Six am arrives mighty early but even if the anglers weren’t quite awake at that time the bass were up and ready, as Jerry Johnston of Kingwood TX, found out by catching and weighing the first bass of the morning, an 8.99 lb big bass that put $2,000 in his pocket. Todd Longron of Orangefield TX, also found an early "wake-up" bite for an exact weight 5.0 bass that put $5,000 in his tackle-pack. The earlier weigh-in hour was necessary for the "block-party" that was scheduled for 2:pm that featured two time Country Artist of the Year and World famous Country Music Singer, Neal McCoy and International Bass Fishing Legend, Jimmy Houston. This free "OPEN TO THE PUBLIC" Block Party took place on Sunday, April 18, as a final day "blow-out" McAngler appreciation party for those who’ve attended the McDonalds Big Bass Splash events for these past 20 years.

"Mark your calendars for April 22, 23, 24 of 2005, next year folks, Bob Sealy announced, for the 21st Annual Rayburn Big Bass Splash for a $500,000 guaranteed payout, AND, Sealy added, mark your calendars to attend the 25th anniversary of the Lake Sam Rayburn Big Bass Splash where we will GURANTEE A MILLION$ DOLLAR PAYOUT!! And with that surprising inducement still floating in the air, Bob Sealy drew the ticket for the final award to be given out, "Ticket #741732 he announced, and with a big scream from Luvada Bennett of Shelbyville TX, stepped forward to claim her Cherokee Travel Trailer valued at $15,000.

Friday-April 16- ReCap; Sunny and warm weather greeted the big bass anglers who arrived from 38 states and four countries to set the leader board with a 1st place (10.89) bass caught by Eddie McCracken, of Graham TX, who fished with a Carolina rigged watermelon/pumpkinseed Zoom lizard to hook his 10.89 lb leading bass off of a mid-lake grass-point. 2nd place lead went to the (9.51) catch by Jimmy Brock, of Lufkin TX, who worked an 8’ creek point with a watermelon/red Zoom trick-worm. 3rd place lead marked the (9.34) bass caught by Jerry Moffett, of Natchez MS, who slow-rolled a 5’ mid-lake grass-bed with a chartreuse McHooty spinner-bait. The only exact weight Bass came in with the 3.0 catch by Jason Wells, of San Augustine TX, who fished a north lake brush patch with a watermelon/red tube for his $5,000 payout.

Saturday-April 17- ReCap; It was definitely "Hawg-Time" today as 8, 9, 10, and 11 pound bass found their way onto the leader-board to seriously reshuffle the overall standings giving 1st place McLead to the (11.83) lb catch of Michael Frederick of Mauriceville TX, who fished Five Fingers with a Carolina rigged watermelon/red Zoom lizards. 2nd place McLead went to the (10.89) lb bass of Eddie McCraken of Graham TX, who fished a Carolina rigged watermelon/pumpkinseed Zoom lizard over a mid-lake grass-point. 3rd place McLead went to the (10.52) lb catch of Michael Duff of Liberty TX, who fished the Five Finger area with an Xmas tree Senko over a 4’ brush patch. Day-2 Exact weight bass went to the (3.0) caught by James Jones of Calhoun LA, the (4.0) of Leighton Lloyd of Stockton TX, and the 5.0 bass of Glenn Granger of Sulphur LA.

Sunday-April 18-Final- Mother Nature smiled down on this three day event as SPRING like weather provided nothing but warm and pleasant days with plenty of BIG bass bites.

Top-5 Overall McWhoppers:
1st place -(11.83)- Michael Frederick of Mauriceville TX, was working a Quantum rod and reel spooled with 17 lb- P-line when he caught and landed on the second day what became the "overall" winning bass of this tournament. "We, my dad and I, were fishing the Five Fingers area with Carolina rigged watermelon/red Zoom lizards, Michael stated, as he told of fishing a creek-point grass-flat when the big bass hit on an 8:40 am big bite. "I yelled to my dad to "GET THE NET" because I had a big fish, Mike stated! Michael Frederick’s big bass held until the final bass was weighed-in on Sunday, then collected the keys to the first place Sportsman’s Package for driving home to Mauriceville in his brand new Hummer H-2, trailering a matching brand new Triton Bass boat rig valued at $105,000.

