Parton and Hilton Claim Fisher of Men Win
By Donald Gervais (dongerv@yahoo.com)

Cypress Bend Marina—While Toledo Bend Pro Angler Judy Wong captured the 2008 Women’s Bassmaster Tour Championship on Lake Keowe in S.C. on Feb. 23, back on her home waters Ed Parton and Dan Hilton took the win at the Fisher of Men (FOM) team tournament. Wong’s 3-day total was 26.75 pounds for the victory, with a 6 pounds and 5 ounces 5-fish limit on the final day to win by 6 ounces. Team Parton and Hilton had a one day catch of five bass weighing 19.36 pounds with a 1 pound advantage for their victory.

Ed Parton holds up his 8.14 pound bass that earned him big bass honors at the Feb. 23 Fisher Of Men East Texas division team tournament held on Toledo Bend Reservoir. He and partner Dan Hilton, far right, won with 19.36 pounds. Tournament director Rodney Howard helps show the winners’ catch. Photo by Donald Gervais

Wong faced the top 12 qualifiers from the 2007 Women’s tour while Parton and Hilton took on 47 other angling teams in the Fisher of Men, Texas East division in this the second of five events of the season. 

Though separated by thousands of miles, the anglers of the events faced similar changing weather conditions, cloudy skies and cool temperatures turning warmer. Each faced temperatures in the mid 60’s with bluebird skies at final weigh in. Water temperature was a bit warmer on the Big Bend, hovering around the 58 degree mark opposed to the high 40’s. 

Wong caught her larger spotted bass with a wacky-style Senko in watermelon red color, a familiar Toledo Bend bait. The winning FOM team caught largemouth bass, including the 8.12 pound big bass of the tournament caught by Parton, using a ¾ ounce fire tiger-colored Super Spot vibrating lipless crankbait. The big bass bit at 7:30 a.m.

Second place finishers show their Toledo Bend catch at the second event of the Fisher of Men East Texas 2008 Team Tournament Trail, held Feb. 23. Jeremy Burge (right) and Steve Rhea (left), paired as a team for the first time, caught a five fish limit weighing 18.24-pounds. Tournament director Rodney Howard helps show the catch. Photo by Donald Gervais

Parton of Kingwood, Tx. and Hilton from Conroe, fishing partners for 20 years, targeted their bass in various parts of the lake in depths of 6-12 feet around grass edges. Wong’s one and only spot was the discharge area of a nuclear power plant.

The winning team used a variety of tackle that included: Falcon rods, Shimano reels spooled with 17-pound test Silver Thread and American Rodsmith rods and Shimano reels spooled with 40-pound test Spiderwire. They reeled in 25 keeper fish throughout the day.

Hilton had held big bass of the national circuit honor with an 11-pound fish caught on Toledo Bend in 2006. It was recently superseded by a Florida angler. The duo fished from a Triton boat, powered by a Mercury outboard to take their 3rd divisional win as a team. LMC Marine was credited for keeping the boat on the water.

Jason Moorhead (left) and Kristopher Douglas (right) show the fish that earned them 3rd place at the Feb.23 tournament of the 2008 Fisher of Men East Texas division tournament trail on Toledo Bend Reservoir. Tournament director Rodney Howard in the center helps show the team’s catch. See what adversity the team overcame in accompanied story. Photo by Donald Gervais

Saturday was the first time Steve Rhea and Jeremy Burge partnered as a team. The combination yielded a second place finish with 18.24 pounds. Burge, of Leesville, La and Rhea of Deridder headed to south Texas areas in the lake in a Champion boat powered by a Mercury outboard, searching in 10 foot depths around grass edges for their catch. They targeted fish with ½ ounce black/blue and black/ red jigs, tipped with the same color trailers. They reported good fishing, two limits caught, until the sun came out at mid morning.

Terminal tackle for the runner-up anglers included Castaway rods and Daiwa reels spooled with 20-pound test fluorocarbon Pline and Falcon rods and Shimano reels spooled with Segar 15-pound test line.
 

Third place finishers Kristopher Douglas and Jason Moorhead had a poor start to their day yet managed a five fish limit that weighed 17.98 pounds. They were in Morehead’s new Ranger boat powered by a Mercury motor at take off time.

“Not a mile from the start my outboard quit on me,” said Moorhead of Jasper. “We came back to the marina and Kris called his dad in Natchitoches to bring his boat. We went and ate breakfast with Rodney (Rodney Howard the tournament director). It was 9 by the time the boat got there and got started again.”

The delay didn’t hinder the anglers as they headed to north areas on the lake where they zeroed in on fish in 4-6 foot depths with a ¾ ounce Seville rattling lipless crankbait. The second productive bait was Texas rigged worms using a 3/16 ounce tungsten weight. Their two biggest fish were caught in the last hour of fishing.

Rods, reels and line for the 3rd place team included Castaway rods/Shimano reels with 20-pound Big Game line and Falcon rods and Daiwa reels wound with 17-pound test Pline. The duo credited Ken Douglas for bringing them the second boat, another Ranger boat but powered by a Yamaha outboard, Hales Tackle and Terry Marine.

Rounding out the top six finishers were Gary Baker and Jason Dawn, 4th place with 17.19 pounds; father and son George Weaver Sr. and Jr. took 5th with 15.73 pounds; and in sixth place were Ralph and Troy Logan with 15.15 pounds, including 2nd big bass of the day that weighed 5.14 pounds.

36 limits were brought to the scales with no dead fish for a 100% live release.

“The trail keeps getting bigger and better,” said FOM East Texas division tournament director Rodney Howard. “We had 40 teams on the first tournament on Rayburn and now we have 48 here.”

Howard credited the success to the anglers who support the trail and the crew of tournament workers who make it happen. Anglers were treated to a meal at the Friday evening registration at the marina. Howard gave credit to the national and local sponsors of the trail. The two local sponsors are D’Lish Catering of Woodville and CADAC, a South African grill manufacturer. Members of the FOM East Texas tournament workers include: Keith and David Clay, Dino Howe and Cindy Clay.

FOM’s next tournament will be Mar. 15 at Jackson Hill. For full tournament standing, season events and national information visit their website at: http://www.fomntt.com/

Major sponsors of the Fisher of Men National Tournament Trail includes: Triton boats, Mercury Marine, All Star Rods, Strike King Lure Company, Reese Marine, Shakespeare, XTools and Pflueger.