DENTON, Texas — A nearly full moon. High water that is expected to drop quickly. Cooler than average temperatures. Significant rain a day earlier.
Those were just a few of the variables that the 38 anglers competing in the 10th annual Toyota Texas Bass Classic were considering as they readied for launch from Lake Ray Roberts State Park on Friday morning.
But in the end, these pros know one thing is for sure – Ray Roberts is typical Texas bass fishing, which means lunkers are there to be caught. The only question is “What’s the best way to get them to bite?”
The theories on that, of course, are varied. But when fishing on a lake that has produced six ShareLunkers (over 13 pounds,) in the past, including a lake record bass of more than 15 pounds, you can guarantee the pros will do everything they can to find the biggest fish.
Throw in a $100,000 cash prize, a Nitro Z20 boat with dual Power-Poles, and bragging rights going to the winner? You can guarantee there’s a lot on the line in the TTBC, which benefits the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department youth and urban outreach programs.
This is the first time the TTBC is being held on Lake Ray Roberts, after previous tournaments were held on Lake Conroe and Lake Fork. The top 15 pros from the 2015 B.A.S.S. Elite Series Toyota Angler of the Year standings, as well as the top 15 from the FLW Angler of the Year race, are competing, as are eight anglers who earned exemptions. Some are familiar with the lake, but it hasn’t seen extensive professional action since it was impounded in 1987.
“It’s not easy out there right now,” 2015 TTBC Champion Brent Ehrler said. “I’m hoping to catch a few this morning, when I’ve found the bite to be a bit better. That’s the key to me…But there has been no real rhyme or reason to the bites. There are a few (offshore) and a few (on the banks.)
“The biggest thing has been the higher water, which it seems has the fish hanging up closer to the bank,” he said. “By now, they should be moving farther out into deeper water. But there’s a lot of cover on the shores – miles and miles of it, with willow grass, willow trees.”
Elite Series pro Randy Howell, who earned an exemption to the TTBC, said he’s not very familiar with Ray Roberts, but is excited about the prospects.
“It’s kind of a new place and not a lot of stuff is known about it,” he said. “Plus, we had a really windy two days of practice, so that kept us from seeing as much of it as we wanted to. But today, the wind’s not blowing much at all, so it’s going to look like a new lake to all of us.”
Reigning FLW Angler of the Year Scott Martin has fished in the TTBC twice before, but of course, never on Ray Roberts.
“I know nothing,” Martin said. “In fact, I keep forgetting the name of it. People keep saying where are you, and I tell them I’m in Ray, or Sam … It’s a lake by Dallas. That’s what I know … But it’s a neat lake. And it’s got some big fish in it. I didn’t catch a lot of them in practice, but the ones I did were really nice.”
Kelly Jordon, however, does know quite a bit about Lake Ray Roberts. The Texas pro fished it when it was first open to big boats a quarter century ago, and he won the second TTBC along with David Walker, Dave Smith, and Lance Vick in 2008 when it was a team event. He also won a Major League Fishing event here two years ago.
“I like this lake a lot,” Jordon said. “But it was about 12 feet lower than it is now. So this is very different. And everything I knew in those events way back when was way up on the bank … I’ve never fished it in summertime. The water is dropping, and there’s a bunch of flooded stuff up on the bank. Even today, it’s totally different than it was in practice.
“So this is new, even to me,” Jordon said.
Ehrler was the first to launch Friday morning, and he was followed by alternating anglers from the Elite Series and FLW Tour (in descending order from the 2015 standings.) The eight exemptions took off last. The first 19 anglers will fish until 3:15 p.m., with the final 19 ending at 3:30 p.m. Weigh-in will begin at 5:30 p.m. at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, which is about 40 minutes southeast of the launch site.
The complete field will fish again on Saturday, with the Tundra 10 continuing to fish Sunday.
