Lake Sam Rayburn, TX McDonald's® Big Bass Splash®
WHEN WE ASKED "WHO'S NEXT?" ...........THEY ANSWERED!!

 

Cassidy Cole of Kilgore, Texas, leads after the second day of the McDonald;'s Big Bass Splash with this 11.08-pound lunker. He stands with tournament director Bob Sealy.Cole's 11.08 lunker takes Big Bass Splash
By John McQueen
Special to ESPNOutdoors.com — April 22, 2007

Second-day fish holds up to win package valued at over $130,000

SAM RAYBURN, Texas — Despite prime conditions Sunday morning — a bit of fog followed by cloud cover and wind — Kilgore's Cassidy Cole hung on to first place at the 23rd McDonald's Big Bass Splash.

Three days of intense pressure put the big fish off of their feed, insuring Cole's 11.08-pound lunker would take home a garage full of goodies. The event also proved that the back seat many times pays dividends.

In winning a package including a Hummer, a Triton bass boat with Mercury outboard and a Bad Boy Buggy valued at over $130,000, Cole, joined by his wife and young daughter on stage, now has the opportunity to call the shots on the famed east Texas fishery.

"I was fishing a black/red Brush Hog with the smallest weight I could find," said Cole, a waiter at the Chili's restaurant in Kilgore and admitted back-of-the-boat fisherman. "My uncle and I thought we had about an eight or maybe a nine pounder. Some of the guys in line told me it was bigger than that, but I had no idea it was over 11 until we got it on the scales."

Stressing the "amateurs-only" theme of the tournament, fishermen were only eligible had they not entered four or  more tournaments with an entry fee of over $600 each in the past 12 months.

Tournament promoter Sealy Outdoors will donate $5 from every entry fee to the Ronald McDonald House charities. An estimated 4,000 entries were taken for the event, which headquartered at the Umphrey Family Pavillion on the southern end of the nearly 70,000-acre impoundment.

Coming in second place was Steven Lyons of Alto, Texas at 9.26 pounds. The owner of Alto Butane was even able to escape serious ribbing from his cousin and partner, who tied on the Caroline rigged soft plastic bait used to catch the fish — also from the back of the boat.

"This is my biggest fish by about a pound," said an anxious Lyons, who said he didn't even want to think about winning the Dodge truck and Triton bass boat package valued at over $50,000 yet. "It's my wife's birthday today. She told me 'You better win me something good today'."

In third place with a stout 9.11-pounder was Mike Loggins of Conroe, Texas. Loggins received a Cherokee Travel Trailer. Fourth place went to first-day leader Robert Von Heeder of Cypress, Texas, followed by Mark Fletcher of Vidor, Texas, who, fishing by himself, said he had to overcome leaving his net in his boat's storage.

"It caught me a little off guard," said Fletcher with a smile.

Day 3 - Sun - Apr 22, 2007

FINAL RESULTS
PLACE NAME CITY/STATE WEIGHT  
1st Cole Cassidy Kilgore, TX 11.08 $130,000
2nd Steve Lyons Alto, TX 9.26 $50,000
3rd Mike Loggins  Conroe, TX 9.11 $13,000
4th Robert Von Heeder Cypress, TX 8.98 $10,900
5th Kelvin Russell  Quitman, TX 8.82 $9,000
       
HOUR NAME CITY/ST WEIGHT PAYBACK
7-8 Keith Neal Beaumont, TX 8.71 $1,000
7-8 John Callaway Fred, TX 6.27 $900
7-8 Daniel Jackson Pollock, LA 6.15 $800
7-8 Roger Foote Bronson, TX 5.74 $700
7-8 Steve Lang Huntsville, TX 5.69 $600
7-8 Tommy Howard Brookeland, TX 5.41 $500
7-8 Jason Womack Springtown, TX 5.11 $450
7-8 James Vaughn Conroe, TX 5.08 $400
7-8 Terry DeWitt Orange, TX 5.00 $350
7-8 James Helmer Pineland, TX 4.55 $300
7-8 Johnny McKee Woodville, TX 4.38 $250
7-8 Heath Bial Burelson, TX 4.36 $200
7-8 Robert McDaniel Killeen, TX 4.13 $125
7-8 Bennie Carter Idabel, OK 3.98 $100
8-9 Robert Nunley Willis, TX 7.32 $1,000
8-9 Robbie Harris Weatherford, TX 6.90 $900
8-9 Raymond Due Lufkin, TX 6.84 $800
8-9 Kenneth Placker Jasper, TX 6.76 $700
8-9 Danny King Arden, NC 6.24 $600
8-9 Justin Malota Fayetteville, TX 5.66 $500
8-9 Clint Wright Winnsboro, TX 5.64 $450
8-9 Corey Harmon Cleveland, TX 5.60 $400
8-9 Charles Horton Paige, TX 5.58 $350
8-9 Walter Young Kountze, TX 5.51 $300
8-9 T.J. Goodpasture Whitehouse, TX 5.31 $250
8-9 Jeff Aaron Centerville, MS 5.11 $200
9-10 Scott Willard Cypress, TX 6.58 $1,000
9-10 Clint Lininger Valliant, OK 6.36 $900
9-10 James Dore Nederland, TX 6.27 $800
9-10 Ron Stark Bonham, TX 5.93 $700
9-10 Jerry Funderburk Leesville, LA 5.67 $600
9-10 Richard Strong Humble, TX 5.40 $500
9-10 Selvin Cartwright Shelbyville, TX 5.37 $450
9-10 Ronnie Fuller Hemphill, TX 5.36 $400
9-10 David Lewis Midlothian, TX 5.17 $350
9-10 Guy Fox Orange, TX 4.97 $300
9-10 Bo Stanford Corrigan, TX 4.67 $250
9-10 Andy Harvey Orange, TX 4.49 $200
9-10 Taylor Wilkins Flint, TX 4.46 $125
9-10 James Shaw Jasper, TX 4.34 $100
10-11 Rickey Dalme Friendswood, TX 8.10 $1,000
10-11 Connan Cline Anacoco, LA 7.85 $900
10-11 Clint Lininger Valliant, OK 6.26 $800
10-11 Ross Toler Chester, TX 5.69 $700
10-11 Tim Chauvin Bridge City, TX 5.65 $600
10-11 Alan Burkhalter Missouri City, TX 5.17 $500
10-11 Ronny Fuller Hemphill, TX 4.86 $450
10-11 Bill Sanders Corrigan, TX 4.83 $400
10-11 Brad Samford Silsbee, TX 4.81 $350
10-11 John Smith Pineland, TX 4.72 $300
10-11 Paul Johnson Pineville, LA 4.64 $250
10-11 Tommy Tompkins Streetman, TX 4.55 $200
11-12 Steven Lyons Alton, TX 9.26 $1,000
11-12 Bob Washenfelder Nederland, TX 6.75 $900
11-12 Dustin Brewer Livingston, TX 5.79 $800
11-12 Tyler Goetzman Willis, TX 5.71 $700
11-12 Marlon Boxley Cypress, TX 5.56 $600
11-12 Don Dryden Lumberton, TX 5.41 $500
11-12 Jimmy Shepherd DeRidder, LA 5.31 $450
11-12 Jeremy Kimball Port Neches, TX 5.27 $400
11-12 Thomas Wolford Livingston, TX 5.26 $350