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Berreraz and Hennigan take TFC Championship for 2007
Umphrey Family Pavilion-The 2007 Texas Forest County (TFC) Bass Circuit began with a bang and ended that way at the Championship tournament held January 5 on Lake Sam Rayburn. Bobby Berreraz and Phil Hennigan, third in the inaugural event on Sept. 8 at Toledo Bend, claimed top spot and the grand prize, a 2008 fully rigged Legend Bass Boat powered buy a Mercury 225 hp Optimax Outboard, a package valued at over $54,000, with a five fish limit weighing 26.76 pounds. They squeaked to the victory by 5/100th of a pound over the second place team of Harold Allen and Glenn Freeman who had 26.71 pounds. So many 20 pound plus sacks came to the scales from the 59 competing teams that tournament director John Salamone's arms became tired of lifting the heavy bags to the scales. The combined weight of the top four teams was over 102 pounds. There was no designated big bass award in the tournament but one fish, weighed in by Boddie Colwell and Albert Collins, was 9.02 pounds. Several other bass that crossed the scales in the huge bass filled bags matched and may have exceeded it. It took 24.27 pounds to earn the fifth place and final check.
Stan Burgay and Charles Reagan, winners of the first event, earned the Anglers of the Year title and were awarded free registration to next year's events. They weighed 19.22 pounds in the championship event. "I'd like to thank John Salamone and all the people who put on the circuit," said Burgay as he accepted the award. "It was a fun trail to fish and they did an excellent job putting on the tournaments."
62 teams were eligible to compete in the grand finale of the inaugural season of the Texas Forest County team trail. They earned passage to the championship by competing in all 4 events or by placing in the top places of the Dec. 8 tournament, in the wild card category. The events were sponsored by Texas counties bordering Lakes Sam Rayburn and Toledo Bend with the intent of bolstering traffic in another wise quite time for lake businesses. The counties that hosted TFC tournaments were: St. Augustine, Sabine, Shelby and Jasper.
The tournament brought out the best of the area lake anglers and as an added bonus, the anglers fished in unusually warm weather for East Texas in January. Two days before the tournament the area had been gripped with low temperatures in the teens. The tournament began with temps in the 50's and rose to 65 degrees by the weigh in of the first of two flights. Warm southern winds blowing 10-15 mph and on and off showers replaced the previous north gales and blue bird skies. Water temperature was in the low to mid 50's. Randy Qualls, president of Legend Boats, worked the fish measuring station at the finale and presented Berrera and Hennigan the title to the boat. He expressed his amazement at the great catches and care of the fish, no dead fish and 100% release. He thanked the anglers, counties and volunteers for their support for the inaugural year for the TFC. Qualls was not the only volunteer at the tournament; all the workers were as well.
Salamone made that point as he explained to the anglers where their tournament entrance fees went in the TFC circuit. None of the workers were taking home their money. Salamone said that the approximate $3,000 withheld each tournament, 15% of money collected, was used to come up with the $54,000 grand prize awarded to the champions. He said that although specifics for next year were not yet known, that the TFC would be back in the fall of 2008, "bigger and better". He said announcements would be made as soon as things were decided. "I think I'm going to go home and cry," said Allen on hearing the announcement that he and Freeman had lost by 0.05 pounds, the weight of a keychain. "But it's nothing new to Glenn and me. We lost out on a boat by 2/100's of a pound before and I lost the 1981 BASS Classic by 15 ounces. What can you do?" The $5,000 runners up check may have helped console the runners up. Third place finishers Chris McCall and Ricky Guy brought in 24.60 pounds and took home $3,000 to help their sorrows. Kris Wilson and Russell Cecil, who weighed 24.5 pounds, took home a bit less for consolation with the 4th place check of $2,000. Jason Wells and Vic Cooper took 5th place and $1,000 with 24.27 pounds.
Among the volunteers at the tournament were members of the Jasper Junior High School Leo Club, a teen service oriented group of the Lion's club. They carried the heavy bags of fish to the live release boat at the water's edge making many trips up and down the bank. They also had a mini kitchen serving food for anglers and spectators at the finale. Information for the final tournament and end of year standings, as well as news for the upcoming season can be found at the TFC website: http://www.tfcbasscircuit.com/index.php?action=home John Salamone may be contacted through the website or by calling him at: 409-383-5222. Major sponsors for the TFC Bass Circuit include: Legend Boats, Mercury Marine, Motorguide, Campbell Portable Buildings, Wulf Outdoor Sports, and American Rodsmiths. Winners Ways
Berreraz and Hennigan qualified in 32nd place for the championship event but pulled out all the stops to take the victory. Neither angler felt that their catch would surpass that of the 26.71 pounds that Allen and Freeman had weighed as they awaited their turn. But smiles broke out when their weight went into the books. They remained cautiously optimistic until the last anglers crossed the scales, though none came close. The anglers, both from Center, have been fishing together for 12 years and have had several wins as a team and individual success in tournament trails, including regional qualifiers in the BFL circuit. The anglers travelled to the north end of the lake where they concentrated their efforts in 15 feet of water to catch eight keeper fish. Their best time for catching was 8-10 a.m. ¾- ounce jigs, in watermelon color, with a Packer Craw trailer, were pitched to stumps along drop off and bends. The jig had to be left still and shook, according to Berreraz, on a very slow and subtle bite. Gear of choice for the winners included Shimano rods and reels, spooled with 15 and 20 pound Trilene line. They acknowledged their sponsors for their success which included: Triton boats, Reaction Lures, Shimano, Port-A --Cool and Timber Tiger Crankbaits. "We found them in the same place we found them during practice," said runner up team member Freeman. "It was a lot colder fishing when it was in the teens though." Allan and Freeman located their fish on the south end of the lake near drops in 16-17 feet of water. They used the same baits that brought them a second in the season's last regular tournament on Dec. 8 on Toledo Bend, Yum Craw worms and V&M Hawgs. The craws were in black and blue and the Hawgs in Junebug. Tackle for the weathered veterans, who were 15th at year's end standing, included Shimano rods and reels spooled with 20-pound Triple Fish and Gamma line in 16-pound test. They reported culling through 30 fish through the day with a good bite until 11, followed by a lull for an hour and then a good bite again. They passed on their appreciation to Dawson Marine and Reeves Marine for their help with their Skeeter and Ranger boats. McCall and Guy chose to fish shallower than the two teams ahead of them to take third place honors. The duo targeted fish in 3-6 feet of water, around grass patches mid lake with three different Rat-L-Traps, chrome and blue, chrome/black and a red one, in ½ ounce sizes They reported a good early bite until 1015 a.m., followed by a lull that ended after noon. Their best fish was caught with 20 minutes to go before their weigh in time. Gear of choice for the first year partners included American Rodsmith Rods and Abu Garcia reels spooled with Berkeley 100% Fluorocarbon line in 15-pound test. The duo got to their fish in a Ranger boat powered by an Evinrude motor. Sponsors for the team included: Needmore Tackle, Santone Lures and Terry's Marine. Wilson captained his Ranger boat, powered by a Yamaha motor, to take his partner Cecil to northern areas of the lake where they caught 25 fish to cull to their fourth place finish. Wilson of Montgomery and Cecil of Willis used prototype bait made by Big Bite, a not yet named creature bait in a watermelon/blue flake. They rigged the new bait Carolina-style using a ¾ ounce weight with a 30 inch leader. They also used a Lake Fork Ring Fry in Carolina/pumpkin color. The partners of three years used Falcon rods and Shimano reels spooled with 15-pound Ande line. They reported an all day bite as they targeted fish in 12-18 feet of water.
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