Stoner's 14th Annual Catch & Release
Bass Tournament
May 17th, 2008 --- Lake Fork, TX
Like last year we had great weather for the 14th tourney. Highs only in the low 80's, light winds. Very nice. Lake
Fork had received a lot of rain in the days leading up to the tourney, so they were letting water out at the dam.
That usually turns the fishing off for some reason. We still caught some fish, but maybe not quite as many as in past
tournaments. Click
here for a roster of all contestants
and weights. The Legends Bass Tournament has apparently settled on the same weekend that I like to use (i.e. the
weekend between Mother's Day and Memorial Day). So the lake was fairly crowded, but mainly on the West side of the
lake which is where the Legends tourney is hosted.
We had 36 contestants; a slightly larger than usual turnout for the tourney. As always, I appreciate you folks
taking the time and effort to come fish this thing. With gas prices being so high ($3.75 per gal), it's expensive
just getting to the lake - much less filling the boat with gas. Some of you even pay to rent boats for the weekend.
I thank you for your efforts and I sure enjoy seeing you guys every year.
Theron Hall - 2008 Champion
Theron caught this 8.56 pound beauty on watermelon colored Senko. It's the first over-slot fish someone has weighed
in at my tourney since the lake increased the slot (i.e. illegal fish) to 16-to-24 inches. If Theron's fish had still
been full of eggs, she could have pushed double digits. Theron's total bag weight was 11.42 pounds - I'm pretty sure
that's a record for my tourney. Click
here for a roster
of this year's contestants and weights. Lynn Hackfield won the tourney last year with a 5-fish limit weighing 8.94
pounds, which is very impressive when you consider that all 5 fish were under the slot. Like this year's winner,
Lynn also fished Senkos.
I should mention that my friend Alvin Fogleman (who works for Eagle Claw) donated many boxes of Eagle Claw hooks that
I gave to each contestant. Alvin also donated a really nice Wright & McGill rod that I gave to the first place
winner. Thanks Alvin!
--- The Night Before The Tourney ---
The unofficial kickoff to my tourney always begins the night before at the crawfish boil at Fisherman's One
Stop on FM 515. They may not cook the mudbugs quite as good as Brian does for the
Boils
at my house, but they are still quite tasty!
I rented the 17-bed "Lodge" at Oakridge Marina again this year. Drinking a few beers - okay, and a few Jack and
Cokes - with old friends is a hoot. But it does make waking up at 5am a bit rough :)
Gary & Ryan Krumbholz heading out at 6am
I was thrilled that my ol' buddy Steve Cox was able to fish with me this year. It only took him 14 years to finally
fish a Stoner's tournament! We both caught some nice slot fish (which must be thrown back immediately) as well as
some decent keepers. I thought Steve was going to win the Big Bass Pot with a very nice 2.40 pound under-slot fish.
But the 8.56 pound over-slot fish (see above) took the money. Steve was nice enough to slice the tomatoes and onions
for the post-tourney cookout and, along with dad, flipped many a burger. Thanks Steve!
Walt Zartman caught this very nice 8 pounder during the tourney. Unfortunately it was not quite long enough to get
out of the 16-to-24 inch "slot" and had to be released before the weigh-in. Awesome fish though! Walt also caught
a 6 pounder ten minutes before he caught the 8. Unfortunately the 6 pounder was also in the slot.
Dale McCullough is holding a very nice Lake Fork black bass. Meanwhile Dale's son, Matt, apparently thought he was
fishing in Stoner's
Catfish Tournament.
Dustin Cotten weighed in one fish - and it fit in his shirt pocket :) Like all the fish caught that day, it
was released back into the water unharmed. In the background you can just make out Scott Henry bringing his bag o'
fish to the weigh in. Scott
always catches fish at my tourney. This year he knocked me out of third place by
0.3 pounds! I'll get you next year Mr. Henry!
Ryan Krumbholz is holding a very healthy looking 1.58 pounder. As Ryan astutely reported to me, he caught that fish on a
blue fleck
"jig & pig". That boy knows his bass fishing techniques.
For awhile I thought my 5-fish limit of under-slot fish may take first place. But within a span of 5 minutes my
5.34 total weight was toppled by three others - putting me in 4th place!
Dad drove out for the post-tourney cookout and helped cook burgers & sausages. His help is always appreciated! My
buddies always get a kick out of seeing him at the cookout.
Chuck Mandernach and Barry Amrich rode their street bikes out to Lake Fork for the cookout. They sure had a nice
day for a cruise!
Jeff, Steve & I did a little evening fishing after the tourney. Back in the mid 1980's the three of us went fishing
a lot together. It might have hurt our collegiate grades, but we sure had a ball. So it was nice being in
the boat with them after the tourney. Jeff's holding a very nice 6 pounder caught on "Brad's Hump".
Another tourney is in the books - and what a time it was. I'm already looking forward to number 15.
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