fishing near 147 bridge, throwing a new bait from Kicker Fish Bait Co. called the Floating Exploding Toad. The one I was using was white, rigged weightless, hooked with a Mr. Blitz Toad Toater hook. We fished back in the pockets in scattered grass about 4’ deep. At 10:00 when I boated my 5th fish, I told my co-angler (Joel James) that the bite was probably over. For me it was, I didn’t catch another fish after that." Joel finished in 8th place on the non-boater side.
Dicky Newberry took 2nd place boater division with 15 lbs 2 oz. "I just flipped jigs in the grass" Dicky stated. He was throwing a 1 oz camo jig with a 4" Gene Larew craw worm trailer in scattered grass, about 9’ deep. "I guess I hit about 20 different spots, but only caught fish in 3 of them. My first five fish limit weighed about 10 pounds, and the better bite was done by 9:00am. After that, I only caught three more. My biggest, 5 lbs 5 oz, was caught at 1:30." Dicky was using a new 7’-2" rod by American Rodsmith called the Kicker Stick and 65 pound Stealth braided line by Spider Wire.
3rd place boater was Mike Michalec, bringing in another 5 fish limit weighing 14 lbs 2 oz. "I just flipped an Oldam jig all day in scattered and matted grass" Mike began. He trailered the jig with a 4" Gene Larew craw worm, pitching in 10’ to 12’. "I had an all day bite. I went to about 9 different spots and caught fish in three of them." Mike is sponsored by Rapalla Lures, Storm, Triton Boats and Mercury Motors.
James Elliott caught the Big Bass of the tournament, weighing in at 5 pounds 15 ounces. He caught her around 11:30, fishing a bare hump in about 8’ of water. The bait was a 3/8 oz Texas rigged red bug worm. He would like to recognize his sponsors: Shimano Crucial rods, Shimano Curado reels, Town & Country, North American Mining and Wulf Outdoor Sports.
Top 5 boaters
| 1st | 15 lbs 7 oz | Tommy Loving |
| 2nd | 15 lbs 2 oz | Dicky Newberry |
| 3rd | 14 lbs 2 oz | Mike Michalec |
| 4th | 13 lbs 13 oz | Patrick Cascio |
| 5th | 12 lbs 7 oz | Glen Freeman |
Pat Reid won 1st place in the non-boater division. She weighed in her 3 fish limit of 9 pounds 9 oz., then adding in her boater partner Patrick Cascio’s weight of 13 lbs 13 oz, her final official weight was 22 pounds 11 ounces. "Pat Cascio was a great partner. He just moved to Rayburn from New Orleans, and we had a super day. We went way North, and I fished a Texas rigged Mag 2. He caught all of his fish on Senko’s. The area we were fishing was real muddy, with moss and pads in 10’. We culled fish all day, just didn’t catch any big ones. I really enjoy fishing ESPN Outdoors. Everyone I’ve fished with so far has just been super."
Daniel Chambers won 2nd place non boater with a total of 19 pounds even. He also brought in a three fish limit of his own, weighing 11 pounds 8 oz, including a 5 lb 4 oz kicker. Mike Cortelloni was his boater partner who brought in 7 lbs 8 oz and finished in 14th place on the boater side. "We were fishing heavy grass, and I threw a 3/8 oz Texas rigged Gene Larew 11" June Bug worm all day. The better bite came early, before 10:00. I only caught one more after that, at 1:00 and was able to cull one fish with it."
Top 5 Non-boaters
| 1st | 22 lbs 11 oz | Pat Reid |
| 2nd | 19 lbs 0 oz | Daniel Chambers |
| 3rd | 16 lbs 7 oz | Claude Jones |
| 4th | 15 lbs 10 oz | John Littleton |
| 4th (tie) | 15 lbs 10 oz | Thomas Marsalia |
The next ESPN Outdoors Bassmaster Lone Star series tournament is October 1st on Sam Rayburn at the Umphrey Family Pavilion.
