TYLER, Texas. – Zackary Fogle of Longview, TX, put together a hefty five fish limit this weekend of 21.14 lbs. at Lake Palestine, TX, on Saturday, his largest of the five weighing 6.70 lbs. Temperatures in Texas have stayed cool this spring, but it is evident that summer heat is just around the corner. Temperatures pushed into the 90s on Saturday and the lake is already warm enough to swim in, hovering around 75 degrees. This was the third and final one-day event for the Texas division of the ABA Professional League. All that remains is the two-day divisional championship this fall. With his win, Zach is sitting on top of the points race for AOY in Texas. Fogle explains his day.
“I started shallow yeah fishing stumps and laydowns and caught my last keeper about 11;00. Once I reached the limit, I went deep. I located some brush piles in 20 feet of water and threw a Tx-Rig to them. From out there, I culled four of the five fish I had caught and brought my weight up quite a bit. Both of my big fish were caught around 1230. (Pictured above, 6.70 and 6.45) Fishing is tough right now. Water temperatures are in the mid-70s, and it is already post-spawn, and the only thing that’s biting well is the smaller, more aggressive fish. I’m just glad it turned out the way it did. I didn’t think I had enough to win, especially on this lake.
In second place, Scott Cox of Tom Bean, TX, fished a solid event with a five fish limit weighing 16.34 lbs. The bigger bites were difficult to find with the bright sun, so the weights were lower than expected.
“First off, all glory to God for this day. I was on docks today on a wacky worm and a shaky head. I didn’t concentrate on the docks; I was targeting the walkways with shallow rocks in 4-5 feet of water. I caught my 5th fish at about 11:30. I only had five keepers, so I didn’t cull any, but I know I caught 20 fish. It was just a grind to get the bigger fish.”
Robert Crowe of Denham Springs, LA, finished in third place with a five-fish limit of 14.33 lbs. Numbers were not a problem, as many anglers reported 20-30 fish being caught, but most were under the 14-inch minimum for Texas Lakes.
“I caught all my fish on docks today also. I stayed out deep all morning and never caught a keeper, so I decided to go up shallow and see what I could find. I didn’t have a fish in the boat until 11:30 this morning. I was throwing a wacky worm in three feet of water and started to catch fish.” When I asked how many areas Robert had gone to, his answer surprised me. “One spot. I stayed there the rest of the day. Unfortunately, I lost the two largest fish I hooked. A four and a five-pounder. That would have helped me quite a bit, but I managed to cull quite a bit; it was just not enough.”
Finishing in 4th place was Michael Nantz of Lindale, TX. His 5 fish limit of 12.40 lbs. kept him in the points race for AOY, locking him currently in 2nd place overall. Finishing in 5th place is Glenn Robertson of Shreveport, LA with five fish for 12.29 lbs.
This tournament marked the end of the season for the Texas division and the qualifying anglers are now eligible to compete at Sam Rayburn for the AOY title on September 14th and 15th from Cassels Boykin Park in Angelina County.
At the end of the season, the Angler of the Year in this division and the top 200 anglers by points will receive an invitation to fish the 2025 Ray Scott Championship.
Top 10
For more information on upcoming tournaments, call Chris Wayand, tournament manager, at 256-230-5627 or ABA at 256-232-0406.
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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.
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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.