2nd place -(10.89)- Eddie McCraken of Graham TX, fished a Daiwa/Mitchell rod & reel with a Carolina rigged watermelon/pumpkinseed Zoom lizard on the first day when he hooked his 10.89 lb bass on a 6:20 am big bite. The angler was working mid-lake point grass when the huge bass hit. Eddie became the first weigh-in for the 20th Annual McDonalds Big Bass Tournament to collect $2,000 for his top of the hour bass, as well as the 2nd place overall prize of a Dodge Pickup Truck hitched to a Triton 165/Mercury bass-rig valued at $40,000.

3rd place -(10.52)- Michael Duff of Liberty TX, was fishing the Five Finger area when he nailed his big bass on a 9:30 am big bite. "I was fishing with a Castaway rod and Garcia reel spooled with 50 lb test Spider-Wire, he stated, with a Xmas tree Senko around a 4’ buck-brush patch when the bass hit. Duff pocketed $1,600 for his 2nd place hourly big bass, as well as the 3rd place overall prize of a Cherokee Travel Trailer valued at $15,000.

4th place -(10.02)- Otha Brown of Koontz TX, was fishing his 20th McBass event on the other side of Needmore Point with a watermelon Senko when he hooked and landed a 10.02 "hawg" from a 4’ scattered brush-patch. "As soon as I got him in the boat, Otha informed, I noticed something hanging out of its mouth, a watermelon/red brush hog that I had been fishing with yesterday, and "by-golly" if this wasn’t the same bass that I had hooked while fishing in the same area Saturday when it snapped my line!" This incredible "lucky break" would put $2,000 into Otha’s pocket as well as the 4th place overall prize of a Honda ATV. ($7,000)

5th place -(9.67)- Danny Dulude of Como TX, went to Little Creek to fish a Fulcrum rod and Quantum reel spooled with 25 lb test Berkely Big Game mono. "The bass was on a 10’ - 2ndary grass point when it hit my Carolina rigged watermelon/red double-ringer bait on a 10:50 am big bite, he informed, telling that the bass swam off and all heck broke loose before I could get her in the boat. Danny Delude has fished every single McSplash event from its beginnings and collected $2,000 for his top of the hour big bass, as well as the 5th place overall award of a Honda ATV. ($4,200)

Sunday Exact Weight Bass:(3.0)-Andrea Berry of Pencil Bluff ARK, went fishing with her husband up in the Millcreek area when she nailed her exact eight 3.0 bass on a Xmas-Tree Senko. "We weighed it on a Berkely digital scale showing it weighing between 3.1 or 3.0 lbs, she stated, and then I got really excited because my husband had won a boat from an exact weight 3.0 bass he caught and weighed-in the previous year! Andrea may not have won a bass boat for her efforts but she had $5,000 to spend for an upcoming shopping spree.

(4.0)-Shayne Kemp of Purvis MS, caught a bass at 8 am, but didn’t really figure that it was "nothing-much" of anything, so he just kept it in the live well. At the end of the day, and when he didn’t have anything to weigh-in, Shayne decided to weigh-in his earlier "nothing-much" bass. Well, the rest belongs to McBass history as his "nothing-much" bass hit the scales at 4.0 for a $5,000 payout. Not bad for a "nothing-much" catch.

(5.0)-Todd Longron of Orangefield TX, was fishing Solleys’ Woods with a 4" Carolina rigged watermelon/red/chartreuse baby brush hog when he caught a 5.0 exact weight bass. "I weighed it on my Berkely digital, he sated, and it bounced between 4.13 and 5.02 so I brought it in. Todd collected $5,000 cash for his 6:55 am lucky catch.

(Note)- all unclaimed $5,000 exact weight bass cash awards are guaranteed payouts and were awarded via angler draws on the final day of the this tournament.

To date over $30 million dollars has been raised for various RMH charities by the Sealy Outdoors Big Bass Splash events.

[Click to enlarge image] International Country Music Artist, Neal McCoy, playing his best to the 20th Annual McCrowd in front of the Umphrey Pavilion Photo by Ed Snyder

[Click to enlarge image] National Fishing Celebrity, Jimmy Houston, doing what he does best to Humble TX, angler, Perry Clark\’s 7.07 lb bass Photo by Ed Snyder