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James NiggemeyerCentral Open Winner On tOledO Bend

How to cHoose a Flipping Bait

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Texas Bass Fishing Magazine | Spring 2009 3

How To Choose A Flipping Baitby Steve Price

ColUmnS

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TEXAS BASS FISHING

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www.txbassmag.com4 Texas Bass Fishing Magazine | Spring 2009

Welcome to the first edition of Texas Bass Fishing Magazine! We are proud to produce this publication about Bass Fishing in the great state of Texas. We hope to successfully bring you informative as well as positive information

concerning all things related to the sport of bass fishing. I have been fishing since I was a young boy, born and raised in Northeast Texas, and it has been a great passion and hobby of mine over the years. I got away from the sport during college due to my father would not let me take his boat away to school (a wise man) and that college life was filled with plenty of activities. That never completely stopped me and fellow roommates from occasionally finding an assortment of tanks and ponds to “hop” in search of the illusive creatures. After college I bought my first “bass rig” a G3 with a 40 horse Yamaha and like you started planning my schedule to find more time for the water. Since then I’ve upgraded the boat, my equipment, and tackle to pursue my ever growing interest.

The staff and I at Texas Bass Fishing Magazine hope to hear from our readers. We want to have an open relationship so fisherman can voice their constructive opinions in order for us to become a well-rounded magazine. Please feel free to contact us with any ideas, news, events, fishing stories, and of course photos via email at: [email protected].

I would like to THANK everyone we have met so far for all of your support. The bass fishing community is truly filled with positive and light hearted people that are making this process enjoyable. I’m sure this pattern will continue and look forward to building strong relationships. Until next time thanks again and enjoy the magazine.

Sincerely,

Eddie R. Thomas

“The bass fishing community is truly filled with positive and light hearted people that are making this process enjoyable.”

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ATHENS, Texas - One of the biggest factors that influences the survival of fish entered into the ShareLunker program is how those fish are handled and cared for prior to being picked up by Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) employees.

ShareLunker handling and care tips on the TPWD web site emphasize minimal contact with the fish and keeping it in a stress-free environment as much as possible. Removing the fish from the livewell or holding tank for photographs stresses the fish, increases the chance the fish will get fungal infections where touched and multiplies the risk of serious injury such as a broken jaw.

All big bass are powerful, but anglers who have never tried to hold a fish weighing 13 pounds or more may be surprised at how strong the fish is and how hard it is to control. “We have all seen pictures of bass being held up with one hand grasping the lower jaw,” says Jim Matthews, hatchery manager at the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center in Athens, which is home to the ShareLunker program. “Doing this with a lunker bass will almost ensure a serious injury to the fish’s jaw.”

David Campbell, ShareLunker program manager, offers the following tips for handling big bass to avoid injuring them.• Wet your hands before touching the fish.

• Using your dominant hand, grip the fish with your thumb inside the mouth and your fingers locked on the outside of the mouth.• Support the rear of the fish with your other hand placed beneath the fish just forward of the tail.• Lift the fish out of the water in a horizontal position using both hands for support.• DO NOT hold the fish by the lower jaw in a vertical position. This can dislocate or break the jaw, practically guaranteeing the fish will not survive, since it will not be able to eat.• Handle the fish only when putting it into a livewell or holding tank. Do not keep the fish out of water or keep removing it from the water for photographs. • If you must handle the fish, try to do so out of the wind and keep it out of water as little as possible. Wind can dry out the eyes very quickly and result in damage.

A 13- or 14-pound bass is the equivalent of a 170-class whitetail buck, with the difference being that the buck goes on the wall, while the fish, if properly handled and cared for, can live to continue to produce more fish. Anglers who want to continue to have the opportunity to catch big bass can improve their chances by treating those big bass like babies.

Babying Big Bass

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Date Lake Angler Home Town Weight

12/13/08 Conroe Kyle Nitschke Willis, TX 13.07

1/21/09 Choke Canyon Brad Bookmyer Leander, TX 15.45

1/30/09 Conroe Ricky Bearden Conroe, TX 15.93

2/12/09 Lake Fork Bruce Peel Granbury, TX 13.13

2/15/09 Choke Canyon Troy Brauchle Helotes, TX 15.00

2/15/09 Conroe Mark Goetzman Willis, TX 13.13

2/26/09 Conroe Renee Linderoth Conroe, TX 13.80

3/2/09 Caddo Ronnie Arnold Karnack, TX 15.10

3/4/09 Somerville Steven Vela Lyons, TX 13.60

3/7/09 Lake Fork Team effort Lake Fork 14.68

Current ShareLunker Entries

6 Texas Bass Fishing Magazine | Spring 2009

This first installment in the saga that is Hank and Buck takes us back to the last time the boys made their annual pilgrimage out to the beautiful hills of central Texas. Final destination, Luckenbach, TX. If you ask Hank or

Buck this is a ride every young man should take. A rite of passage so to speak. This particular journey was all about fun, and believe me, these guys were loaded for bear. They met and loaded the truck down with all imaginable essential travel items: fire makin’ stuff, tortillas, stuff for stuffin’ tortillas, and a few ice cold refresh-ments. Being as most local streams were dry and deer season had just passed, the boys decided to forgo packing and rods and reels and firearms. The loud sigh all you Hill Country folk heard that day was from your local fish and game. The boys have a reputation.

After stopping to talk to every swinging soul from Brenham to Round Top, La Grange to Bastrop, and Dripping Springs to Blanco and eight hours later, they finally arrived at the Armadillo Farm, Luchenbach, Texas. This may not the most direct route, just the one they find most hospitable.

Upon arrival, the boys were not received with the common wel-come they were accustomed to receiving for the past several years. Hank looked at Buck and said, “I told you things were gonna change around here, we should have stayed back home and fished the bridge for crappie.” Buck just shook off the comment, for he was sure that he could reconcile things with Miss Gaye, the owner and operator of this fine camping establishment. “Miss Gaye”, says Buck,” me and Hank here are wonderin’ why we’re being treated this way?” “You usually at least act like you appreciate our com-pany, and to boot, we showed up right on time for check in.” Miss Gaye shook her head and explained that check in was noon and not mid-night then mumbled some comment about growing up as she retreated through the night back to her house. Buck apologized for ringing her door bell, wished her a good night and invited her up the hill for breakfast in the morning. When Buck returned from his peace offering Hank was leaning against the front porch of the cab-in just grinnin’ like a possum. “You big dummy,” Hank snickered,” what kind of place has a midnight check in time?” Hank had no good reply, so instead he countered with, “She told me 12 o’clock, if she meant noon she should have said noon.” The boys retired.

Hank Buck

and

Outdo

or A

dventures with

As Interpreted by Shooter

The GreaT armadillo Farm rescue

Continued on page 11


By the time the morning sun broke through, the two campers had their feet propped up enjoying a Hill Country rendition of a wannabe Texas Aggie bonfire. “Man,” they agreed, “Nothing could be better than this fine Hill Country sunrise alongside a blazing campfire.” With breakfast almost ready Buck reflected on the exchange from the night before, “Boy this breakfast will fix Miss Gaye right up. She’s gonna forget about her error in check out times and jump back on our side directly!” Hank flashed his grin and gave a “I couldn’t agree more” tip of his feed store cap. About the time they had decided that this was truly as good as life could be, Miss Gaye made her way up the hill. “Just what do you think you are doing?” She all but screamed. The two grinners replied in unison, “Cookin’ breakfast! You ready?” “Don’t you know we are in a burn ban? We haven’t had a drop of rain in seven months! Didn’t you see that Grape Creek was darn near dry? Don’t you see all of this bone-dry cedar? Put it out now!” This brought a look from Hank and Buck as a light bulb rose between them. “Dry creeks?” they said, and a little more became clear. So after pouring multiple buckets of water on the campfire and renegotiating small fire rights in the nearby barbeque pit, they watched as Miss Gaye returned home without breakfast. “You big dummy,” says Hank. “Shut up,” says Buck.

