Bryan Bass Club Tournament Reports

Archive of 2000 Reports

Somerville

Bryan Bass Club - December 09-10, 2000

Conditions: Cold morning Saturday warming later, then foggy and moderating on Sunday. Water temperature lower-50's, muddy clarity in most areas, and at normal level covering last month's low-water shoreline growth. The club launched at Overlook Park near the dam with 14 members participating in the tournament.

Results: Jack Gressett won with a weight of 8.37 lbs on Sunday. Bill Rule caught one on Saturday weighing 6.88 lbs clinching second and the big bass pot. Ray Rippstein picked up three Sunday to finish third with 6.42 lbs.

Patterns: Jack used a spinner bait and craw worm to catch his bass from the edges of flooded cover, some in the launch area, some in the Apache Hills area. Bill's big bass bit a spinner bait not far from the boat launch. Ray had motor problems and circled the large island near the launch Sunday morning using a carolina-rigged sour-grape craw and a texas-rigged clear/green-flake worm.

Limestone

Bryan Bass Club - November 18-19, 2000

Conditions: Cold freezing rain with brisk north wind all day Saturday, then dryer and moderating on Sunday. Water temperature mid-50's, stained clarity in most areas, and at normal level submerging about 4 feet of recent low-water growth. The club launched at Running Branch marina on the south end with 15 members participating in the tournament.

Results: Todd Carnes won with an impressive weight of 18.22 lbs on Saturday. Charlie Thomas picked up three Saturday for second with 5.34 lbs. Larry Glover caught a few Sunday to finish third with 4.60 lbs.

Patterns: Todd pitched a black/blue tube and a jig to timber in 12' water located inside pockets off the main lake. He had six bites during the day for five fish. Charlie threw a one ounce white spinner bait in 12' water also inside pockets off main lake. Larry slow-rolled a buzz-bait over flooded grass toward the back of a mid-lake creek, catching lots of little bass and a few keepers.

Some photos of Todd's Limestone bass...

above - a couple of Todd's catch	above - Todd (right) showing more with a little help from friends

(click on any photo for larger image)

Limestone

Bryan Bass Club - October 21-22, 2000

Conditions: Cool mornings with warm afternoon thunderstorms. Water temperature mid-70's, muddy to stained clarity in most areas, and about 3 feet below normal level. The club launched in shallow conditions at Running Branch marina on the south end with 15 members participating in the tournament.

Results: Sam Fling won with a weight of 14.87 lbs on Saturday. Larry Glover sacked several nice ones for second with 11.33 lbs. Art Wilson found a nice little limit on Saturday to finish third with 11.04 lbs.

Patterns: Sam used black-blue-chartreuse jigs around boat docks and Bandit white or chartreuse-blue crankbaits around trees in 7-8' water. He had 14 lb limits both days obviously on a winning pattern. Larry "slow rolled" a white buzz-bait over grass. Others that "burned" their buzz-baits in similar areas didn't get a strike. Art used a double-colorado blade chartreuse spinner bait around grass and lily pads.

Somerville

Bryan Bass Club - September 23-24, 2000

Conditions: Warm mornings and afternoons with mild sunny days. Water temperature mid-80's, muddy clarity in most areas, and about 5 feet below normal level. The club launched in shallow conditions at Overlook Park by the dam with 16 members and guests participating in the tournament. A few members also fished the annual Open Team tournament on Saturday.

Results: Todd Carnes won with a weight of 13.79 lbs on Sunday. David Crowson found some keepers Sunday for second with 10.82 lbs. Bill Rule finished third with 9.48 lbs on Saturday. Dave decided to fish the marina docks Sunday afternoon with several others and wacky-wormed a 6.15 lb bass to win a $380 big bass pot that built up over several months.

Patterns: Todd worked a weightless black-blue Yamamoto Senko in shallow brush. David used spinner baits and wacky worms to catch his bass. Bill slow-rolled small chartreuse spinner baits around the shallow marina boat docks.

Sam Rayburn

Bryan Bass Club - August 19-20, 2000

Conditions: Hot mornings and afternoons with calm bright sunny days. Water temperature upper-80's, clear clarity from 4 to 6 feet in most areas, and about 6 feet below normal level. The club launched at Mill Creek on the south end with 12 members and guests participating in the tournament. Some members also fished the Texas BASS Federation Southeast Region tournament on Saturday.

Results: Bill Rule won with a weight of 10.63 lbs on Saturday. Jimmy Vann was just behind him on Saturday for second with 10.43 lbs. Bob Barnes finished a close third with 10.20 lbs on Sunday. Jimmy was one of the members fishing the BASS Federation Southeast Region. His finish in this final tournament gave him 785 points in their series to finish the season on top as the region's Angler of the Year. A big congratulations to Jimmy on this difficult competitive achievement.

Patterns: Bill worked the boat docks around Twin Dikes Marina. He used a purple wacky worm but said the key was a slow persistent presentation. Jimmy fished south of the 103 bridge using a variety of baits like the top-water spook, a DB3 crank-bait, or flipping into coon tails with a Zoom brush-hog. Bobby probed 12 foot water down south with a jig for his main pattern.

Toledo Bend

Bryan Bass Club - July 15-16, 2000

Conditions: Hot mornings and afternoons with calm bright sunny days. Water temperature upper-80's, clear clarity up to 12 feet in most areas, and approximately 6 inches above normal level. The club launched at Fling Point in Housen Bay on the south end with 17 members and guests participating in the tournament. The area featured healthy grass mats along most shores and humps starting at 14-15 feet deep, a few scattered deep grass humps, and grass and lily-pad lined creek channels.

Results: Bobby Barnes won with two fish weighing 5.96 lbs on Sunday. Pat Baker was second with a limit weighing 5.73 lbs on Saturday. Sam Fling finished third with two fish weighing 4.20 on Saturday.

