Bass Champs Central Region anglers converged on Lake Buchanan June 17 & 18 to fish the final regular season event and the Region Championship. Saturday was wet and stormy, and Sunday dished out sunshine and hot temperatures. It was the last push in the points race for Anglers of the Year, and the deciding weekend for State Championship qualifiers.
Saturday:
Keith Combs and Landan Ware brought in 25.94 lbs, a decisive win with nearly a five pound margin. They took home the Skeeter SX190 powered by a Yamaha 150 motor, Lowrance electronics and Motorguide trolling motor for their win. In addition, they caught the Big Bass of the tournament weighing in at 8.84 lbs for an additional $750 cash.
Brent Watts and Terry Hall won 2nd place with 21.12 lbs, and was the highest finishing qualified Skeeter Boat owner team. Their $2,000 win was doubled to a $4,000 finish.
134 teams entered on Saturday, and $47,750 was paid back in cash and prizes over 18 places for a payback percentage of 137%. It took 12.08 lbs to grab a check, and Lino Gutterez & Ruben Ribera got the last $400 check.
Being consistent throughout the season, Charles Whited & Jason Buchanan won Anglers of the Year Central Region 2006. They totaled 796 points, having a 61 point lead to win. They will enjoy this and also fish the 2007 season with their entry fees waived. Congratulations!
Sunday:
Changing weather patterns from rain to sunshine and plenty of heat greeted the Region Championship qualifiers on Sunday. Several teams had to scramble and change their spots & techniques to improve on their catch from the day before. Putting together a good limit proved to be a challenge, and the final weights were a lot lighter for everyone.
David Hogge & Rick Keagle brought in a limit weighing 14.30 lbs to win the Championship. "We had a bad day (Saturday). Coming into this weekend we were sitting pretty good in the standings. We were fishing deep, in about 18-20' and just couldn't get on the fish. At the weigh in, we had heard the top teams fished shallow, so today we just had to go for it. We went to a totally different part of the lake, crossed our fingers and just went for it. All we wanted to do was qualify for the State Championship. Today we were fishing in 1' or less with a black & blue Oldham jig with a black & blue Berkley craw trailer. At the end of the day, our biggest fish was around five pounds" Dave explained. With fingers crossed, they brought their sack to the scales and waited as everyone else weighed in. Their 14.30 lbs won and they were declared the Central Region Champions. Bass Champs awarded them the Skeeter SX190 with a Yamaha 150 motor, and they won the Skeeter Bonus for an additional $5,000 check. "This is the best Father's Day ever!" - Rick Keagle
Jason Patureau caught the Big Bass of the tournament at 5.68 lbs, fishing with his partner Don Gordon. "It was my first fish of the day!" Jason said. "I caught her on a Chug Bug in about 1' of water next to a dock. She just sucked it in and then b-lined it to the boat. I'm very excited. Big improvement from yesterday!"
This wraps up the 2006 season for the Central Region. The top 10 teams in season point standings plus the top 10 teams (not previously qualified) in the tour championship as well as the top "Junior Team"- a total of 21 teams - are now headed to the State Championship October 7th & 8th. The lake is yet to be announced.
"We have had a blast with everyone who came out to fish with us this year, and hope everyone has had fun fishing with us. 2007 is going to be even better, so we're looking forward to seeing everyone again next year and hope to see some new faces too. Congratulations to our winners and everyone who qualified for the State Championship - Good Luck!" - Chad Potts, President.