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 Real Time Tournament Results |
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George Jeane Jr. Takes Win at Inaugural Grand Slam
Jeane was one of 21 anglers to put up the entrance fee of $550 in the pro angler side. He received a hefty return on his investment, collecting the first place prize, a Triton TR 196 and Mercury Outboard package valued at $40,000. Jeane's latest win came but two weeks after a previous tournament victory on Toledo Bend, where he and his partner David Fox collected $20,000. Day 1 ReCap Fishing conditions are ever changing in early spring. The 21 pairs of anglers, randomly chosen, took off at 6:45 a.m. under cloudy and rain threatening skies. After two days of previously howling winds anglers had a near mirror surface as they headed to their fishing holes. The winds remained calm throughout the day although the anglers were occasionally peppered by light showers as temperatures rose gradually to the 70 degree mark by the weigh in time at 3 p.m.
Pro angler Dean Norman West was closet to Jeane with a five fish limit weighing 22.46 pounds to take second for the day. Pro angler Tommy Dickerson held the third spot with 19.96 pounds. Jerry Barnett claimed the fourth spot with 18.82 pounds, including the big bass of the day in the pro division weighing 7.13 pounds. Two local pro anglers rounded out the top six spots; Roy Sanford of Brookeland, Tex. fifth with 16.35 pounds and Glenn Freeman of Converse, La with 15.36 pounds.
Although tight lipped about their fishing spots and techniques, the day's leaders all voiced confi- dence in catching fish on the final day.
Overnight the skies opened with as much as 6 inches of rain across the area. By the take off time the rain subsided as did the accompanying winds. The cloud cover would continue throughout the day, keeping water temperatures in the 54-60 degree mark. Anglers on the south end of the 65 mile impoundment were first to notice the South winds begin to pick up as the noon hour came around. They steadily increased to a steady blow at 10 mph with gusts as high as 20 mph by the weigh in time. Anglers were not spared a rough ride to the marina, regardless of where they fished or what size boat they used, as 3-4 foot whitecaps covered the open waters. Freeman was one of the first day 1 leaders to the scales. He had been teamed with Pennington.
Freeman weighed a limit of 14.4 pounds that put him on the top spot of the pros. Pennington hoisted her five fish that weighed 15.8 pounds, putting her atop the amateurs. Pro angler West was next up with a limit weighing 15.61 pounds to give him a total of 38.07 pounds, taking over the lead.He lamented loosing a fish over 8 pounds 20 minutes before he headed to the weigh in. "I didn't do as well as yesterday," said Jeane as he approached the weigh in line with his five fish limit of the day. "Maybe I have 18 pounds."
Dickerson hoisted a 7.27 pound bass, big bass on the pro side for the day and four other fish, totaling 22.32 pounds. His effort fell almost 5 pounds short of Jeane's weight.
It was a closer finish in the amateur side as first day leader Mong brought in 10.77 pounds. Reeves, 6 pounds behind the leader on day 1, hoisted the largest catch of the amateurs on day 2, weighing 17.35 pounds. His total
3rd Dean Norman West 38.07 4th Glenn Freeman 29.76 5th Jerry Barnett 29.35 6th Roy Sanford 28.71 Final Standings Co-Angler 1st C. David Mong 29.60 2nd Darrell Reeves 29.37 3rd Kay Pennington 26.68 4th Mike Briggs Jr. 21.64 5th Jeffrey Lewis 21.55 6th Chris Chenevert 19.71 Only one fish of the 307 brought to the scales died for better than a 99% live release by the anglers and tournament crew. The average fished weighed 2.61 pounds. Nowhere is competitive bass fishing taken more seriously than in the Southwest, including the states of Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Missouri and Arkansas, which were represented in the field of 42 anglers who took fished the tournament. Not only can the best anglers in the country be found on those states but also the most competitive and established tournament tours as well. Anglers are offered the choice of several completive tournaments to fish and the inaugural season schedule of the Grand Slam Pro/Am Southeast Division, presented by Hi Seas, competed against several trails this weekend, resulting in the low tournament participation. "We put out our schedule ahead of the other trails," said Porter Trimble, tournament manager for the division. "The schedule for our first two events came out against several other trails that have been around. It takes time to establish a trail and I'm confident that anglers will join us." Although the Grand Slam Series is a new pro/am trail, the partners backing it are well known in competitive fishing: the Bassmasters, granddaddy of competitive fishing and the American Bass Anglers, formerly the Military Bass Association, who are operating the tournament trails nationwide. In addition the major sponsors include several giants of the fishing industry: Triton Boats, Mercury Marine, Motorguide, Lowrance Electronics, Gander Mountain and the premier sponsor High Seas. First place for the pro anglers in each of the five season tournaments is a Triton TR 196/Mercury bass boat package valued at $40,000. 