Curtis clobbers pro field en route to TTT Championship title
Slopak wins nail biter over Poston in Co-angler Division
LONGVIEW, Texas – Heading into the final day of the 2004 Texas Tournament Trail Championship, pro Paul Montelongo of San Angelo, Texas, appeared to be cruising along to his first ever win on the TTT circuit. With a 17-pound, 13-ounce stringer and more than a 2-pound lead after day one, Montelongo had the rest of the competition on its heels. But what a difference a day makes.
After only managing an 8-pound, 3-ounce stringer during the final day of competition, Montelongo could only watch as three other anglers leapfrogged ahead of him with relative ease. And when all was said and done, nobody could match the sensational effort turned in by pro David Curtis of Trinity, Texas. Although Curtis was second coming into the final day of competition, he left little doubt about who was the best of the best this week on Lake of the Pines, registering a staggering 21-pound, 15-ounce limit – the largest one-day sack of the entire tournament – on the most crucial day of competition.
Curtis’ win cemented an incredible run this year on the TTT and solidified his place among the elite breed of Texas anglers.
“It feels great, but I’m kind of numb right now,” said Curtis, who appeared to express more relief than joy after capturing his second title of the year on the TTT. “I was fortunate enough to have won the Sam Rayburn tournament earlier in the year. And when you win two tournaments in one season, including a championship of this caliber, it’s a tremendous accomplishment.”
Curtis – who targeted bass in 8 to 17 feet of water with a Norman DD-22 crankbait – said that, for the first time in recent memory, he had a gut feeling that he would definitely prevail.
“Normally, I’m really pessimistic,” he said. “But coming back to weigh-in, knowing the limit I had, I really felt confident. Honestly, I would have been extremely disappointed had I not won this tournament. I know deep down that I couldn’t have done any better than I did today.”
Not surprisingly, Curtis said that he couldn’t have imagined a better way to end the year on the TTT.
“This was a real shot in the arm,” he said. “It’s a huge relief because I really needed the money. I couldn’t be any happier right now. This is the No. 1 finish of my career.”
For his efforts, Curtis walked away with $70,000 in cash and prizes, including a brand new, fully rigged 519VS Ranger Comanche boat.
Gaia snares second place
Andy Gaia of Tomball, Texas, used an impressive two-day catch of 30 pounds to net second place overall as well as a check for $11,000, counting prize money and contingency bonuses. But while Gaia said he was mildly disappointed with his inability to come out on top, he said he had very few regrets.
“That’s just the way it goes. I lost a fish today and I really beat myself up over it. But in the end, it wouldn’t have been enough to beat (Curtis) anyway,” said Gaia. “But overall, it was a great tournament. In two days of fishing I probably caught about 100 fish. So I really can’t complain.”
Gaia, who used a Rat-L-Trap and Pop-R to land the majority of his fish, said targeting the grass was key all week.
“I targeted clumps of grass in about 4 feet of water,” he said. “You really had to look for the fish between the clumps. Unfortunately, today I had a harder time seeing the fish with the overcast skies.”
Morgan elated with third place
Trey Morgan of Goldonna, La., was in the prestigious position of holding the tournament lead throughout most of the final weigh-in. But in the end, Morgan’s total two-day catch of 29 pounds, 10 ounces fell just a little short.
“I’m not disappointed in the least,” said Morgan. “I’d never seen this lake before I came here, so I’m pretty happy overall. I had a good practice, caught a lot of keeper fish and really enjoyed myself. And that’s what it’s all about.”
Morgan, who spent the majority of the tournament flipping a Zoom Vibe Craw near grass beds in channel swings, said that he hopes to use the TTT Championship as a springboard for the rest of the season.
“I still have two more chances this year to come out on top,” said Morgan, who took home $8,500 in winnings. “I have a BFL Regional tournament and the EverStart Championship next month. Hopefully I’ll be able to win one of those.”
Best of the rest
Day-one leader Paul Montelongo of San Angleo, Texas, finished in fourth place with a total catch of 26 pounds. Montelongo ultimately took home $6,500 for his efforts.
The comeback kid
While many anglers overcame poor performances after the first day of competition, Charles Simmons of Waco, Texas, clearly had the most impressive comeback of them all. After zeroing on the first day of competition, Simmons rebounded mightily, recording an impressive 21-pound, 4-ounce stringer to capture fifth place overall. Simmons, who won $4,750 in winnings, also took home the Snickers Big Bass Award with a largemouth weighing 6 pounds, 15 ounces.
Slopak ekes out narrow win in Co-angler Division
With the weigh-in finally winding down after holding a precarious lead throughout the majority of the finals, Chris Slopak of Hot Springs, Ark., finally had just one competitor standing between himself and the championship title. Unfortunately for Slopak, it turned out to be none other than day-one leader Don Poston of Odessa, Texas.
With a two-day catch of 20 pounds, 15 ounces already in the books, Slopak nervously eyed Poston as he walked onto the stage. Poston, who had recorded 12 pounds, 7 ounces on the opening day of competition, needed only to reach 21 total pounds to dethrone Slopak.
Much to the chagrin of Slopak, when his chief rival was informed of the total he needed to beat, Poston broke into a big smile, tacitly acknowledging that he thought he had enough fish to win the title. But when the fish plopped onto the scales, TTT tournament director Robert Vannerson had some interesting news for both co-anglers. With the crowd waiting in breathless anticipation, Vannerson announced that Poston had come up a mere 4 ounces short. Amazing enough, Slopak had held off the challenge.
“I really thought I had enough today,” Poston would later admit. “My pro partner and I both thought I had 9 1/2 pounds, but it turns out I only had 8 pounds, 4 ounces. We were a whole pound off. Today, I had two fish wrapped around a log, and I still got them in the boat. I really thought it was a sign I was going to win this tournament.”
Despite the heartbreaking loss, Poston said there were many positives to come out of the tournament, not to mention a nice check totaling $4,500.
“It’s the best finish I’ve ever had on the TTT,” said Poston. “So it’s definitely a step in the right direction.”
As for Slopak, the Arkansas native said he couldn’t have been happier.
“It’s really awesome,” he said. “It really feels good. I’ve won a TTT title before, but never a championship. This is the cream of the crop for me. This right here is the top of my fishing career.”
Slopak said his used a combination of a Norman DD-22 crankbait and an east Texas “Mr. Blitz” spinnerbait to land the majority of his catch.
“I targeted grass in creeks and ditches, slow-rolling my spinnerbait through the stumps and grass,” Slopak said. “Most of my fish came in 3 to 7 feet of water.”
Slopak walked away with $10,000 in prize money and a brand new Ranger 195 VS boat for a total prize package of $40,000.
“This is great,” he said. “It really is.”
As for Poston – who landed the majority of his catch fishing submerged bridges on a Carolina-rigged Baby Brush Hog – he said he couldn’t wait for the 2005 TTT season to start.
“Oh, I’ll be back,” he said. “You can count on that.”
Best of the rest
Dan Schoonveld of Hemphill, Texas, used a total catch of 14 pounds, 8 ounces to grab third place and a check for $3,000.
Jacob Brown of Clyde, Texas, took home fourth place and a check for $1,250 after landing a total catch of 14 pounds, 5 ounces.
Meanwhile, Steven Faske of Bastrop, Texas, finished in fifth place after recording a total catch of 12 pounds, 14 ounces. Faske walked away with $1,900 in winnings and contingency bonuses.
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