The best eleven teams of the club arrived at Lake Kissimmee's Overstreet Landing on Sunday the 26th to find out who would take the 2017-2018 best of the best crown along with bragging rights for the next season. Expectations were high and the lake and weather seemed to be cooperating to make this another fantastic ending to the season that had seen so many club records set or exceeded. It was a great looking morning with the nearly full moon over head and not many clouds to block the sunrise. President Bill gave the eager participants the morning briefing to remind everyone of the rules, weigh-in time and procedure along with the starting order. This being completed and all questions being answered the "Classic" take-off proceeded without incident and the teams dispersed across the vast Kissimmee Chain of Lakes in search of that one special spot that could make a difference in their quest for the "Classic" championship. The pressure was immense, to make the right decision, at the right time, with the right lures in the right place to find the right fish and take this years "Classic Championship Win". The team that made the right decision would be rewarded for their hard work back at the launch ramp at 3 pm that afternoon.
First place goes to Brian Wical and Craig Cashion who was at the top of the points race most of the year and consistently in the top three place in the regular season tournaments. Their mega bag of 25.80 pounds was the class of the "Classic " and put an exclamation point on a highly successful year which included 2 regular season wins, 4 big bass honors and 6 times placing in the top three, all of which lead to their Angler of the Year points championship. Brian Wical also captured the Big Bass honors for the entire year with his 10.18 pounder which he landed at Lake Kissimmee on April 29th this year. They reported that flippin jigs accounted for the days success as they have done all year. This all adds up to the prestigious Triple Crown Winner which has only been accomplished once in club history way back in the 2004-2005 season. Their names will now be posted in the club all time records next to Ralph Litton and Steve Bistarkey who was the only other team to accomplish this record feat. Congratulations and Well Done.
Jay Stein and alternate Justin Neal tipped the scales with a limit weighing 20.04 pounds to capture second place. Their bag was anchored by a very nice 7.49 pound Lake Kissimmee bucket mouth that would also be the second largest of the tournament that day. Using a 10" black worm proved to be the trick to making the bass bite and accounted for their big bass and a nice limit. Maybe Karl ( Jay's partner)will get a cut and Mike (Justin's partner) needs to ask what happened this year.
Mike Calloway and V.P. William Flood came in third place by the narrowest of margins by weighing in a 20.02 pound limit which included a nice 5.68 pound big bass anchor but it was just a touch short. Sorry boys but that how it goes sometimes. They reported that flippin Yum Dingers in the Kissimmee grass and pads accounted for their catch. Either way it was still a successful day on the lake and a good end of the season.
Just behind them was Cliff Semonski and Keith Braun who crossed the scales with 19.11 pounds which included a kicker bass weighing 5.68 pounds. They were rewarded for their efforts with a huge gift certificate from our friend, Shawn Mecchella, at Strike Zone of Melbourne who has consistently been our clubs best sponsor all season. A big Thank You goes out to Shawn and all his excellent staff.
The tournament big bass of the day belonged to Jack Berry with help from his partner Jimmy Blount, who weighed in a giant Kissimmee large mouth bass at 8.42 pounds which he said was caught on a speed worm some where near North Cove. This fish was nearly the biggest in the clubs "Classic" history but that record is still held by Mike Hampton at 8.58 pounds, sorry Jack.
This concludes a season that includes some record breaking performances by teams and club members as follows
1. Triple Crown Winners ----------------------------Brian Wical and Craig Cashion
2. Five fish limit at every tournament--------------Bill Groseclose and Fred Reid (third year in a row 36 times total)
3. Club total fish weighed in ------------------------2528.55 pounds
4. Single day club weight----------------------------324.12 pounds on Lake Kissimmee April 29th
5. 2 day club weight ---------------------------------400.1 pounds Lake Okeechobee
6. Total fish weighed single day---------------------109 fish Lake Kissimmee April 29th
7. Classic Record weight team-----------------------25.80 pounds Lake Kissimmee-- Brian Wical and Craig Cashion August 26th
