TTT Championship begins on Big Sam
One hundred competitors compete for $210,000 purse
JASPER, Texas – Commonly known as Big Sam, the 114,000-acre Sam Rayburn Reservoir is the grandfather of Texas bass fishing. So it’s only fitting that the best anglers from the state of Texas end their season on its generous waters.
The bass fishing on Big Sam is almost always good. Earlier in the year, the water was high in east Texas and many anglers fished flooded cypress trees as opposed to more conventional structure such as brush and hydrilla. But the water is back down and those prime fishing locations are once again high and dry.
So what can be expected in mid-October with blue-bird skies and temperatures in the low-80s? According to pro Harold Moore of College Station, Texas, the fishing is hit and miss.
“Overall, I think the fishing is pretty good right now,” said Moore, who was the last angler to qualify for 
the no-entry-fee championship. “What I’m finding is that they’re in groups. You can’t just go anywhere and catch them.”
Moore went on to say that it took a two-day total of over 40 pounds to win a local tournament here last weekend. He thinks it will take a two-day total of 37 or 38 pounds to win this event. And that prediction isn’t just based on second-hand information; he’s found some good fish himself in practice.
“I found a group yesterday where there were literally thousands of bass. We were catching fish on nearly every cast. The size was mixed, but I could have spent all day there.”
At the BFL Super Tournament held Sept. 29-30, local angler Bradley Stringer took top honors with a two-day catch of 10 bass weighing 29 pounds, 12 ounces.
Moore fished the BFL as well and said conditions have changed.
“It seems like it’s gotten easier to me. I think the fishing is pretty good, especially for numbers.”
Logistics
The top 50 pros and 50 co-anglers from the 2007 TTT season advanced to this weekend’s two-day championship, all of whom are looking to get a piece of the $210,000 pie.
Anglers will take off at 7 each morning from Umphrey Family Pavilion located at 5438 RR 255 W. in Jasper. Weigh-ins will also be held at the marina beginning at 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 13 and Sunday, Oct. 14. The community is invited to attend all activities.
The winning pro will receive a top award of $55,000, which includes a $40,000 Ranger 198VX powered by a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Yamaha outboard and equipped with Minn Kota trolling motor, Lowrance electronics and EverStart batteries plus $15,000 cash. If Ranger contingency guidelines are met, the winner will also receive a $20,000 cash bonus for a top award of $75,000.
The winning co-angler will receive a top award of $45,000, which includes a $40,000 Ranger boat plus $5,000 cash. If Ranger contingency guidelines are met, the winner will also receive a $5,000 cash bonus for a top award of $50,000.
Pros and co-anglers are randomly paired each day, with pros supplying the boat, controlling boat movement and competing against other pros. Co-anglers fish from the back deck against other co-anglers. The full field competes Saturday and Sunday with the winners determined by the heaviest accumulated weight from both days.
Saturday’s conditions
Sunrise: 7:17 a.m.
Temperature at takeoff: 54 degrees
Expected high temperature: 84 degrees
Water temperature: 80-84 degrees
Wind: SE at 6 mph
Maximum humidity: 47 percent
Day’s outlook: sunny