Karnack, TX – Matt Rasor of Benton, LA claimed the title at the LA Division Professional League 2-Day Championship held at Caddo Lake near Oil City this past weekend. The anglers launched from Earl G. Williamson Park on both days, braving blistering heat on Saturday and Sunday. Rasor secured the top prize of $2,900 with a 5-fish limit each day, weighing 23.12 lbs and 19.49 lbs, respectively. His 2-day total of 42.61 lbs outperformed the runner-up by 3.83 lbs.
Caddo Lake, spanning 25,400 acres along the Texas-Louisiana border, is an internationally protected wetland and one of the largest flooded Cypress forests in the United States. As a slot lake, Caddo Lake has a slot limit of 14-18 inches, with anglers allowed to possess only four fish over the slot limit.
“What a weekend,” Rasor said. “I caught a lot of fish on a frog the first day early in the morning, but most of them were slot fish. I only had one keeper on a frog that was over 6 lbs. I moved out to some deeper trees around 9:30 and started flipping a big worm. I caught a 7-pounder off a duck blind and moved to some trees I had a lot of history with. I had my limit on day one by 12:45 and just focused on keeping my fish alive due to the heat. Nothing else was biting, so I stayed in the shade for about an hour until I had to come to the ramp. On day two, I skipped the topwater bite and started flipping trees, catching a good fish on my third cast. I stayed with the big worm throughout the day and only caught seven fish, but one of them was over 7 lbs. I finished off my limit around 1:30.”
The lake, previously swollen by heavy rain, saw water levels above pool by over 4 feet. However, the lake level steadily dropped over the weekend, complicating efforts to stay on the fish.
Second place went to Ben McCormick of Shreveport, LA, who caught his 5-fish limits of 4 overs and one under on both days. His weights were 19.63 lbs and 19.15 lbs, totaling 38.78 lbs over two days. McCormick earned a $1,300 check and secured the LA Division Angler of the Year title with 1,206 points for the season.
“The pattern I ran was typical summertime stuff, staying with current and schooling locations,” McCormick said. “I caught most of my fish on a drop shot and a six-inch swimbait. I had many keepers throughout both days and managed to catch eight overs each day and cull them up. I had limits by 8:30 in the morning on both days, so I was able to concentrate on catching better quality fish.”
Steven Lutterman of Shreveport secured third place despite boat trouble that delayed his start on day one. Lutterman had limits of 16.41 lbs and 17.09 lbs, totaling 33.50 lbs over two days, earning him a $1,000 check.
“Yesterday, I had my limit by 12:30 then caught six overs and one under slot today, so I was able to cull a couple of times,” Lutterman said. “It’s tough on this lake fishing by yourself because of the limits. Both days combined, I caught between eight and ten slot fish. It was a grind, especially on the first day with the boat issues, but I’m happy with how it turned out.”
Don Kennedy of Shreveport, LA finished fourth, with 5-fish limits weighing 16.22 lbs on both days.
Finishing in fifth place was Zach Willis of Dubberly, LA with a 5 fish limit weighing 19.71 lbs, but slipping a little on day 2 with a limit for 12.11. His total was 31.82 lbs.
Zach Willis of Dubberly, LA secured fifth place with a 5-fish limit weighing 19.71 lbs on day one, but his day two limit weighed 12.11 lbs, bringing his total to 31.82 lbs.
Earlier in the season, some fish were tagged for the Bass Cash Bash event held in February. At this event, several tagged fish were caught and weighed, including one caught by Kasey Kidd that weighed 7.51 lbs, earning him $320. Had Kidd been a member of the Bash, the fish would have paid an additional $1,500.
This event concluded the year for the Louisiana division. The top 200 anglers by points will receive an invitation to fish the 2025 Ray Scott Championship.
About American Bass Anglers
American Bass Anglers, committed to providing low-cost, close-to-home tournaments, offers an exciting platform for individual angler progression. With the support of industry-leading companies, ABA continues to advance the sport of bass fishing.
For more information about the ABA Professional League and other series, visit www.americanbassanglers.com or call (256) 232-0406.
American Bass Anglers is proud to be sponsored by Caymas Boats, Mercury Marine, T-H Marine, Power Pole, RT Outdoors, Optima Batteries, Hotel Planner.com, and LurePartsOnline.com.
Top 10
About American Bass Anglers: American Bass Anglers is dedicated to organizing affordable, local tournaments for weekend anglers while offering opportunities for individual angler advancement. To learn more about American Bass Anglers, including the Team Series, American Fishing Tour, American Couples Series, annual Military Team Bass Tournament, ABA Team Series, Top 150 Solo Tour, and Pro League, all presented by Caymas Boats, please visit www.americanbassanglers.com or call (256) 232-0406.