Well, with no tackle, firearms, a burn ban and a campground that has almost revoked their welcome, it was time to resurface with a brand new plan. They carefully constructed a cook fire in the barbeque pit, strictly adhering to campground specifications. Once the safe fire was in place and all seemed fine and dandy; they left good friend and cooler guarding expert, Slappy, in charge of peace keeping around the campsite. Slappy was a good ole boy that occasionally accompanied the fellas on adventures. You never met a more honest fella and surely never a more top-notch cooler guard.

Hank and Buck felt it their duty to return to town for more tortillas, stuff to stuff in tortillas and refreshments. They were

Seven Texas anglers, including five full-time tourna-ment pros, the Central Open Division champion, and the BASS Federation Nation champion, competed in the February 20-22 Bassmaster Classic on the Red

River in Shreveport, representing the state well and bringing home two top-10 finishes.

And to a man, the seven described the event as a challenging learning experience not only in fishing river systems during the

pre-spawn, but also in recognizing how fast-changing condi-tions affect river bass. Indeed, it was a tournament dictated largely by the weather, which included sub-freezing tempera-tures, bright skies, and rain; water temperatures fell as much as 10 degrees overnight in some areas.

The five fulltime pros included Kelly Jordon, Mineola (10th); Alton Jones, Waco (14th); Gary Klein, Weatherford (34th); Todd Faircloth, Jasper (35th); and Byron Velvick, Del Rio (48th). Brian Schmidt of Olney, the reigning BASS Fed-eration Nation national champion, finished 6th; and Michael Burns of Plano, the Central Division champion, finished 37th.

“My biggest mistake was not listening to the fish,” admitted Klein, after catching just two bass weighing 2-13 the first day but following with 16-15 the second day when he realized the changing temperatures had moved his bass from deep water hyacinths to a shallow spawning flat.

Klein, fishing his 27th Classic, spent his first day flipping a Berkley Chigger Craw with a one ounce sinker to break

TEXAS PROS TAKE HOME LESSONS LEARNED AT

RED RIVER CLASSICBy Joe Walker


through the hyacinths and lost three quality bass during his first 20 minutes of fishing.

“I knew I had good spinnerbait water behind the hyacinths, but never fished it the first day,” lamented the two-time BASS Angler of the Year. “I think a number of pros were surprised the bass were further into their spawning cycle than they had expected. Water temperatures in many places were still in the low to mid-50’s, but some fish were already on spawning beds.

“The second morning I returned to my same spot just to prove to myself I had chosen a good area, and caught a five bass limit with the spinnerbait in 30 minutes.

“The days leading up to the Classic were warm,” Klein continued, “and my bass, which had been stacked in a 20-foot deep channel under the hyacinths, had actually moved from those hyacinths up to the shallow flat sooner than I expected.

“I slow-rolled a 3/8 ounce homemade spinnerbait through lily pad stems in water less than three feet deep the next day, and there they were.”

Kelly Jordon concentrated in a small, shallow off-river slough filled with lily pad stems, brush, and stumps, and caught many of his bass on a Magic Shad jerkbait with a quick retrieve, even though the water temperature on the first day of competition had fallen back to 49 degrees as the first cold front came through.

He brought in 15-10 the first day and added 20-5 the sec-ond to climb into fourth, even though morning temperatures hovered near freezing. The last day, however, the former Lake Fork guide was forced to contend not only with cold tempera-tures but also a bright clear sky, and he brought in just over 12 pounds to fall to 10th overall.

“I caught all my fish the second day in about an hour and a half in water just 18 inches deep,” he explained, “but on the final morning I felt the temperature was just too cold so I didn’t stay in my best area. Unfortunately, when I came back that afternoon, another angler was on my water, and he caught some nice fish.

“What we were experiencing were some amazing displays of bass behavior as the temperatures rose and fell,” Jordon continued. “Even in 49 degree water, I caught my fish using a fast retrieve with the jerkbait, which is something you don’t

always see. I think the bass I was catching in shallow water were absolutely committed, and even the cold water was not going to delay them from spawning for very long.

“Even though mornings were really cold, the bright sun warmed the water by early afternoon and fishing was better, especially the final day.”

Alton Jones spent most of his tournament flipping, which is his favorite technique, and on the second day he found a bass weighing between nine and 10 pounds on a spawning bed. Naturally, he set up, flipped in a Yum Dinger stick-worm, and then uncharacteristically put down his rod to re-rig another rod with a tube.

“As I was doing that, I heard my other rod sliding overboard,” he laughed, “and I somehow managed to grab it and set the hook on that big fish. It went under the only laydown in the area and broke free.

“It was careless on my part, but while I had seen some fish cruising as they began searching for bedding spots, those actu-ally on beds were still spooky and not easy to catch. I really did not think that big bass would hit that soon, and not that lure. I much prefer to bed fish with a tube.”

On the last day, Jones changed his flipping weights from ¼ and 3/16 ounce down to 1/8 ounce, which produced a slower fall. It obviously made a difference, as he caught about 30 bass and brought in 20-10. He also recognized another example of quirky bass behavior: even though he was letting his lure fall directly beside stumps, bass weren’t hitting it as it fell. Strikes came about three feet away from the targets, after Jones had slowly crawled the bait along the bottom. All of this was hap-pening in water less than two feet deep, too.

The highest finishing Texas angler, Brian Schmidt, admit-ted he had a poor practice on the river immediately before the Classic began, and like Klein saw his bass move from the hyacinths he had been fishing. To his surprise, however, the bass later moved back to the same hyacinths – when the water temperature climbed from 47 all the way up to 51 degrees.

His technique? Flipping a Reaction Innovations Sweet Beaver through those hyacinths with a one ounce sinker into water less than four feet deep.

Cou

rtesy of: E

SP

N O

utd

oors

Courtesy of: ESPN Outdoors

Kelly Jordan holds up his best two fishes during the weigh-in on Day Two of the 2009 Bassmaster Classic.


Alton Jones on Day One of the 2009 Bassmaster Classic.

Continue

Are there lessons to be learned from this Classic, especially about bass behavior?

“Absolutely,” emphasizes Todd Faircloth, runnerup in last year’s Bassmaster Angler of the Year contest. “First, bass in river systems will often bite far better in cold water than bass in lakes. Maybe they’re more accustomed to changes in water temperature because in most cases they do not have the deep water access lake bass have.

“That, in turn, means temperature changes won’t necessarily move the bass very far, although it will slow the bite some-what. We came to the Red River at the peak of pre-spawn but some bass were already on beds preparing to spawn and plenty of others were certainly looking. Even though water tempera-tures were colder than we normally think for spawning, many of those river fish were absolutely committed.”

Texas Bass Fishing Magazine | Spring 2009

Fans packed the CenturyTel Center at the 2009 Bassmaster Classic.

Courtesy of: ESPN Outdoors

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In a year full of women’s firsts like Hillary Clinton and Sarah Palin, the sport of bass fishing can also be excited about its own “first lady”. Australian born Kim Bain was the first woman to compete in the 2009 Bass Masters Classic on the Red River in LA. I was there for this event….and my first trip to the Classic.

