This was a great start to the 2016-17 year for Space Coast Bass Finatics. Twenty teams arrived at the ramp ready to go, in spite of the hoards of mosquitoes and pesky bugs. Most of the old teams have returned along with several new teams as well as a few alternates, which only improved the clubs competitiveness. We welcome our new friends, some from as far away as Ormond Beach like Lloyd and Jennifer Hamilton or Kirk Williams from Palm Coast, but most were from Brevard County.
It was a busy morning as Jack Berry scrambled to get all the names spelled correctly and collected the appropriate tournament fees and membership dues for the 2016-2017 year. Mike Hampton passed out the tournament exemption permits from FWC, and tried to keep up with the new membership information. Mike Calloway greeted the teams at the ramp, checked in the boats and live wells as well as answered questions about the lake, club and rules. Mr. President, Dwayne Haga, held a short meeting at the ramp to explain the rules of the club, weigh-in schedule and answer all questions before sending the teams out in an orderly and efficient manner at daybreak.
Bill Groseclose and Fred Reid brought in the winning limit of Florida Black Bass weighing 17.69 pounds. Their big bass weighed 5.90 pounds and capped off a very nice bag of better than three pound average fish to win their first tournament since joining the club over a year ago. Using a home poured sinko from Stump Knocker Baits and a variety of soft plastics baits they reported catching fish early and often throughout the day.
On the strength of an afternoon big bass weighing 7.99 pounds, Mike Calloway and his alternate partner, William Flood, came in a very close second place finish with 17.62 pounds. There limit came mostly on flippin baits around the weed lines. Mike's big bass was only on hundredth of a pound from being good enough to enter into the FWC Trophy Bass Program, which everyone in the club should be entered into, and would have been worth another one hundred dollars. He reported that the fish hit a Kinky Beaver with a custom made skirt from "Last Cast" in the thick hydrilla and hyacinths of the pit.
Buddy Perry and his partner, Preston Humphreys, took third place with a good limit weighing 14.39 pounds. Their limit included a nice 6.26 pound big bass which Buddy caught. They reported that a Rapala top water bait was their best lure for the day.
The Small Creel Award was donated to the club by Jeff Merritt and Brian Chapman of Rosner Chevrolet consisting of a nice pair of Chevy Truck hats, some Bitters Bait and Tackle sinkos and a nice coolie cup. The winners were Mike Hampton and Tim Kopf who's 2.90 pounds narrowly beat out Tim Iler and Larry Cruce to take home the prize. The club wishes to thank both of these sponsors for their donations.
Notable bass were weighed in by many of the members like Roy and Tobey Metts whose 7.76 pound big mama was the second largest of the day, Jimmy Blount landed a nice 6.60 pounder with help from Jack, Bryan Wical and Mike Neal teamed up on a 5.16 pounder and Buddy and Matt Byrd landed a very nice 5.06 pound big bass of their own. This was not our best day at Miami-Garcia but with 104 fish weighed in for 230 pounds was still a good day for the twenty-three teams who participated.
