Outdoors Briefs
Skeeter owners win, eat big at annual Fork event
By MATT WILLIAMS
The Daily Sentinel
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Kilgore-based Skeeter boats handed out more than $100,000 in cash and prizes to participants in the 16th Annual Skeeter Owner's bass tournament held June 20 at Lake Fork.
Troy Rossman of Rowlett topped the field of 1,546 competitors with a 9.28 pounder to take the top prize, a fully rigged Skeeter ZX200 bass boat powered by a 200 horsepower Yamaha outboard. Rossman caught the big bass on a Lucky Craft D20 crankbait he was casting to a main lake timber line in about 25 feet of water.
 Courtesy Photo Troy Rossman of Rowlett won the 16th annual Skeeter Owner Tournament on Lake Fork with a 9.28 pounder that jumped on a crankbait. Rossman took home a fully rigged Skeeter bass boat. |
Skeeter passed out cash prizes to the top 11 finishers of each hour. Prizes also were awarded to Cody Clark of Wills Point, who won the junior division, and Janie Shinn of Ben Wheeler, winner of the ladies division. Chris Coco of Paris won the drawing for a Yamaha Grizzly 350 ATV.
Additionally, Skeeter paired Saturday's hourly winners with Skeeter pro staffers and Lake Fork guides in a two-hour competition called the "Guide to Green Shootout." Lake Fork guide Brooks Rogers secured the win with a 2.60 pounder, which earned his partner, Brett New of Rhome, an all-expense paid trip for two to the 2010 Bassmaster Classic in Alabama.
In appreciation of its customers, Skeeter cooked up a Texas-size meal, including 1,960 pounds of brisket, 500 pounds of link sausage, 600 pounds of potato salad, 80 gallons of baked beans, 40 gallons of barbeque sauce, 6,000 bottles of water, 400 cases of soft drinks and one ton of ice.
Freeman takes BFL win on Toledo Bend
Glen Freeman of Converse, La., caught five bass won the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League Louisiana/Texas division event held recently on Toledo Bend Reservoir. His winning catch of five bass weighed 21 pounds, 15 ounces.
Other top five finishers included Stephen Johnston Hemphill, 20-3; Andrew Upshaw, Hemphill, 19-0; Gene Stovall of Bronson, 13-5; and Tim Reneau of Del Rio, 13-1.
Dawson Marine Big Bass event on 'Rayburn
The Dawson Marine Big Bass Open hosted by Bass Champs is set for July 25 on Sam Rayburn Reservoir. Entry fee is $120 per angler.
The tournament will pay back hourly cash for the 10 heaviest bass of the event, $500 down to $120. The overall winner will take home a new Skeeter SX190 bass boat powered by a Yamaha 150 outboard. See www.basschamps.com or call 817-439-3274 for more details.
TPWD releases dove, teal season dates, bag limits
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department recently released season dates and bag limits for the 2009-10 dove season, as well as dates for a 16-day early teal season, following approval by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Regulation Committee.
Dove season in the North and Central zones will run concurrently. The season will open on Sept. 1 (a Tuesday) and run through Oct. 25. The season will reopen on Dec. 26 (a Saturday) and continue through Jan. 9. Daily bag limit is 15 birds.
The South Zone season runs Sept. 18-Nov. 3 and Dec. 26-Jan. 17. Daily bag limit is 15 birds, no more than two white-tipped doves.
Season dates in the Special South Texas White-winged Dove Area are Sept. 5-6 and Sept. 12-13 (noon to sunset only). The regular season in this area will run Sept. 18-Nov. 3 and Dec. 26-Jan. 13. Daily bag limit is 15 birds, not to include more than four mourning doves (during the early weekend splits) and two white-tipped doves.
The 16-day early teal season is set for Sept. 12-27.
