KILLEEN, Texas – Pro Rob Burns of Plano, Texas, caught a two-day total of 10 bass weighing 35 pounds, 12 ounces to win $75,000 in cash and prizes Sunday, 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 for being a registered Ranger boat owner.
Conditions on day two were still not favorable for the top-50 boaters and co-anglers. The wind died down some but it didn’t make the fishing any easier. The fish were still not cooperating and the bite was slow throughout the day. Most anglers were hoping for cloud cover but didn’t get it until late in the day Leaving them with bluebird skies and hard to find fish. With these ever so changing conditions it showcased just how skilled these anglers really are.
Burns caught his bass both days by cranking a Normans DD22 through grass beds on main lake ledges in 15 to 25 feet of water.
Rounding out the top five pros were Robert Collett of Zapata (10 bass, 30 pounds, 7 ounces, $6,000, $5,000 bonus); Chad Griffin of Cresson (10 bass, 27 pounds, 5 ounces, $4,500, $4,000 bonus); Keith Combs of Temple (10 bass, 25 pounds, 14 ounces, $3,500, $3,000 bonus); and Michael Herron of Paris (eight bass, 22 pounds, 12 ounces, $2,500, $2,250 bonus).
Bonuses were awarded to registered Ranger boat owners.
Darrell Campbell of Trophy Club won the Co-angler Division title with 10 bass weighing 21 pounds, 8 ounces. He earned $50,000, which included a fully rigged Ranger 519VX and $5,000 cash plus a $5,000 bonus from Ranger Boats. He was throwing a drop-shot rig tipped with a watermelon finesse worm on main lake ledges to catch his bass.
Rounding out the top five co-anglers were Edwin Loitz of Trinity (seven bass, 16 pounds, 4 ounces, $2,000, $2,500 bonus); Matt Rigby of San Antonio (seven bass, 14 pounds, 9 ounces, $1,500, $1,500 bonus); Jason Barton of Gatesville (eight bass, 13 pounds, 4 ounces, $1,250, $1,100 bonus); and Randy Brewer of Southlake (six bass, 12 pounds, 8 ounces, $1,000, $900 bonus).
In addition to the final round of the TTT Championship, the Killeen Convention and Visitors Bureau and FLW Outdoors also hosted a fishing trip Sunday for soldiers from nearby Fort Hood. The soldiers were 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 weighed in their catch at the Wal-Mart store located at 2020 Heights Drive in Harker Heights, Texas, prior to the final championship weigh-in. Every participant from Fort Hood received a gift package.
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.