Patterns: Bobby, Pat and Sam flipped a black-brown-amber jig with watermelon trailer into two areas, either lily pads in the back of Housen Bayou or grass edges closer to the main lake. Most of the club fished a similar pattern with less success in attracting a keeper size bass. An occasional top-water or worm bite left most of the club with single fish for weigh-in.

Lake Livingston

Bryan Bass Club - June 3-4, 2000

Conditions: Mild mornings with moderate wind and afternoon thunderstorms. Water temperature mid-70's, stained clarity, and normal level. Both the club and Southeast B.A.S.S. Federation launched mid-lake at Lakeside Marina near the 190 Bridge with 17 members and guests participating in the club tournament.

Results: Todd Carnes won with a limit weighing 10.47 lbs on Saturday. Mike McCollum was second with a limit weighing 9.34 lbs on Sunday, and Jimmy Vann finished third with 7.00 lbs.

Patterns: Todd caught his bass flipping shoreline in creeks like Brushy using darker colored plastics. Mike used a fire-tiger Bomber crank-bait back in White Rock. Jimmy flipped mid-lake shoreline cover.

Toledo Bend

Bryan Bass Club - May 6-7, 2000

Conditions: Mild mornings with brisk south wind and warm afternoons. Water temperature 70's, stained to muddy clarity, and 1-2 feet low but rising. The club launched at Fling Point in Housen Bayou with 14 members and guests participating.

Results: Darlene Fairchild won her first club event with her first club limit weighing 11.37 lbs on Saturday. Bill Rule was second with a 11.24 lb limit on Sunday. Sam Fling was third with 9.52 lbs on Sunday.

Patterns: Darlene used a sour grape wacky worm around a large hyacinth pocket toward the back of Housen Bayou. Bill used a Zoom watermelon carolina rig in the back of Housen. Sam used a Zoom brush hog around the 944 area in Housen.

Lake Somerville

Bryan Bass Club - April 15-16, 2000

Conditions: Mild mornings with moderate wind and warm afternoons. Water temperature high-60's, stained clarity, and 4-5 feet low. The club launched at the accessible ramp in Yegua Park on the southern shore with 19 members and guests participating.

Results: Jack Gressett won with 12.79 lbs on Saturday. Bill Rule was second with 11.49 lbs, and his partner/guest, Luke Larson, was third with 10.54 lbs, both on Sunday.

Patterns: Jack caught his limit of bass Saturday using spinner baits around a marina's boat docks. On Sunday, Bill and Luke fished in the same place, where the bass held to pattern.

Sam Rayburn

Bryan Bass Club - March 25-26, 2000

Conditions: Mild morning Saturday. Sunday started with a three-hour severe thunderstorm with strong southwest winds in the afternoons. Water temperature mid-60's, stained clarity. 18 members and guests participating. The club launched at Jackson Hill, north of the bridge, where BASS Federation also held its regional tournament.

Results: Bill Rule won with 19.26 lbs on Saturday. His partner, Bill Ray, was second with 14.81 lbs. Jimmy Vann was third with 14.07 lbs. Bill Rule caught a 6.97 lb beauty for big bass.

Patterns: Bill and Bill fished shallow areas around the Canyons using a carolina rigged watermelon-seed lizard. Jimmy fished way north of the bridge using spinner baits and jigs. The good fish came Saturday, no one could top them Sunday.

Lake Conroe

Bryan Bass Club - February 12-13, 2000

Conditions: Mild mornings with warm south winds in the afternoons, water temperature mid-60's, stained clarity. 21 members and guests participating. The club launched at April Plaza near the dam.

Results: New member, Gus Dillard, won with 15.13 lbs on Saturday. Jimmy Vann and Mike Mc Collum tied for second/third with 7.53 lbs. They caught one big 'un so both also tied for the big bass pot.

Patterns: Gus fished around the upper jungles with spinners. Jimmy used a black jig around some cuts in Caney. Mike fished first jungle using a white spinner with colorado blades.

Here are pictures of a few of the Conroe fish from Sunday, taken at weigh-in right before releasing them back to the lake (click on pic for larger image):

Mike's 7.53 big bass	Bill Ray has a nice one	Byron Rippstein's 7 pounder

Falcon Lake

Bryan Bass Club - January 22-23, 2000

Conditions: Cool mornings with brisk warm south winds in the afternoons, fog early Sunday, water temperature upper 60's, stained clarity. 15 members and an associate participating. The club launched at a county public launch near Zapata.

Results: Jack Gressett took first with a five-fish limit of 21.70 lbs on Saturday. Gerald May placed a close second with a 20.74 lbs five-fish limit on Saturday, followed by Sam Fling at third with a 19.61 lbs five-fish limit on Sunday. Gerald, fishing with his wife, caught a nice 6.07 to claim the big bass pot.

Patterns: Jack pitched brush flats along a flooded mid-lake arroyo on the Texas side using craw worms and lizards. Gerald fished tight to timber near 6 foot water in a mid-lake cove on the Mexican side. He used spinner baits and a red shad color Power Worm. Sam fished shallow timber in the same cove and south on main lake flats, using a white Bull Dog double blade spinner with that slow-rollin' thumpin' effect.

Here are pictures of a few of the bigger Falcon fish from each day, taken at weigh-in right before releasing them back to the lake (click on pic for larger image):

Jimmy Vann (Saturday)	Jack Gressett (Saturday)	Ken Kennedy (Saturday)
Gerald May (Saturday)	Ray Rippstein (Saturday)	Sam Fling (Sunday)
Ray Rippstein (Sunday)	Mike McCollum (Sunday)

This page was updated on February 28, 2002.

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