Rigby schools the co-angler competition

Fifth-grade teacher wins TTT Championship

JASPER, Texas – Co-angler Matt Rigby is finding competitive bass fishing to be quite a prosperous endeavor. The San Antonio, Texas, native took home his second Wal-Mart Texas Tournament Trail victory in two years, this one at the TTT Championship on Sam Rayburn.

Rigby’s first TTT victory came on Lake Amistad in 2006. On the final day of that event, Rigby caught a five-bass limit weighing 22 pounds, 10 ounces to take top honors. This time around on Big Sam, it wouldn’t require nearly a 20-pound limit to earn victory. Instead, Rigby demonstrated consistency despite working two very different patterns during the two-day tournament.

On day one, Rigby fished lily pads with a topwater frog. His best five keepers weighed 13 pounds, 5 ounces, which put him in a tie for fourth place. On day two, he fished scattered hydrilla with a Brian’s Bee’s crankbait in root beer and chartreuse color. Late Sunday afternoon, he convinced his pro partner to spend a few minutes topwater frog fishing. Despite the small window of opportunity, the fifth-grade teacher at Bob Lewis Elementary coaxed a 3-pounder that made all the difference.

The end result was a five-fish limit that weighed 10 pounds, 14 ounces and a two-day total weight of 24 pounds, 3 ounces. In the end, his margin of victory was only 7 ounces, but it was enough to earn $5,000 cash, another $5,000 Ranger Boats bonus plus a fully rigged Ranger boat valued at $40,000.

“I used a 7-foot, heavy action St. Croix rod that made all the difference with the frog,” said the co-angler winner. “Landing topwater fish is never easy, but I had a lot of confidence with that rod.”

Rigby is a TTT veteran who finished 32nd in the points race to earn a ticket to this weekend’s championship. Incidentally, he also finished third at last year’s TTT Championship on Lake Stillhouse.

“It feels wonderful. It’s just a blessing. We’re having our first baby in January and the money will definitely help.”

Balcerowicz falls just short

Co-angler Raymond Balcerowicz put up a valiant effort, but he ultimately came up just short, finishing with a two-day total of 23 pounds, 12 ounces. However, the $2,000 he earned as the runner-up co-angler makes a nice consolation prize.

A resident of Crosby, Texas, Balcerowicz brought in 12 pounds, 7 ounces on day one to sit in the No. 7 spot. His day-two catch of 11 pounds, 5 ounces brought him within 7 ounces of his first FLW Outdoors win.

“I used a Lucky Craft Rat-L-Trap and a spinnerbait,” he said. “Most of my fish came on the Rat-L-Trap, but my two big fish yesterday came on the spinnerbait.”

Balcerowicz fished with the TTT points winner, Robert Case, on day two and both fishermen targeted scattered grass on the edge of creek channels.

“The fish were mainly in 3-6 feet of water.”

Although Balcerowicz is winless in nine FLW Outdoors events, he won Angler of the Year as a co-angler on the 2007 Bassmaster Open Central Division. He also won a brand new boat for winning the first qualifying event of the year on Lake Texoma.

“It’s been a real good year.”

Making the most of his first TTT Championship appearance, Balcerowicz entered the tournament by finishing the season ranked 50th.

Rest of the best

Finishing third was Jeff Nichols of Gainesville, Texas. Nichols caught the heaviest limit of the day among the co-anglers, a 12-pound stringer that propelled him from 12th to third. He earned $1,500 for a two-day total of 21 pounds, 15 ounces.



In fourth place is day-one leader Ronnie Bickham of New Boston, Texas, with a two-day catch of 21 pounds, 9 ounces. He earned $1,250 plus a $1,100 Ranger bonus.

Taking fifth is Mark Oakley of Davis, Okla., with 21 pounds, 5 ounces over two days. He earned $1,000 for his fifth-place finish plus another $1,000 for the Snickers Big Bass he caught on day one.

Rounding out the top 10 co-anglers at the TTT Championship:

6th: Jimmy Ballard of Powderly, Texas, 20-14, $1,550

7th: Clint Farris of Crowley, Texas, 19-15, $1,300

8th: Rich Dalbey of Greenville, Texas, 18-12, $1,100

9th: Claude Rabb of Vidalia, La., 18-2, $950

10th: Homer McAlester of Denison, Texas, 17-12, $250