Trey Smith Takes ABA District #53 Win
By Contributing Writer Donald Gervais dongerv@yahoo.com

Mill Creek Park- Bridge City angler Trey Smith earned top honors at the American Bass Anglers (ABA) District #53 tournament held Feb. 10 on Sam Rayburn Lake with a five fish-limit weighing 25.64 pounds, anchored by a 9.27 pound lunker bass. Terry Helgerson of Leesville, La. took second place with his 5-fish limit weighing 21.74 pounds and the big bass honors with a 9.77 pound kicker fish.

31 anglers in 29 boats took to the water of a crowded Lake Sam Rayburn for the seventh tournament of the ABA District #53 2008 season. Mild weather, with temperatures in the mid 70's, blue bird skies and minimal wind prompted many to go to the lake. In addition several large tournaments and smaller club tournaments were scheduled for Saturday and Sunday. All the boat ramps on the lake were busy. Water temperature ranged from 54 at the take off time, to 60 degrees at the 3 p.m. weigh time.

Anglers dream of the magic 15 minutes that Smith experienced on the lake Sunday. In that short span of time, the plant manager at AKROTEX in Bridge City hooked and landed a 9.27-pound bass and then an 8 + pound fish, over 17 pounds combined. A fishing time like that comes rarely in an angler's lifetime, if ever. Some may attribute it to skill, some to knowledge and others attribute it to luck. Fishing pro Kevin VanDam, the all time money winner of the Bassmasters tournaments, credits much of his success to special cookies that his wife bakes for him.

Trey Smith holds up two bass, a 9.27 pound lunker and an 8+ pound fish, that were part of his 25.64 pound winning weight at the Feb. 10, 2008 ABA District #53 tournament held on Sam Rayburn Lake. See story for details.

I have no superstitions or magic cookies," said the tournament winner, fishing in his second year with the ABA. "It is my grandma's birthday today."

Smith navigated his Bass Cat, powered by Mercury outboard motor, to northern areas of the lake where he concentrated his efforts in 3-5 feet of water. He used Castaway rods and high speed Abu Garcia reels, spooled with 20-pound test Pline to cover water with a ½ ounce red Rat-L-Trap.

Above: Terry Helgerson, clad in his lucky shorts, shows the 9.77-pound lunker bass that took big bass honors and earned him second place at the District #53 ABA tournament held Sunday on Sam Rayburn.

"I found the fish several weeks ago in the area," said Smith, who took home the first place plaque and a check for $624. "I covered a lot of water. I'm going to sleep well tonight."

Smith's biggest fish, which earned him second big bass of the day and an additional check for $125, bit at 9 a.m. and five minutes after boating it, before he had stopped shaking, the 8-pound fish hit his rattling bait. It wasn't Smith's biggest ever bass, but close. He reported catching 20 keeper fish during the day to take his second win in an ABA contest.

"It's bad juju to break off the first fish you hook in the day," said Helgerson, whose second place finish put him atop the standings in the district point race. "Within five minutes of wetting my line I broke off a fish. I just hoped it wasn't going to be a bad day."

Helgerson, who wears shorts whenever possible to help his angling success, took his ProCraft boat, powered by a Mercury motor to mid lake areas where he concentrated his efforts in less than 4 feet of water all day with his fishing partner Mike Woods of Lafayette, La.

Below: Vinton, La angler Robert Chandler shows the two biggest fish of his 18.93 pound stringer he brought to the scales of the ABA District #53 Feb 10 contest. The first year ABA angler took home third place.

Helgerson's bad juju was broken at 8:30 a.m. when he felt the tap on his Carolina rigged watermelon-candy colored centipede. The 9.777 pound lunker on the other end of his line proved a challenge. He was using 12-pound test Berkeley Trilene XT fishing line spooled on a Shimano reel, mounted on a Shimano rod. After a battle Woods netted the bass on the first swipe near the boat, a new personal best on Rayburn for Helgerson, and his second big bass award in ABA contests. The military retiree was able to catch a dozen keepers the rest of the day with the centipede and with a watermelon/ red colored Senko, also rigged Carolina style, using a ¼-ounce weight and a 24-inch leader.

The top three finishers of the seventh tournament of the ABA District #53 2008 season, held Feb. 10 on Sam Rayburn Lake, show their trophies. Left to right are: First place Trey Smith; second place and big bass of the day Terry Helgerson and third place finisher Robert Chandler.

"I eat lunch every day while out on the water," said third place finisher Robert Chandler of Vinton, La. "No superstitions or routines other than that."

Chandler, in his first year fishing the ABA, used five different crank baits in every color he had to cull twice in the day to come to the scales with a 5-fish limit weighing 18.3 pounds. The engineer of an offshore construction company took his Ranger boat, powered by a Yamaha motor, to areas on the south end of the lake where he cranked 2-4 foot waters.

Gear of choice included Loomis rods and Shimano reels spooled with Bass Pro Shop XPS 12-pound test line and Suffix 14-pound mono line. Chandler's limit was anchored by a 5.89 pound fish. He took home the 3rd place trophy and $150 for his day on the water.

Rounding out the other paid winners of the day was Josh Peek, in 4th with 15.8 pounds and in 5th place Craig Hall with 15.62 pounds.

ABA District #53 director Paul Henry announced that the two-day season championship on Lake Sam Rayburn has been rescheduled.

Visit the ABA District online site for season standings, the 2008 schedule and information about the trail at: http://www. easttexasaba.com/index.html

Sponsors of the ABA include: Triton Boats, Mercury Marine, Gander Mountain, Save Face Sports Masks, and Arrus rods.