By By Mike Giles / Outdoor Writer
March 8, 2002
Hoot Gibson and Sterling Jones of Philadelphia caught 14.49 pounds of bass, which was good enough to take first place at Gainesville in the first Anglers Choice tournament of the year. They also had a kicker bass that weighed in at 6.85 pounds, which cemented their top spot and garnered the top payoff of $2,300.00.
With a 25-degree temperature at the time of the take-off, conditions were icy and very frigid indeed, as the 70 bass anglers blasted away in search of their honey holes. This was the first of seven tourneys that will be held on this tournament circuit this year, and a little cold weather wasn't going to deter anybody.
According to Hoot Gibson, he and Jones decided to key on staging fish that were loaded with eggs and just waiting for warmer weather. With a water surface temperature of 49 degrees it would be a while longer before the bass headed to the shallows to spawn. The bass were holding on drop offs on the edge of flats. "I had the big fish of the tournament," stated Gibson. "We were flipping a Junebug colored "Strip Teaser" tube along those flats near the drops. The bass just seemed to want something slow. We didn't have any luck on spinnerbaits and crank baits."
Coming in a close second with a five-fish limit of bass weighing 13.22 pounds was the team of Ronnie and Todd Dudley. Second place was worth $600. Third place went to the Jack Gordman and Paul Denny team with a limit weighing 12.91 pounds. Fourth place was awarded to Johnathan and Benjie Seaborn who caught 12.26 pounds. Fifth place went to Ken Lowery and Tommy Hudnall who boated five fish weighing 12.14 pounds.
The next Anglers Choice tourney will be held on the Columbus Pool March 9. For additional details, contact tournament director Cliff Holifield at (662) 328-6424.