KILLEEN, Texas – Pro Robert Collett of Zapata, Texas caught five bass weighing 14 pounds, 10 ounces Saturday to lead day one of the two-day, $210,000 Texas Tournament Trail Championship on Lake Stillhouse.
On Sunday, the winning pro will take home as much as $75,000 in cash and prizes, including a Ranger 519VX powered by a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Yamaha outboard and equipped with a Minn Kota trolling motor, Lowrance electronics and EverStart batteries plus $10,000 cash as well as an additional $20,000 bonus if Ranger Boat contingency guidelines are met.
As a cold front pulled through the area last night, the temperature dropped, the wind picked up and the fishing got tough. The weather made the bite a lot tougher and the anglers had to work hard to bring in a tournament winning limit of bass.
Collett caught his bass on a combination of crankbaits, spinnerbaits and soft plastics in grass beds on main-lake ledges in 15 to 25 feet of water.
Rounding out the top five pros are Chad Griffin of Cresson (five bass, 12 pounds, 15 ounces); Bobby Maynard Jr. of Eastland (five bass, 12 pounds, 14 ounces); Rob Burns of Plano (five bass, 12 pounds, 13 ounces); and Keith Combs of Temple (five bass, 12 pounds, 11 ounces).
Darrell Campbell of Trophy Club leads the Co-angler Division with five bass weighing 11 pounds, 15 ounces.
Co-anglers are competing for a top award of $50,000 which includes a fully rigged Ranger 519VX and $5,000 cash plus a $5,000 bonus if Ranger contingency guidelines are met.
Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Coby Burns of Gatesville (five bass, 8 pounds, 8 ounces); Anthony Ferdinando of Spicewood (four bass, 8 pounds, 7 ounces); Edwin Loitz of Trinity (four bass, 8 pounds, 5 ounces); and Randy Brewer of Southlake (four bass, 7 pounds, 10 ounces).
In addition to the final round of the TTT Championship, the Killeen Convention and Visitors Bureau and FLW Outdoors will host a fishing trip Sunday for soldiers from nearby Fort Hood. The soldiers will be escorted on Lake Belton by volunteer anglers led by TTT pro Bob Kujan Jr. of Belton, Texas, and Rick Smith from Marine Outlet in Temple, Texas. The soldiers will weigh-in their catch at the Wal-Mart store located at 2020 Heights Drive in Harker Heights, Texas, beginning at 1:30 p.m. prior to the final day championship weigh-in.
Named after the legendary founder of Ranger Boats, Forrest L. Wood, FLW Outdoors administers the Wal-Mart FLW Tour, Wal-Mart FLW Series, Stren Series, Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League, Wal-Mart Texas Tournament Trail presented by Abu Garcia, Stratos Owners’ Tournament Trail, Wal-Mart FLW Walleye Tour, Wal-Mart FLW Walleye League, Wal-Mart FLW Kingfish Tour, Wal-Mart FLW Kingfish Series, Wal-Mart FLW Redfish Series and Wal-Mart FLW Striper Series. These circuits offer combined purses exceeding $37.9 million through 249 events in 2006.