Although my main intention for going to the Classic was some quiet time with my husband, I quickly got caught up in the excitement. Sitting in the CenturyTel Center I said to myself, “there is a girl in this thing" and immediately my interest grew. Throughout the three days I could not help to notice all the women at the launch in the morning, buying items at the Outdoors Expo and of course all the screaming fans at the weight in.

By the end of the Classic I was hooked. Yes I am guilty of looking at that pink camo boat and imagining myself catching that winning fish. And guilty, guilty, guilty, I was one of many leaving the Classic with a pink rod. I also left with the idea that this is not just my grandpa’s sport….I can do it too.

Girls, this sport is something all of us can enjoy and it is growing by leaps and bounds. From 1980 to 1995 the number of women fishing increased 19 percent compared to 14 percent for males1 and freshwater fishing is the 10th most popular participation sport among women.2

So girls grab your rods, reels, and tackle boxes…..we are Bassin’ Babes!

Please submit feedback, article ideas, pictures, tournament info to [email protected]

1 1980-1995 Participation in Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife Watching. National and Regional Demographic Trends2 National Sporting Goods Association. Sports Participation in 2001

March 26-28Neely Henry

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April 23-25Ouachita River

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June 4-6Arkansas RiverLittle Rock, AR

Sept. 10-12Old Hickory Lake

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Women’s Bassmaster 2009 tour schedule

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Continued from page 7

traveling up Old Luckenbach Road carefully scanning the country-side looking for game and making numerous goat jokes, when out of nowhere Hank hollers, “Stop the truck!” Buck obliges and asks, “What in the world is wrong with you now?” Hank points and lets out a whisper, “Armadillo.” “Why are you whispering and what are we gonna do with a stinking armadillo? We don’t even have a gun and besides we don’t even know if its armadillo season out here,” replies Buck. Hank thinks back to the Armadillo Farm and how it was void of any armadillo activity. Buck agrees and the two decide that if they could cordially and voluntarily restock the armadillo herd at the Armadillo Farm, they could mend all of the previous predicaments they’d encountered with Farm Management. On top of all that, Slappy would sure be proud. Buck decides to step in and take the reins, “Alright Mr. Armadillo,” he says referring to Hank “I’ll pull up to the varmint. You jump out and grab it then chunk it into the bed of the truck.” Hank scratches his head, adjusts his feed store cap and makes it known that he doesn’t understand why he is appointed as the head ‘dillo grabber. Of course, an argument ensues and they decide to settle it with a good ole fashioned game of rock, paper, scissors. Well, sports fans, rock beats scissors every time and as it turns out, Buck is up bat. “Cheater,” he says. “Just grab the dang ‘dillo, dummy,” says Hank.

Carefully easing the truck, now known as ‘Dillo Stalker One, into position, Buck slips her into park, ever so quietly slips open the driver door and tiptoes out onto the road. The ‘dillo is busy being a ‘dillo, just rooting around minding its own business, with no earthly idea that he is the prime target of an armadillo stalk. Buck moves stealthily into position and is nearly an arm’s reach away when armadillo fever sets in. You know, the kind that sends shutters down your spine and chatters your molars during a big game stalk. Let it be known, armadillo hunting is no different.

Buck takes a deep breath, shakes off the ridicule being thrown his way by Hank, then eases in for the grab. Just as he gets a firm hold on the dillo’s tail that little sucker springs straight up into the air. To hear the boys tell it now, that thing jumped ten feet straight up. We all venture to say it was far less than that, but nevertheless, the ‘dillo jumped, Buck jumped, Hank let out a holler, and the chase was on. That rascal had broken the hold but Hank and Buck were on him like a couple of bird dogs on a jackrabbit. Around trees, through the brush across the dry creek bed until he got lucky and finally distanced himself for the getaway. “What happened?” asked Hank “Well if you hadn’t been hiding behind the truck, we might have our first ‘dillo,” says Buck. The boys were disappointed and extremely winded but quickly made their way down the road to more stalks. All of which produced the same sad results.

They decided to cut their losses and gather up the supplies they were originally in route to procure. On the way back to camp

Continued on page 17

How To

Choose A

Flipping Bait

Ever since April 2, 1975, when California angler Dee Thomas introduced the technique of flipping to his fellow pros dur-ing the Bassmaster Arkansas Invitational at Bull Shoals Lake (which he won with 35 lbs., 6 oz.), fishermen everywhere

have made learning the long rod, quiet entry presentation a top prior-ity in their bass fishing education. A number of tournament pros, including Dave Gliebe, Gary Klein, and Denny Brauer can attribute much of their success to the technique, and today, it’s rare to find a bass fisherman who does not own a flipping rod and have at least a basic understanding of how to use it.

Story & Photos by Steve Price

“I think the biggest problem today’s bass fishermen have with flipping is choosing the proper lure for the conditions,” notes Bassmaster Elite pro James Niggemeyer of Van, Texas. “Because flipping is such an efficient, high percentage way to catch bass, pros have continued to refine the presentation over the years, and of course, manufacturers have responded with dozens of different flipping-type lures.”

Niggemeyer, who also guides on Lake Fork when he isn’t competing and who flips frequently, uses three primary criteria when choosing his lure: water temperature, water color, and the type of cover. All are inter-related, and while several types of lures may be used under the same conditions, Niggemeyer’s guidelines do provide an excellent starting point.

“I always consider the water temperature first,” he says, “because I want a lure that matches in looks and action what bass would see under those conditions. For example, in water colder than about 57 degrees, I don’t want anything with a lot of action – certainly no curly tails and swimming legs.

“I want something sluggish that has a slow fall because this is how baitfish acts in cold water. As the water warms above about 62 degrees, I choose lures with more action and append-

ages that increase water movement.”

Although he prefers flipping in slightly dingy water because it tends to keep bass shallow, the Texas pro does not hesitate to flip in clear water. When he’s considering water color, Nigge-meyer chooses bulkier lures in dirty water because they have a greater water displacement, thus allowing bass to key in on them easier with their lateral line sensory system.

“Just the opposite is true in clear water,” he adds. “There I want a lure that draws attention to itself visually. I want a lot of action, and depending on how deep the fish are, I may use a heavier weight to create a faster fall and generate reflex strikes.”

The type of cover being fished is also important in choosing a flipping lure. The heavier the cover, continues Niggemeyer, the more streamlined he wants his lures so they penetrate quickly and easily without getting snagged. Thus, lizards and creature baits get eliminated as choices, and are replaced by jigs and beaver-style lures.

“In more sparse cover like isolated laydowns, and even in hydrilla, again I like a lure that draws some attention to itself so it may attract bass to investigate. Creature-type lures are

good for this, but if you’re fishing thick, matted vegetation, you’ll need a heavy sinker to pull such a bait through it.”

With these thoughts in mind, here are Niggemeyer’s favorite types of flipping lures and when he uses them:

JIGS: “My favorite sizes are 3/8 and ½ ounce, and basically,

they’re good flipping choices throughout most of the year,” he says. “I like the lighter jig when I’m fishing water three feet or less, and around sparse or isolated cover, such as boat docks. Smaller jigs are also good lures to use when the overall size of

“In cold water, when bass and baitfish are more sluggish, I’ll use a chunk-type

trailer that has bulk but not a lot of action, and it helps slow the jig’s fall.”


the bass in a lake are smaller, while on Sam Rayburn or Toledo Bend, I’ll always use a heavier jig.”

Two specific types of cover where he likes to flip jigs are vertical-type structure, such as dock pilings or stumps; and heavy vegetation like hydrilla. Because a jig falls straight down beside vertical cover it’s a better choice than a tube, which may drift more than a foot away from the target as it falls.

