JASPER, Texas – Pro Stephen Johnston of Hemphill, Texas, caught a five-bass limit weighing 14 pounds, 0 ounces Friday to widen his lead in the $275,225 Stren Series Texas Division tournament presented by Evinrude on Sam Rayburn Reservoir. With a three-day catch of 15 bass weighing 52-1, he holds a 3-pound, 1-ounce lead over his closest competitor heading into the final day of competition.
“The weather slowed the bite down a bit today,” said Johnston, whose 14-pound sack was his lightest of the first three days of competition. “I was able to catch 10 keepers today, but I never got that big bite.”
Johnston began the day fishing the bait that had produced most of his bites the first two days – a Sebile Flat Shad, a lipless crankbait from France – but changed presentations when he realized conditions were changing. Johnston fished a Texas rig and a Carolina rig in 6 to 9 feet the rest of the day.
“I haven’t led an event going into the final day, so I’m just going to go out and catch all the fish I can,” Johnston said. “I think the weather will help me and keep the fish where they are.”
Rounding out the top five pros are Randy Millender of Teague, Texas (15 bass, 49-1); Charles Haralson of Laredo, Texas (15 bass, 46-9); David Truax of Beaumont, Texas (15 bass, 45-11); and Stan Burgay of Timpson, Texas (15 bass, 43-13).
Also clearing the top 10 cut weight of 41 pounds, 15 ounces in the Pro Division are Jim Guzman of Coldspring, Texas; Tommy Durham of Waxahachie, Texas; Dicky Newberry of Houston, Texas; John Bond of Owasso, Okla.; and Shane Gibson of Kilgore, Texas.
Jeff Jackowski of Tomball, Texas, earned the Snickers Big Bass award in the Pro Division thanks to a 7-pound, 2-ounce bass.
Pros are competing for as much as $65,000, including a 519VX Ranger powered by Evinrude or Yamaha if contingency guidelines are met, and valuable points toward qualifying for the $1 million Stren Series Championship in Mobile, Ala., Nov. 8-11 for a shot at $140,000. After four qualifying events are complete in each of the circuit’s five divisions, the top 40 pros from each division will advance to the championship. The highest-finishing pro from each division at the championship will also earn a spot in the $2 million 2008 Forrest Wood Cup, where they will compete against top pros from the Wal-Mart FLW Tour, Wal-Mart FLW Series, Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League, Ranger Owners Tournament Championship Series and TBF (The Bass Federation) for bass fishing’s biggest prize – $1 million.
Kerry Barnett of Waldron, Ark., leads the Co-angler Division in the chase for a top award of $35,000, including a 519VX Ranger if contingency guidelines are met, thanks to a three-day total of 13 bass weighing 38-15.
“It was pretty tough today,” Barnett said. “I didn’t get a bite until 10, and that really took a lot of pressure off of me. The good Lord has helped me all week and given me faith in what I’m doing out here.”
Barnett said he knows he may have to be versatile on the final day depending on the pattern his pro is fishing.
“I can fish several different baits fairly well, so I’m just going to go out tomorrow and fish where my partner wants to and do my best,” Barnett said.
Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Bill Rogers of Jasper, Texas (14 bass, 36-14); Joey Teer of Texarkana, Ark. (nine bass, 32-10); Kenny Moser of Alba, Texas (12 bass, 32-9); and Alan Moore of Lufkin, Texas (12 bass, 30-10).
Also clearing the top 10 cut weight of 28 pounds, 13 ounces in the Co-angler Division are Ray Peace of Arlington, Texas; Danny Cherry of Kountze, Texas; Michael Savage of Clever, Mo.; Bill Guillory of Jasper, Texas; and Gilbert Herald of Pittsburg, Texas.
Wendell Williams of Alba, Texas, earned the Snickers Big Bass award in the Co-angler Division thanks to a 9-pound, 15-ounce bass.
The top 40 co-anglers from each Stren Series division will also advance to the championship, where they will fish for as much as $70,000. The highest-finishing co-angler from each division at the championship will then advance to the 2008 Forrest Wood Cup.
Anglers will take off at 7 Saturday morning from Umphrey Family Pavilion located at 5438 RR 225 West in Sam Rayburn, Texas. Saturday’s final weigh-in will be held at the Wal-Mart store located at 800 W. Gibson St. in Jasper, Texas, beginning at 4 p.m. The takeoff and weigh-in are free and open to the public.
Stren Series tournaments are four-day events consisting of two rounds. The entire field competes Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. At the conclusion of Friday’s weigh-in, the field is cut to the top 10 pros and co-anglers based on the heaviest three-day accumulated weights. These anglers continue competition Saturday, with the winners determined by the heaviest accumulated weight from all four days.