July 22, 2007
Choke Canyon – Three Rivers, TX
The ATX Bassmasters tackled a tough Choke Canyon on July 22nd. The day started out overcast with water temps around 85 degrees. The sun peaked out periodically and the southerly breeze was light, almost too light at times. The conditions seemed perfect for big topwater or reaction bites, but the bigger Choke bass don't seem to read the same articles! The rain held off for the most part during the tournament, but the skies opened putting a damp'er, so to speak, on weigh-in. Ed Matthews took top honors with a limit tipping the scales at 14.56 pounds. He caught most of his nearly identical 3 pound bass tossing Gary Yamamoto Senko's on 15 pound Seaguar Carbon Pro line to flooded brush and grass in 2 to 4 feet of water, and picked up one more 3 pounder on a spinnerbait over the grass. Various colors of green were used, but watermelon red worked most often. Ed culled through a few limits of keepers, but was only able to cull ounces at a time and his better deep fish didn't seem to want to cooperate.
Joe Lapinski took second with 13.68 pounds including the day's big bass of 4.87 pounds. Joe caught all of his fish on a SPRO Dean Rojas Bronze Eye Frog around flooded grass in about 2 feet of water. Joe worked his frog on a 6'6" All Star rod using 20 pound Berkley Big Game. Joe also reported getting on a late bite where he caught his keepers in the afternoon from a 50 yard stretch of bank.
Fishing from his trusty Skeeter, Mark Peevey, took third with 12.32 pounds. Mark reported culling through about 15 keepers throwing a 1/4 ounce tandem willow leaf spinnerbait with his Team Daiwa rods and reels. He targeted 2 to 4 foot water with active shad. Mark's co-angler, Gary Brownell, also put a LOT of fish in the boat, but more about that later!
Chris Brasher took 4th place with 12.27 pounds. Chris caught two of his keepers flipping matted grass with a Lake Fork Trophy Bait and Tackle Fork Creature bait and filled his limit with a Carolina rigged watermelon candy Zoom Super Fluke.
Ubi Figuerido put an 11.38 pound limit in his Yamaha powered Ranger to take 5th place. Ubi reported catching his early fish on top using a Lucky Craft Sammy. His later fish came on a Carolina rigged green pumpkin Zoom brush hog on main lake points and a Reaction Innovations Sweet Beaver, also in green pumpkin, on the outside weed lines. Ubi's American Rodsmith rods have been busy as he has placed in the top 5 in every ATX tournament he's fished this year!
Gary Brownell, of ATX sponsor Preferred Personal Insurance Agency, rounded out the Top 6 with an 11.06 pound sack fishing from the back deck. Gary also reported catching a lot of keepers on a 1/4 oz. double willow spinnerbait. In fact, if it's possible, Gary caught too many keepers as he came to weigh-in with 6 fish in his live well. What's a bass club without a little controversy?
The next ATX Bassmaster tournament is scheduled for August 26th on newly filled Lake Travis. It will be fun hitting spots that have been high and dry for the last couple of years.