“I always have a trailer when I’m flipping jigs, and this can be an important part of your overall lure choice,” he empha-sizes. “In cold water, when bass and baitfish are more sluggish, I’ll use a chunk-type trailer that has bulk but not a lot of ac-tion, and it helps slow the jig’s fall. Then, as the water warms, I’ll use something with more arms and legs to create more action since the bass are more active.”

BEAVER-STYLE LURES: “When I’m fishing extremely heavy cover in early spring,

particularly in areas where I think there may be a bed but I can’t actually see it, I’ll often use a beaver-type lure,” says Niggemeyer. “A beaver doesn’t have a lot of action, so I’ll Texas-rig it, flip it in, and often just let it sit on the bottom.

“Docks, scattered bushes, laydowns, and shoreline reeds are good places to use this style of lure, particularly when water temperatures are still in the 50’s. I’ll let it sink, then lift my rod slowly and then drop it so it just settles back down. I may even drag it along the bottom, but not hop it. It’s also a good choice for heavy cover this time of year because it won’t get snagged.”

CREATURE BAITS: “I like these lures during the post-spawn and later when

water temperatures have warmed into the mid to high 60’s,” he says. “Bass are seeing more baitfish and I want a lure with more action.

“Creature baits have largely replaced plane plastic worms as flipping lures, probably because they have more action than any other type of flipping lure. I use them around lily pads, docks, laydowns, riprap, and brush, and while I Texas-rig them, I don’t always need to peg the sinker.

“I like to lift my rod to bring the lure off the bottom, then lower my rod quickly so the lure swims down. Because it does have so much action, I want to create multiple falls to take advantage of it.”

CRAWFISH: Niggemeyer believes the best time to choose a crawfish lure

for flipping is in warmer water when you’re fishing around veg-etation like peppergrass, milfoil, cattails, or reeds. It’s often a good choice in spring when you’re bed fishing but can’t see the beds. Crawfish-style lures can be a very intrusive lure for bed fishing, and some of the crawfish available now look extremely realistic with their pinchers waving in the water. Besides, bass love to eat crawfish, too.

“I’ll rig the crawfish Texas-style and peg the sinker,” he explains, “and try to punch through grass for a vertical fall. When the lure hits bottom, I keep it moving, but I don’t hop it. I’ll lift my rod slightly, then let it fall just so I can keep the arms moving.”

STICKWORMS: “This style of lures, all based on the original Senko, work

best for me when bass are not aggressive. I think they’re effec-tive because of their erratic fall and shimmy-type action. I like to fish them around docks, isolated flooded buck brush, and holes in the vegetation.


“I usually flip them weightless, and rig them either Texas-style or wacky-style. If I do use a weight, it’s only about 1/16 ounce. These are lures that attract bass because of how they fall, so I’ll lift my rod tip, then let the lure fall a couple of times before I reel in for another presentation. Sometimes, I’ll keep it on the bottom beside a piece of cover and just shake it.”

TUBES: “To me, the appeal of a tube as a flipping bait is the fact

it never falls the same way twice, which is why I reach for it when bass may be suspended, when there are a lot of baitfish around, or the fishing is just plain tough,” laughs Niggemeyer.

“If you’re fishing any type of vertical cover, such as lily pads, boat dock pilings, or standing timber, tubes may save your fishing trip. They’re also good in thick brush, too. Bass hit it on the fall, so you don’t need to spend a lot of time working it on the bottom, except to raise your rod tip and let it fall again.

“You can use them year-round, and they may out-perform beavers or creature baits. And they’re excellent in clear water, as every smallmouth fisherman knows.”

Niggemeyer prefers the 3 ½ inch size, and rigs his tubes Texas-style with a sinker pegged about an eighth of an inch above the head of the lure to prevent killing the tube’s erratic action.

This year when you see a thick weedbed or an isolated piece of cover and pick up your flipping stick, remember Niggemey-er’s tips for lure choice before you make your first presentation. That first presentation is your most important one, and using the correct style of lure for the conditions will increase your chances for a strike even more.



Continued from page 11they figured that after all of their hard work trying to restock the Armadillo Farm, they should treat themselves to a funnel cake from Luchenbach’s downtown concession stand. After getting the delicious powdered sugar fried dough treats in their possession they questioned locals on prime armadillo hunting locations. There was much information to absorb. They returned to camp to deliver and devour the tasty treats and drop off ‘Dillo Stalker One, as the night mission would be better attacked on foot. They found Slappy there still guarding the cooler and wondering where the tortillas and the stuff to stuff tortillas was. Hank and Buck explained all of the go-ings on and invited him along on the night hunt. Slappy declined, patted the cooler and made quick work of his funnel cake.

The prime loca-tion that they learned about in town led them across the only part of Grape Creek that was holding water. Without thinking they both tucked their pants in their boots and made the wade. Crossing the creek they noticed several crawdads lying still on the rocks in the creek. “Let’s catch’em,” says Hank. Buck replied, “We’re hunting ‘dillos. They’ll be here when we cross back, dummy.” “Shut up,” says Hank. The fellas made a mental note and continued to the hunting grounds that were sure to produce trophy armadillos. Once they reached trophy ‘dillo central, a high street light on the outskirts of town, they took posi-tion. There was plenty of ‘dillo sign but not a single ‘dillo in sight. The boys held their position carefully watching the ground beneath the light. Conversation consisted only of already been told goat jokes and ‘dillo grabbing strategies until they finally decided to call the night hunt another unlucky adventure. Unlucky was a word they commonly used in place of failure or poor preparation. They waded back across the creek and caught a healthy limit of crawdads to avoid a complete skunk. The night hunt was a success after all. Each and every crawdad was released and a picture was taken of all trophy pinchers. You know…bragging rights.

Well, the next day they returned home with nothing but a story and confidence that they will one day take the ‘dillo hunting world by storm. Miss Gaye had dodged the bullet on having an armadillo herd to raise and she sent them home with a smile on her face. I’m sure she can’t wait until their next visit; she is surely counting the days. Everyone is now clear that 12 o’clock means noon and burn bans mean no fires. Buck returned to his job at the trucking company, Hank to his high school coaching job and Slappy went on to guard a new cooler in a new location. If you happen to be in Hank’s neck of the woods in Northeast Texas, take a look at the media guide for his baseball team. Listed under hobbies in his pro-file you will find Armadillo Hunting proudly displayed. And don’t you worry; the boys continue to come up with new ‘dillo stalking strategies daily.

Until next time….p.s. No ‘dillos, crawdads, cedar trees or dry creek beds were

harmed in the development of this story.

