JASPER, Texas, Nov. 1, 2002 - After failing to qualify for the 2002 BASSMASTERS Classic some thought angling legend Rick Clunn's best days were behind him. On Saturday at the Texas BASSMASTER Central Open Clunn put the angling world on notice that the rumors of his demise were greatly exaggerated.
The Ava, Missouri pro weighed in a three-day total of 43 pounds 6 ounces to claim his first title in nearly two years. His 7-ounce margin of victory gave him his 14th career B.A.S.S. win, tying him for second on the all-time list with Larry Nixon.
"It is good to come home to Rayburn, which is where I started fishing tournaments with the Pasadena B.A.S.S. club," said Clunn who received $50,000 for his victory. "Rayburn is one of my favorite lakes and despite winning tournaments around the nation, I had never won here before. This is really satisfying."
San Diego, California pro Clayton Meyer's 42-15 earned him second place, day one leader Slade Dearman of Onalaska, Texas finished third with 42-11, fellow Texan Yusuke Miyazaki of Mineola finished fourth with 37-4 and Cody Bird of Granbury, Texas placed fifth with 34-3.
After bringing in back-to-back 17 pound plus creels each of the first two days, Clunn was concerned that his weight would not be enough to win the event because he hadn't been catching the bigger bass.
"Lakes are like people," Clunn explained. "Even the best ones have bad days."
Clunn relied on a Deep Baby N crankbait and a Stanley spinnerbait to catch his bass. He fished primarily in a creek along the Buck Bay area and in some locations just outside the creek, which is where he caught his biggest bass the first two days. He explained that the muddy water and the bait fish were keys to his success.
"The bait fish seemed to move deeper each day which made the fishing tougher. The bait fish control the bass," said Clunn.
Meyer caught his bass on a Cordell Hot Spot crankbait that he found ten years ago in a San Diego lake.
"The bait has lost all of its finish on one side, so I had to paint it myself to try and match the other side. It also didn't run true, which probably made it look more like an injured fish," said Meyer.
Amateur winner Rick Skidmore of Lumberton, Texas claimed $24,000 for his victory but explained he wouldn't be fishing full-time as a pro anytime soon.
"It is great to be able to fish with the quality of anglers in this division. I can't stay on the road like these pros do though. That's why I'm fishing as an amateur," explained Skidmore who fished as a pro several years ago.
In addition to the over $320,000 purse on the line in the tournament, there were also five berths in next summer's BASSMASTERS Classic. Greg Hackney of Oak Ridge, La. was the top point earner during the three-event series with 589 points. The other four qualifiers from the BASSMASTER Central Open series are Edwin Evers, Okla., 568; Mike Gough, Fla., 538; Homer Humphreys, La., 531 and Chad Morgenthaler, Ill., 530.
All five anglers will be participating in fishing's premier event, which will be held in New Orleans, La. August 1-3, 2003.
"This has been a very stressful week," said Hackney. "I never wanted a tournament to be over the way I wanted this one to. Going to the Classic has been a dream of mine since I watched Rick Clunn win in 1984."
Daily weigh-ins took place at Twin Dikes Marina.
The local sponsor was the Jasper/Lake Sam Rayburn Chamber of Commerce, 409-384-2762.