March 25, 2007
Choke Canyon Reservoir – Three Rivers, TX
Despite a forecast calling for 41mph winds out of the southeast, seventeen ATX Anglers made the long journey south to Three Rivers, Texas to take part in our third event of 2007. When morning broke the weatherman was proven wrong once again as our competitors were greeted with near perfect fishing conditions with moderate winds and overcast skies.
Choke Canyon is famous for big largemouth and even bigger gators! While there were numerous reports and photographs of big gators the big bass weren’t as easy to come by. In fact with the large number of boats on the water the fish were feeling the pressure and weights were not up to the standard we all know this great fishery can produce.
Brannon Hightower fishing from the back of the boat managed to find at least one fish worthy of its Choke heritage when he landed the big bass of the tournament a 8.23 pounder that pushed his five fish total to 16.80 pounds earning him his first ATX victory. With that 8.23lber Brannon also took the number one spot in the big fish of the year race. Brannon’s weapon of choice was a Zoom Brush Hog flipped in and around the plentiful submerged brush.
Right on Brannon’s tail was Ed Matthews still hot after his 30.25 pound second place team finish the pervious day at BassChamps on Falcon Lake. This day Ed boated five fish that tipped the scales at a mere 16.59 pounds to secure his second, second place finish in as many days. Ed was throwing a Texas-rigged Reaction Innovations Sweet Beaver hopped slowly along a submerged tank damn in 10-15 foot depths.
The “nearly” silent but ever present Henry Meyer netted a 13.43 pound limit and the third place slot. The method was unknown but with Henry you can pretty much bet there was a shad colored flipping tube somewhere in the boat.
Besides acting as a guide for the eventual winner of the event, Ubi Figuerido found his way to a 12.34 pound limit that landed him just out of the money in the fourth position. Ubi like Ed flipped & pitched a Texas-rigged Reaction Innovations Sweet Beaver to the submerged brush.
Skeeter Mark Peevey grabbed a total of 11.84 pounds of largemouth and the fifth place slot by pitching a Texas-Rigged Lake Fork Craw-Tube into submerged brush in 10 foot of water.
Adam Clark rounded out the Top 6 by casting and pitching a ZOOM Old Monster Worm and Zoom Lizard into trees standing in 15 feet of water. Adam’s five fish limit weighed in at 11.53 pounds.
On April 15, 2007 the ATX BASSMASTER will be fishing a little closer to home as they tackle Lake Austin in what promises to be a large bass shoot out. In the last few days numerous reports of fish pushing Share-A-Lunker status have come from anglers fishing Lake Austin. Recent rains have given the water a little color and the spawn should be in full swing when our anglers next hit the water. Until then we wish everyone a Happy Easter despite the unseasonably wet, cold and nasty weather.