2009 TOURNAMENT TRAIL2009 central region, LAKE TRAVIS #1- FEbRuARy 7, 2009 anglerS / HoMetoWn FiSH Big BaSS WeigHt WinningS

1. ALLEN SHELTON, COPPELL , TX HEATH MOODY, WATAUGA , TX 5 0 20.70 $20000.00 2. JODY HOLUBEK, FORT WORTH , TX DALE BOREN, FORT WORTH , TX 5 5.42 18.26 $5000.00 3. GREG WESTALL SR, SAN ANTONIO , TX GREG WESTALL JR, SAN ANTONIO , TX 5 6.44 17.46 $3000.00 4. CHARLES WHITED, SAN MARCOS , TX BILL POLKINGHORN, SPRING , TX 5 5.32 17.18 $2000.00 5. MATT HILL, AUSTIN , TX TREY WEBB, AUSTIN , TX 5 0 16.62 $1200.00 6. MIKE HARMAN, BASTROP , TX CARL CLARDY, CEDAR CREEK , TX 5 0 16.54 $1090.00 7. RONNY MAYNARD, GEORGETOWN , TX EDDY MAYNARD, LEANDER , TX 5 0 16.50 $1080.00 8. CRAIG SCHUFF, WATAUGA , TX RICHARD RATTARREE 5 0 16.28 $1070.009. JEFF PITRUCHA, COPPERAS COVE , TX SCOTT DYER, MARBLE FALLS , TX 5 0 16.16 $1060.00 10. LUCAS LARSON, ROUND ROCK , TX BILL RULE, BRYAN , TX 5 7.44 15.46 $1050.00contingencY PriZeSALLEN SHELTON, COPPELL, TX & HEATH MOODY, WATAUGA, TX $5000 Skeeter Bonus+$200 Sure-Life BonusLUCAS LARSON, ROUND ROCK, TX & BILL RULE, BRYAN, TX $1000 Big Bass + All-Star Rod Bonus

2009 eaSt region, SAM RAybuRN #1 - jANuARy 24, 2009 anglerS / HoMetoWn FiSH Big BaSS WeigHt WinningS

1. RICK SCOTT ROY ELLISON, HEARNE , TX 5 0 22.36 $20000.002. KEITH CAKA, HUNTSVILLE , TX CHARLES BEBBER, WILLIS , TX 5 0 22.04 $5000.00 3. BILL WILCOX GREG CHRISTIAN 5 0 21.98 $3500.00 4. MARTIN ELSHOUT, RUSTON , LA MARK PRICE, RUSTON , LA 5 0 21.90 $2500.00 5. RANDY MILLENDER KENNETH NICHOLS, TEAGUE , TX 5 0 21.42 $2000.00 6. GREG PUGH, LAKE CHARLES , LA BILL DOMINQUE, SULPHUR , LA 5 0 21.06 $1190.00 7. NATHAN STROUP, WILLIS , TX ERIC ADAMS 5 0 21.06 $1190. 008. DOUG MCCAIN, LAKE CHARLES , LA MASON MCCAIN, LAKE CHARLES , LA 5 0 20.30 $1070.00 9. MIKE MICHALEC DAVID OZIO 5 0 19.68 $1060.00 10. JAMES STRICKLIN JR, JASPER , TX TW HARDY JR, SILSBEE , TX 5 0 19.64 $1050.00 contingencY PriZeSRICK SCOTT & ROY ELLISON, HEARNE , TX $200 Sure-Life BonusKEITH CAKA, HUNTSVILLE , TX & CHARLES BEBBER, WILLIS , TX $5000 Skeeter Bonus

2009 nortH region, RICHLAND CHAMbERS - FEbRuARy 14, 2009 anglerS / HoMetoWn FiSH Big BaSS WeigHt WinningS

1. RICHARD DRAPER CYPRESS , TX PHIL MARKS, DALLAS , TX 5 9.82 29.88 $20000.002. THOMAS HERMANN MANSFIELD , TX JOHN BYLER, SOUTHLAKE , TX 4 9.46 24.64 $3000.00 3. LESLIE KENNEDY FORT WORTH , TX TREVOR ROMANS, PLANO , TX 5 0 22.92 $2000.00 4. SCOTTY WENZEL POINT , TX ROBERT CASE JR, POINT , TX 5 0 21.52 $1200.005. STEVE HOPE OVILLA , TX PHILLIP HOPE, KAUFMAN , TX 5 0 19.72 $1100.00 6. RONNIE HAMBY PARADISE , TX MICHAEL MELLEN, ALVAREDO , TX 4 0 19.08 $1050.00 7. JOHNNY GONZALEZ JR GRAPEVINE , TX DAN TREVINO JR, HURST , TX 5 0 18.88 $1040.008. SHONN BLASSINGAME SUNSET , TX SHANE ELMORE, KENNEDALE , TX 5 0 17.66 $1030.00 9. JAMES REEDY BOBBY BOYD 4 7.94 17.22 $1020.00 10. BJ GAMMONS LEWISVILLE , TX MIKE DOWDY, TRINIDAD , TX 5 0 17.18 $1010.00contingencY PriZeSRICHARD DRAPER, CYPRESS, TX & PHIL MARKS, DALLAS, TX $1000 Big Bass + $5000 Skeeter BonusSCOTTY WENZEL, POINT, TX & ROBERT CASE JR., POINT, TX $500 Fun-N-Sun Bonus Cash

2009 SoutH region, LAKE AMISTAD #1 - jANuARy 17, 2009 anglerS / HoMetoWn FiSH Big BaSS WeigHt WinningS

1. WAYLON BULLARD DEL RIO , TX KARLA BULLARD, DEL RIO , TX 5 6.64 22.62 $20000.002. RENE MEZA DEL RIO , TX JOSE JIMENEZ 5 0 22.18 $5000.00 3. SCOTT SAUNDERS UTOPIA , TX CODY JOHNSON ,SABINAL , TX 5 0 20.54 $3000.00 4. TOM EVANS YANTIS , TX CLAUDE SIDDLE, PARIS , TX 5 7.36 20.08 $2000.00 5. DERICK KUYRKENDALL BERGHEIM , TX FORREST WILSON, BULVERDE , TX 5 10.50 19.94 $1200.00 6. RANDALL KIRKES KILLEEN , TX DEAN ALEXANDER, FLORENCE , TX 5 0 19.38 $1090.00 7. BRIAN FLEMING JR SAN ANTONIO , TX MIKE FLEMING, NEW BRAUNFELS , TX 5 0 17.54 $1080.00 8. GRAN SHANDLEY LEAKEY , TX EARNEST HUMPHRIES 5 0 17.02 $1070.00 9. JW LACKEY KERRVILLE , TX DOUG BAKER, THREE RIVERS , TX 5 0 16.28 $1060.00 10. MIKE GRIMES GEORGETOWN , TX TRAVIS OWENS, GOOD HOPE , GA 5 0 16.06 $1050.00contingencY PriZeSWAYLON BULLARD, DEL RIO, TX & KARLA BULLARD, DEL RIO, TX $200 Sure-Life Live Release BonusDERICK KUYRKENDALL, BERGHEIM, TX & FOREREST WILSON BULVERDE, TX $1000 Big Bass + $2200 Skeeter Bonus + All Star Rod Bonus

2009 tournaMent ScHedule

CENTRAL REGIONTOuRN. DATE LAKE LOCATIONCENTRAL # 2 03/07 - 03/07 BELTON TEMPLE LAKE PK

CENTRAL # 3 04/04 - 04/04 LBJ MCNAIR PARK

CENTRAL # 4 05/02 - 05/02 BELTON TEMPLE LAKE PK

CENTRAL # 5 06/06 - 06/06 TRAVIS PACE BEND PARK

EAST REGIONTOuRN. DATE LAKE LOCATIONSOUTH # 2 02/21 - 02/21 AMISTAD DIABLO EAST

SOUTH # 3 03/21 - 03/21 CHOKE CNYN CALLIHAM PK

SOUTH # 4 04/18 - 04/18 FALCON BEACON LODGE

SOUTH # 5 05/16 - 05/16/ CHOKE CNYN CALLIHAM PK

NORTH REGIONTOuRN. DATE LAKE LOCATIONNORTH # 2 03/14 - 03/14 CEDAR CREEK LOG CABIN

NORTH # 3 04/25 - 04/25 FORK LAKE FORK MARINA

NORTH # 4 05/30 - 05/30 LEWISVILLE HIGHLAND VILL

NORTH # 5 06/27 - 06/27 TAWAKONI TBA

SOuTH REGIONTOuRN. DATE LAKE LOCATIONSOUTH # 2 02/21 - 02/21 AMISTAD DIABLO EAST

SOUTH # 3 03/21 - 03/21 CHOKE CANYON CALLIHAM PK

SOUTH # 4 04/18 - 04/18 FALCON BEACON LODGE

SOUTH # 5 05/16 - 05/16 CHOKE CANYON CALLIHAM PK

18 texas Bass Fishing Magazine | Spring 2009

2009 TOURNAMENT TRAIL1St SerieS eaSt texaS teaM circuit, SAM RAybuRN - DECEMbER 6, 2008 anglerS / HoMetoWn FiSH Big BaSS WeigHt WinningS

