JASPER, Texas (March 24, 2006) - Pro Toby Hartsell of Livingston, Texas, caught a five-bass limit weighing 15 pounds, 10 ounces to lead day three of the Stren Series Central Division bass fishing tournament on Sam Rayburn Reservoir.
"I'm just going fishing," Hartsell said of his pattern. "I'm hitting lots of areas with several different lures, but I plan to buckle down and fish my two best spots tomorrow."
Hartsell has been throwing an Eakins jig as well as a Senko, Trick Worm and an imitation of the Chatterbait. Most of his bass have been prespawn fish caught over grass beds.
With a top-10 finish already added to his list of eight previous top-10s, including a fifth place on the Wal-Mart FLW Tour, Hartsell is in the hunt for his first win with FLW Outdoors.
Rounding out the top five pros are days one and two leader Chris McCall of Jasper, Texas (five bass, 13 pounds, 8 ounces); Jason Reyes of Humble, Texas (five bass, 12 pounds, 6 ounces); Cody Bird of Granbury, Texas (five bass, 12 pounds, 4 ounces); and Trent Huckaby of Fort Stockton, Texas (five bass, 11 pounds, 1 ounce).
Bill Guillory of Jasper caught the day's largest limit at 22 pounds, 5 ounces to lead the Co-angler Division in the chase for a top award worth as much as $35,000, including a 519VX Ranger if contingency guidelines are met.
Guillory, who fished with Huckaby on day three, said the duo started out fishing shallow, but soon had to move to deeper hydrilla beds to catch their bass. Guillory's heavy limit came on spinnerbaits and Carolina rigs tipped with Zoom plastics.
Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Tom Medlock of Licking, Mo. (five bass, 15 pounds, 13 ounces); Bill Rogers of Jasper (five bass, 12 pounds, 13 ounces); Brian Branum of Longview, Texas (four bass, 12 pounds, 3 ounces); and Phillip Hudnall of Newkirk, Okla. (five bass, 9 pounds, 15 ounces).
Stren Series tournaments are four-day events consisting of three rounds. The entire field competes Wednesday and Thursday, and the top 20 pros and co-anglers - based on two-day accumulated weights - advance to day three. Anglers start at zero Thursday and compete for 10 spots in each division in the final round. Winners are determined by the heaviest accumulated weight from days three and four.