The day after a 200 boats fishing the Bassmaster Southern Open assaulted Lake Toho, a midst a week of below average air temperatures, and amongst the final throngs of duck hunters looking to capitalize on the last day of duck season, the Space Coast Bass Finatics blasted off from Whaley's Landing in search of fame, fortune, and giant 5 fish limits of bass. Fame and fortune may be a slight exaggeration, but we were definitely looking for big limits of bass!

Blame the lower 50s water temperatures, blame the duck hunters, blame the Bassmaster Southern Open anglers, blame the cormorants, blame the FWC for turning all the beautiful hydrilla into insidious muck, blame the moon for not being full, blame your lucky hat for failing you, blame Canada for not keeping their cold air north of the border, blame that damn Palomar knot for not holding up when you were counting on it most, blame whatever you must, but the truth is that the conditions on the Kissimmee Chain for this event were tough. Everyone knew that before we launched, but we all showed up anyway and gave it our best, even one of us who knew that his big boat motor was out of commission. We got up at 3am on one of our precious days off work, hauled our equipment down to the lake in the dark, fished hard, and had fun anyway because that's what we do. He who does not have a special place in his heart for these magnificent ornery green fish is not living a full life.

What? Oh right, the tournament. After winning the last event, Mike Hampton of Malabar and Tim Kopf of Melbourne sacked 1 fish for 1.88 pounds to win the small creel award for this tournament. It was a really nice LED trailer light kit generously donated by Ferguson's Auto and Marine Supply on 192 in Melbourne. If you need a new trailer, need to have your trailer fixed or refurbished, need new bearings, need something electrical, they can fix it or supply you with the parts you need. There's a reason they've been around since 1954. Consider taking your business there next time you need something they offer!

Larry Cruce of Titusville and Tim Iler of Port St. John sacked the biggest 5 fish limit of the tournament at 11.55 pounds to win the event. Their bag was anchored by a 4.44 pound kicker by Cruce that was the tournament's biggest fish. Tony Ciavarella of Melbourne and Mike Hubbard of Merritt Island took second with 5 fish for 9.47 pounds. Mike Calloway of Titusville and Cliff Semonski of Oak Hill earned 3rd place without the use of their big motor which broke prior to the event and couldn't be fixed in time. They were not deterred by this misfortune, they arrived with enthusiasm and determination in spite of it and sacked 4 fish for 9.31 pounds anyway.

All fish were returned to the lake alive and well to grow up to be the 10 pounders we all want to catch.

Air Temperature: Upper 50s to lower 70s.
Water Temperature: 50-54
Wind: mostly calm but there was a slight N wind shifting to W 5-10 at the end of the day
Conditions: mostly cloudy with a passing quick rain shower at the weigh in

The winners reported catching their fish using the following tricks:

Submitted by Tony Ciavarella on