1 RANDALL, DONALD TAYLOR, DON 5 21.74 $15,000 2 HARVEY, DAVID WILSON, KRIS 5 20.92 $4,000 + $2,500 RANGER CUP3 MILLENDER, RANDY NICHOLS, KENNETH 5 20.35 $2,000 + $1,000 RANGER CUP4 DRAPER, RICHARD MARKS, PHIL 5 8.49 20.33 $1,300 5 JOHNSTON, STEPHEN ILES, DANNY 5 7.62 20.08 $1,100 + $500 RANGER CUP6 BURGAY, STAN HUGHES, LANCE 5 19.92 $1,000 7 TIBBITTS, DOYLE SHIVERS, PETE 5 8.63 19.62 $1,000 + $1,000 BIG BASS8 BEBBER, CHARLES CAKA, KEITH 5 19.10 $1,000 9 DOWDEN, EASON DOWDEN, BO 5 18.36 $1,000 10 TURNER, RANDY MCMULLEN, JERRY 5 18.22 $1,000

1St SerieS eaSt tx teaM circuit, LK TOLEDO bEND / CyPRESS bEND PK - FEb 7, 2009 anglerS / HoMetoWn FiSH Big BaSS WeigHt WinningS

1 GLEASON, DAROLD SCHAMERHORN, CHRIS 5 8.71 28.74 $15,000 2 CREEL, SAM JAMES, JOEL 5 6.46 24.78 $4,000 3 UPSHAW, ANDREW UPSHAW, LARRY 5 11.96 23.32 $2,000 + $1,000 BIG BASS4 REED, MATT DEAN, SCOTT 5 22.24 $1,300 5 JOHNSTON, STEPHEN ILES, DANNY 5 21.03 $1,100 + $2,500 + RANGER CUP6 SLAYDON, CHIP HYATT, BRANDON 5 19.81 $1,000 7 CARMACK, BUTCH BELT, RICHARD 5 19.4 $1,000 8 CRAIN, WILLIAM** LOFTIN, JOE 5 18.97 $1,000 + $1,000 + RANGER CUP9 SALAMONE, JOHN GUY, RICKY 5 9.75 18.96 $1,000 10 BEBBER, CHARLES CAKA, KEITH 5 18.88 $1,000

2009 conroe SerieS, LK CONROE, APRIL PLAZA MARINA - jANuARy 31, 2009 anglerS / HoMetoWn FiSH Big BaSS WeigHt WinningS

1 GREGG, DONALD II GREGG, DONALD SR 5 10.21 27.34 $4,000 + $500 BIG BASS2 SEWELL, BRIAN SEWELL, CHIP 5 21.66 $2,000 3 VANN, JIMMIE FORTENBERRY, JIM 5 19.87 2$1,500 + $2,500 RANGER CUP4 OGRODOWICZ, MATT 4 19.04 $1,100 + $1,000 RANGER CUP5 BURNETT, RAY BURNETT, WESLEY 5 15.36 $1,000 + $500 RANGER CUP6 MATTERN, PHILLIP HELMS, JAMES 4 15.32 $700 7 BANEY, ROBERT PARSONS, MIKE 5 15.06 $700 8 BEBBER, CHARLES CAKA, KEITH 5 15.01 $600 9 BONDS, JASON LAND, NORMAN 4 14.78 $600 10 SMITH, BOBBY NOWACK, SHANNON 3 13.49 $600

2009 conroe SerieS, LK CONROE - FEbRuARy 21, 2009 anglerS / HoMetoWn FiSH Big BaSS WeigHt WinningS

1 GREGG, DONALD II GREGG, DONALD SR 5 28.24 $4,000+$2,500 +$1,000 RNGR CUP, TIREMAX BNS2 GUNTER, RANDY MUELLER, MICKY 5 8.11 27.12 $1,600 3 ADDISON, PHIL MURRAY, TONY 5 8.51 26.69 $1,200 4 HOOKER, MARK RIGBY, MATT 5 7.41 23.91 $1,000 5 CREIGHTON, BILLY MORGAN, DOUG 5 22.55 $900 6 BURNETT, RAY BURNETT, WESLEY 5 9.16 22.44 $600 + $1,000 RANGER CUP 7 SMITH, BOBBY NOWACK, SHANNON 5 22.40 $550 8 HARPER, JASON DORMAN, BRIAN 5 8.54 22.35 $500 9 THORNTON, JOHN TULLIS, MARK 5 8.6 20.72 $500 + $500 RANGER CUP10 WILKERSON, CHRIS GAIA, ANDY 5 20.36 $500

2009 tournaMent ScHedule1ST SERIES, EAST TExAS TEAM CIRCuITDATE LAKE / LOCATION03/07 SAM RAYBURN/UMPHREY FAMILY PAVILION

04/04 SAM RAYBURN/SAM RAYBURN MARINA

05/30 SAM RAYBURN/UMPHREY FAMILY PAVILION

2ND SERIES, EAST TExAS TEAM CIRCuITDATE LAKE / LOCATION06/20 SAM RAYBURN/UMPHREY FAMILY PAVILION

07/11 TOLEDO BEND/CYPRESS BEND PARK

08/08 SAM RAYBURN/UMPHREY FAMILY PAVILION

CONROE SERIES, EAST TExAS TEAM CIRCuITDATE LAKE / LOCATION03/28 LAKE CONROE/APRIL PLAZA

06/20 LAKE CONROE/APRIL PLAZA

08/08 LAKE CONROE/APRIL PLAZA

2009 TEAM CHAMPIONSHIPSEPTEMbER 19TH & 20TH

LAKE SAM RAybuRN

texas Bass Fishing Magazine | Spring 2009 19

2009 TOURNAMENT TRAIL

1 Scott Dean Terrell, TX 21.6 $5,000 2 Russell Lee Ennis, TX 18.08 $1,398 3 Ryan Warren Gatesville, TX 15.97 $932 4 Bobby Jacobs Irving, TX 15.85 $653 5 Danny Wims Rockwall, TX 14.89 $559 6 Todd Pierce Tyler, TX 14.72 $843 7 Byron Albrecht Waco, TX 14.51 $466 8 Patrick Fuller Tyler, TX 14.12 $420 9 John Strong Hurst, TX 12.85 $373 10 Jeffrey Stevens Flower Mound, TX 12.59 $280

1 Kelly Ferguson Royce, TX 11.42 $1,372 2 Chase Florio Fort Worth, TX 8.55 $686 3 Tim Johnson Tyler, TX 7.68 $457 4 Bryson Bean Frankston, TX 6.76 $320 5 Gary Baldwin Longview, TX 6.13 $274 6 Jeffrey Everidge Alvaredo, TX 5.74 $252 7 Christ Stewart Weatherford, TX 5.22 $387 8 John Shinn Ben Wheeler 5.06 $206 9 Nathan Lintner Lewisville, TX 4.94 $18310 Don Perryman Roanoke, TX 4.88 $137

