|
The three days of fishing were broken down into two five hour blocks of time per day on the water with a break in the middle for lunch and rest. Anglers were paired with a different competitor each day and they split their time in the front of the boat. Richard started off day one in the front of the boat for the morning run. He started off with soft plastics early but they were not producing the fish that he needed to take home the prize. He began experimenting with different Norman DD22 crank bait colors and hooked up with a solid six pounder on a baby bass pattern. Unfortunately for Richard, he only brought two crank baits in that color and after loosing one of them to structure he hooked into a monster with his last one that relieved him of it shortly into the battle. Richard exclaimed, “That fish was like a freight train!” With 30 minutes left in the first morning of competition he found himself without the crank bait that appeared to be his ticket to victory.
|
|
|
Having minimal success on other colors early in the afternoon Richard decided to make his own baby bass patter and modified the paint on a white/green back DD22 using chartreuse Spike-It to color the sides and then a black sharpie to create the bass pattern. “That afternoon I started smackin ‘em” he recalled. In this malay of fish catching on famous Lake El Salto Richard boated not only his 7-11 brute but also a 7-0, two more six pounders and many more smaller fish. “I had a little over 30 pounds that afternoon with my best five fish” he said.
|
When the competitors returned to the club house it was revealed that Richard held the day one lead. There was little celebrating after the days fishing but they enjoyed a great meal and got to bed to prepare for day two.
Richard started off day two throwing the modified DD22 right off the bat out of the back of the boat. He was fishing similar structure as the day before and boated 45 fish with his largest for the morning weighing in at 7-7. Several of the other competitors were fishing shallower structure and although they were catching plenty of fish they were lacking in size. When they came in for lunch Richard found out that he was still in the lead after a day and a half of fishing -- although another angler came close, weighing in a 7-10 that morning.
The afternoon effort produced nothing larger than a five pounder for Richard but his lead was challenged by Eric Stong from Kansas who boated an identical weight of 7-11 that afternoon. Fortunately for Richard, he was still officially in the lead, “I had him beat with my second largest fish – 7-7.” With two days of the tournament behind him, the pressure was beginning to mount as they prepared for the third and final day of competition.
The Final Day
By coincidence, day three found the two leaders paired together for the final dash for the prize. Richard started out in the front of the boat for the morning and was once again throwing his modified crank bait. “I was going to live and die by the DD22” stated Richard. Eric caught a 5-0 early on in the morning and Richard followed up with a 5-15. They were fishing a little different water that morning and their numbers were down. “We caught 30 or so fish each that morning with nothing big” he explained. The afternoon found them once again in water different than where all the larger fish had been caught but Richard still threw his faithful DD22.
“The last day was pretty uneventful,” expressed Richard, “I had another big fish that ripped drag then came unbuttoned.” Eric had seen how Richard’s bait had been modified and reproduced the color modification. He immediately boated another five pounder that did not have Richard worried. “This was a big bass tournament so I didn’t care,” joked Richard. They ended the day and headed in to see who would be crowned the champion of the Monster Bass Challenge.
When they arrived at the dock some of the other anglers had some large bass in bags and were teasing and bragging that they had him beat. With Richard sitting on pins and needles awaiting the final result he dug into his faith and thought to himself, “Good Lord willing, I am going to win it.” When they announced his victory he called his wife from the stage and the tears of joy flowed.
|
To the victor go the spoils and Richard will be spoiled with a $25,000 voucher to Anglers Inn on Lake El Salto, Mexico to be used at his convenience. When asked what his plans were Richard promptly replied, “I’m taking my wife to El Salto for a vacation in the Honeymoon Suite in May.”
“I want to thank my Lord and savior and my wife first and foremost,” exclaimed Richard. He continued with, “and thank you Triton Boats, Bill Norman crank baits, Spike-It, Falcon Rods, BASS, and Anglers Inn!”
The Technique:
Richard’s technique appeared to be slightly different than what the other competitors were doing with the deep diving crank baits. “I would cast as far as I could then crank as fast
|
|
 |
|
as I could for about ten cranks and pause.” If he did not get bit on the initial pause then he would crank a few turns and pause again. “On the pause they would crush it,” he explained. The structure being fished was deep submerged tree tops and when the bait would contact a limb he would pause also. Three days of this technique also took a toll on his body Richard recalled, “my arms were killing me!”
|
| |
|
|
|
The Bait: Richard's hand modified DD22
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