25% of the field receives checks at each event, pro and amateurs. Triton also offers contingency money of $5,000 for the pro and $2,500 to amateurs who meet the criteria. A grand Slam championship will be held for the top 50 pro and amateurs from the Southeast and Southwest divisions. It will be a no entrance fee event, 3-day event where the pro angler will win a top prize of $62,000 and the amateur $31,000. For the full tournament standings and the 2008 season information visit the online site at: http://www. abaprotour.com/ Second event for the tournament trail will be at Sam Rayburn Lake Feb. 29- Mar. 1 at the Umphrey Family pavilion. Weigh in begins at 3 p.m. each day. The public is invited to attend. Winners Ways "Not a bad start to the year," said Pro winner Jeane of his second win on Toledo Bend in as many weeks. "I'm done here on Toledo Bend. It's my last tournament before heading out on the FLW tour next week. I won't be back for a while." Jeane spent both days at the mouth of Housen Bay fishing one bait, a black and blue jig. The long grass covered, main lake point, yielded 70 pounds of fish to him and his partners. He said there were numerous brush piles on the point. Fish were targeted in 16-22 feet of water with ½ and ¾-ounce PJ jigs, tipped with a Chigger chunk, a Berkeley Power Bait in pumpkin color. His biggest bass was caught in 25 feet of water. The Abu Garcia pro staff angler used his sponsor's reels, spooled with 100% Trilene fluorocarbon line on Fenwick rods. He reported all day bite both days, with no time better than the other. "I don't add scents to my baits but I'm convinced the built in scent in the Berkeley Power Baits make a difference," said Jeane. "It was rough staying on the spot with the wind this afternoon. I just kept going back and forth boat on the spot. It was a rough ride back but my Ranger boat and Yamaha motor got us here. I just got it. Thanks to Cheeks Marine for helping with it." Second place pro angler Dickerson hurriedly left the tournament site and despite calls for a telephone interview, his winning ways remain a mystery at press time. He won big bass of day 2 and had the 3rd largest stringer of the tournament. Third place pro angler West of Lake Charles didn't use scents on his baits as he targeted fish at the north end of the lake in 5-6 depths with a ¾ ounce pumpkin-pepper colored Rat-L-Trap. The Dawson pro team member used his Skeeter Boat and Yamaha motor to get to his spots where he put All Star rods and Pflueger reels spooled with 14 and 20 pound Stren line to work. The construction business owner reported catching 10 fish each day with no time better than the other as he covered lots of water. Jerry Barnett took big bass honors on day 1 while fishing in the southern end of the lake in 5 feet of water. The fifth place finisher in the pro division also used a pumpkincolored Rat-L-Trap, but in ½ ounce. A Bass pro Shop rod and Ardent reel, spooled with High Seas monofilament line helped him catch the bass that earned him an extra $105 check. The retired Air Force angler from Haughton, La. fishes from a Triton boat powered by a Mercury motor. "I've lost fishing tournaments by less than that," said Mong, amateur winner by a little less than a quarter of a pound from Morgan City. "I'm glad it didn't end up the other way." Mong, who says he only fishes and sleeps, gave credit to his pro partners, Jeane and Roy Sanford for his successful finish. He used jigs the first day and an Excalibur lipless crankbait on day 2 to catch his fish. Gear of choice was Kisler rods and Abu Garcia reels spooled with 12 and 17-pound test Trilene line. He reported catching 15 keepers on day 1 and 7 on day 2. "It didn't start off well with me for this tournament," said second place amateur Darrell "Toot" Reeves of Ragley, La. "I was entered as a boater but blew my motor before the tournament and switched to non-boater." The heavy equipment operator was partnered with West on day 1 and with Dickerson on the second day. He went north the first day and even further north the second day. His success came by chunking and reeling a ¾-ounce pumpkin peppered colored Rat-L-Trap both days. He used American Rodsmith rods and Shimano reels spooled with 17-pound test Suffix line. It was his first ever tournament with the ABA. Third place amateur finisher Pennington was partnered with pro angler Carl Falcon on day 1. The Pineville lady angler fished in the Clear lake area, in 6-8 foot depths with a wacky-style rigged Senko, in watermelon blue, to catch some 20 keepers. On day two, while partnered with Freeman, she used gold colored spinner baits in San Patricio to catch the second largest amateur catch of the day. Tackle included American Rodsmith rods and Garcia reels.  |
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