Boater anglerS HoMetoWn WeigHt WinningS

2009 aBa Weekend SerieS, eaSt texaS- LAKE PALESTINE - jANuARy 24, 2009co angler anglerS HoMetoWn WeigHt WinningS

1 Lamonte Loyd gilmer, TX 22.6 $5,000 2 Russell Lee Ennis, TX 17.99 $1,445 3 John Strong Hurst, TX 17.76 $963 4 Scott Dean Terrell, TX 16.54 $674 5 Chase Markum Paradise, TX 16.53 $928 6 Ryan Warren Gatesville, TX 14.49 $530 7 Tarrick Roque Cedar Hill, TX 14.37 $482 8 Mark Everett Tyler, TX 14.12 $434 9 Brad Morris Flint, TX 12.33 $385 10 Kenny Lively Grapeland, TX 11.93 $289

1 Kevin Brown Kauffman, TX 10.92 $1,445 2 Jason Prestridge Fort Worth, TX 10.65 $723 3 Michael Fincannon Arlington, TX 8.83 $482 4 Scottie Owen Hamilton, TX 8.53 $337 5 Dustin Thomas Terrell, TX 7.31 $289 6 Rick Parker Kauffman, TX 7.22 $265 7 Eliazar Zarate Irving, TX 7.21 $241 8 Tim Johnson Tyler, TX 7.08 $217 9 Nathan Lintner Lewisville, TX 7.01 $193 10 Charner Williams Bryan, TX 6.46 $145


2009 aBa Weekend SerieS, eaSt texaS - LAKE TyLER - FEbRuARy 15, 2009co angler anglerS HoMetoWn WeigHt WinningS

1 Rodney Gordon Silsbee, TX 21.12 $5,000 2 Phil Hennigan Center, TX 19.41 $1,715 3 Ricky Guy Humble, TX 18.88 $1,143 4 Leonard Price Houston, TX 18.63 $800 5 Roy Sanford Brookeland, TX 17.96 $686 6 Shane Williams Frierson, LA 17.01 $629 7 Tony Owens Athens, TX 16.68 $572 8 Keith Caka Huntsville, TX 16.35 $515 9 Clint Goodeaux Westlake, LA 16.32 $457 10 Ron Festavan Vivian, LA 16.02 $788

1 Ronnie Gibson Huntsville, TX 13.19 $1,531 2 Robert MIKE Gray Conroe, TX 12.34 $766 3 Bill Ferguson Rowlett, TX 11.52 $510 4 Mike Burch Broaddus, TX 10.85 $357 5 Joey Brannon Benton, AR 10.31 $3066 David Ozio Beaumont, TX 9.92 $2817 Jacob Heath The Woodlands, TX 9.78 $2558 Johnny Matthews Cleburne, TX 9.41 $239 Tansley Bynog Porter, TX 9.21 $20410 Josh Guy Humble, TX 9.1 $153


2009 aBa Weekend SerieS, S.e. texaS - SAM RAybuRN - FEbRuARy 8, 2009co angler anglerS HoMetoWn WeigHt WinningS

1 Clint Goodeaux Westlake, LA 18.03 $5,0002 Aaron Johnson Bossier City, LA 15.57 $1,462 3 Phil Hennigan Center, TX 15.54 $975 4 Clayton Boulware Zavalla, TX 14.72 $634 5 Gene Stovall Bronson, TX 14.72 $634 6 Cary Talbot Hemphill, TX 14.18 $536 7 Bradley Stringer Huntington, TX 13.61 $487 8 Chad Wiley Pineville, LA 13.37 $439 9 Charles D. Newberry Houston, TX 13.36 $390 10 Ryan Pinkston Center, TX 13.06 $292

1 Ben Matsubu Hemphill, TX 8.48 $1,441 2 Lynn Stark Palestine, TX 8.2 $720 3 Brett Brandstrom Stillwater, MN 8.17 $480 4 Joshua Kirkpatrick Woodville, TX 8.03 $336 5 Denny Parrott Houston, TX 7.99 $288 6 Anthony Phillip Spring, TX 7.76 $264 7 Larry Weppler Houston, TX 7.71 $240 8 Robert MIKE Gray Conroe, TX 7.68 $216 9 Bryan K Smith Carthage, TX 7.57 $192 10 Jamie Narramore Lavaca,AR 7.36 $144


2009 aBa Weekend SerieS S.e. texaS - TOLEDO bEND - MARCH 1, 2009co angler anglerS HoMetoWn WeigHt WinningS

2009 tournaMent ScHedule EAST TExASLOCATION DATE LAKE EAST TEXAS 03/21 RICHLAND CHAMBERS

EAST TEXAS 04/18 CEDAR CREEK

SOuTHEAST TExASLOCATION DATE LAKE SE TEXAS 03/15 SAM RAYBURN

SE TEXAS 05/31 TOLEDO BEND


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2009 Stren SerieS, FALCON LAKE - jANuARy 15-17, 2009 anglerS / HoMetoWn FiSH WeigHt WinningS

1 JOE DON SETINA PITTSBURG, TX 15 92-02 $25,000 2 RICHARD CATHEY SAN ANTONIO, TX 15 90-13 $100003 CHARLES HARALSON LAREDO, TX 15 89-12 $80004 JERRY GREEN CULLMAN, AL 15 86-11 $70005 DAN SCHOONVELD MANSURA, LA 13 81-09 $60006 RAY HANSELMAN DEL RIO, TX 15 77-02 $55007 JAMES STRICKLIN JR JASPER, TX 15 71-06 $50008 DICKY NEWBERRY HOUSTON, TX 13 66-04 $45009 LARRY PEACHER BENTLEY, LA 15 66-03 $400010 JESSE WEST STRANDQUIST, MN 10 50-01 $350011 KEITH COMBS DEL RIO, TX $300012 THANH LE LAKE HAVASU CITY, AZ $300013 ROBERT A MCFARLANE SAN ANTONIO, TX $300014 CHRISTOPHER BRASHER SPRING, TX $300015 CHARLES (BUBBA HARALSON DEL RIO, TX $300016 TODD CARNES COLLEGE STATION, TX $250017 GARY VINING MORGAN CITY, LA $250018 TIM RENEAU DEL RIO, TX $250019 TERRY ROSE EASTLAND, TX $250020 TOBY HARTSELL LIVINGSTON, TX $250021 ZACK BULL GERMANTOWN, TN $200022 STEPHEN JOHNSTON HEMPHILL, TX $200023 CRAIG MOORE MONAHANS, TX $200024 ROBERT ROBINSON MOBILE, AL $200025 RONNIE BICKHAM NEW BOSTON, TX $200026 RAY STAGNER EDMOND, OK $1,500 27 SHAWN JOHNSON SAN ANTONIO, TX $1,500 28 ROBERT COLLETT ZAPATA, TX $1,500 29 MARVIN ETTREDGE SHREVEPORT, LA $1,500 30 PATRICK FULLER TYLER, TX $1,500 31 MATTHEW SCOGIN MONTGOMERY, TX $1,250 32 CODY MALONE MORGAN, TX $1,250 33 JOE BROWER JENKS, OK $1,250 34 JEREMY GUIDRY OPELOUSAS, LA $1,250 35 ROBERT CASE POINT, TX $1,250 36 BARRY SMITH PALO PINTO, TX $1,250 37 JUSTIN HAYNES TULSA, OK $1,250 38 TOMMY DICKERSON ORANGE, TX $1,250 39 TODD CASTLEDINE NACOGDOCHES, TX $1,250 40 ERIC AMBORT MABELVALE, AR $1,250 41 GENE ROBERTSON ARDMORE, OK $1,000 42 CRAIG WORKMAN FORT WORTH, TX $1,000 43 JAMES CARPER WRIGHT CITY, OK $1,000 44 THERON CALDWELL COLLEYVILLE, TX $1,000 45 TIMOTHY GRIFFIN ZAPATA, TX $1,000

contingencY PriZeS JOE DON SETINA - PITTSBURG, TX - Ranger Boat, Motor, Trailer

Big BaSS aWard - ProFeSSional anglerS / HoMetoWn daY WeigHt WinningSRICHARD CREMO 1 9-11 $ 450 DAN SCHOONVELD 2 11-05 $ 450

Big BaSS aWard - co-angler anglerS / HoMetoWn daY WeigHt WinningSKENNETH WILSON 1 10-04 $ 225 ALLEN BALLARD 2 8-15 $ 225

2009 tournaMent ScHedule

2009 Stren SerieS, uPCOMING EVENTS

location daYSSAM RAYBURN 3/19/09 - 3/21/09LAKE AMISTAD 5/21/09 - 5/23/09TOLEDO BEND 10/15/09 - 10/17/09

texas Bass Fishing Magazine | Spring 2009 21

Joe Don Setina of Pittsburg, Texas with a three day total weight of 92-2 caputers the first event on the FLW Stren Series Texas Division. Setina used a combination of two technequies to find the fish that put him in the lead on the final day. The first technique of fishing flooded roadbeds combined with finding the creek channel proved to be a winning combination. Setina mainly used a ¾ ounce jig to har-vest fish that were staging to spawn.


2009 college SerieS, FALCON LAKE - jANuARy 15-17, 2009college teaM naMe FiSH WeigHt college BaSS cluB

1 TARLETON STATE TEXAS JOHN ANDERSON & TANNER MORGAN 5 29-13 $5,000 $5,000 2 UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA CODY MCCRARY & NEIL ARNAUD 6 25-05 $2,500 $2,500 3 LAMAR UNIVERSITY MATT MORRISON & DANNY ILES 6 24-06 $2,000 $2,000 4 UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS BOBBY FREY & BILL WALDSCHMIDT 6 22-10 $1,500 $1,500 5 LSU JOEL JACKSON & LOGAN MOUNT 6 21-13 $1,000 $1,000 6 NORTHWESTERN STATE ZACK GAGNARD & JEFFREY RICH 4 18-08 7 TEXAS A&M-CORPUS CHRISTI ZACHARY WILMETH & JAKE THOMPSON 3 18-07 8 TEXAS A&M PAUL MANLEY & ANDREW SHAFER 6 18-06 9 UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS TRAVIS LEDGER & NATHAN RICHARDSON 3 16-00 10 LAMAR UNIVERSITY JUSTIN KIRKPATRICK & JOSH KIRKPATRICK 3 15-04 11 TEXAS A&M-CORPUS CHRISTI JACOB HEATH & KENNEDY SCHWARTZBURG 4 15-01 12 LOUISIANA TECH UNIVERSITY JAROD BRANTLEY & AARON ROGILLIO 3 14-14 13 LSU SHREVEPORT ZACH CAUDLE & JOE LANDRY 6 14-10 14 TEXAS A&M AT GALVESTON ANDREW SCHWEITZER & CAMERON HELM 3 13-03 15 TEXAS A & M-KINGSVILLE DANIEL BROCK & JEROD HAWKES 3 12-14 16 LOUISIANA TECH UNIVERSITY COLTON CARPENTER & BROCK BRUNSON 5 12-1 17 TEXAS STATE UNIVERSITY DEVIN KENT & EMILI BROYLES 3 11-15 18 TEXAS STATE UNIVERSITY JAY MCCOLLUM & DAVID COSNER 4 11-10 19 UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS YOSUKE TOMA & BRANDON DICKENSON 3 11-06 20 LSU BLAKE CARRIER & CALEB WATKINS 2 10-06 21 TEXAS A&M AT GALVESTON ANTHONY REED & BARBARA MILLER 2 10-01 22 ANGELO STATE AUDWIN HALL & WES SMITH 3 9-06 23 LSU TRAVIS LAURENT & TJ GOODWYN 3 9-03 24 LSU ROBERT OWEN & TIMOTHY MORRIS 3 8-08 25 CENTRAL OKLAHOMA DUSTIN EDWARDS & STEFAN HOLLIS 1 8-00

2009 uPcoMing eVent ScHedule - texaS diViSioneVent Marina citY/State dateS entrY date Final entrY

SAM RAYBURN THE UMPHREY FAMILY PAVILION JASPER, TX 03-21-2009 11-10-2008 03-06-2009LAKE AMISTAD LAKE AMISTAD MARINA (EAST DIABLO LAUNCH RAMP) DEL RIO, TX 05-23-2009 11-10-2008 05-08-2009TOLEDO BEND CYPRESS BEND PARKMANY, LA MANY LAKES, TX 10-17-2009 11-10-2008 10-02-2009


ZAPATA, Texas - The Tarleton State University team of John Anderson and Tanner Morgan, both of Stephenville, Texas, won the inaugural Na-tional Guard FLW College Fishing Texas Division tournament on Falcon Lake Saturday with a five-bass catch weighing 29 pounds, 13 ounces. The victory earned the team a $5,000 college scholarship as well as a $5,000 club college scholarship.

Full-time students enrolled in four year colleges or universities are eligible to participate in the events. Schools in each division can send two-person teams to each of the four qualifying events in their division, with each event limited to a maximum of 40 teams. Each team will have an opportunity to win $10,000 for first and $2,000 through fifth place. The prize money will be split evenly between the winning team’s club and the school they represent. The tournaments are free to enter, boats and drivers will be provided and all collegiate teams will receive a travel allowance. The top five teams in each of the qualifying events will advance to one of five televised three-day FLW National Guard Regional Championships.

CATFISHFROGLEGS

SHRIMPSTEAKS

4 Miles West of I-45, on Hwy 105

5901 W. Davis, Conroe, Texas 77304(936) 760-3386

Fishing boats Welcome!Serving Lake Conroe Area Since 1984

Services

Jackson Hill Park & MarinaSam Rayburn Lake1705 FM 2851Broaddus, TX 75929Reservations & Information:936-872-9266www.jacksonhill.us

Sam Rayburn Marina Resort4404 W. Recreational Rd. 255Brookeland, TX 75931Reservations: 409-698-2696Business: 409-698-9727www.samrayburnmarinaresort.com

Falcon Lake Tackle2195 S. Hwy 83, Box F-10Zapata, TX 78076Visit our online e-store:www.falconlaketackle.com956-765-4866Also Visit: www.falconlake.com

Robert’s Fish N’ Tackle2425 S. Hwy 83P.O. Box 578Zapata, TX 78076956-765-1442www.robertsfishntackle.com

Dawson MarineYamaha Outboards4200 North WheelerJasper, TX 75951409-489-9600www.dawsonmarine.com

MARINA TACKLE MARINE


Fishing Exposition & TPW Outdoor Adventures Area

Nationally Televised ProfessionalBass Fishing World Championship

TOYOTATEXASBASSCLASSIC.COM | 866-907-0143Kids 17 and Under Admitted Free

LIVEMUSICALL WEEKEND

LAkE CONrOE, TExAsOctober 16 - 18, 2009

TTBC 09_19_TBF Mag Ad.indd 1 3/6/2009 1:16:26 PM

Texas Bass Spring Print

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Transcript of Texas Bass Spring Print