By Brian Argabright
The 830 Times
By all accounts the biggest challenge at Lake Amistad for anglers in this year’s second Kurt Dove Pro-Bass Camp weren’t the fish themselves, but the South Texas heat.
With temperatures reaching a record-tying 109 degrees, more than 30 participants in the second Kurt Dove Pro-Bass Camp wrapped up a week of education and friendly competition with the Camp Classic Monday afternoon.
In the end, Hunter Mazour walked away with the top prize of $2,500 after bringing in three bass that weighed 8.36 pounds including the biggest bass of the tournament – a 3.96-pounder.
“I used a swim jig and stuck to grass in about two to 10 feet of water,” Mazour said. “I caught the big one around 10 a.m. It was an off and on pattern for sure, but if I stuck with the swim jigs I knew I would eventually get a big one.”
It was a busy week for Manzour. He left the camp one day to attend a graduation party, robbing him of an extra day of practice. But with this being his final chance to attend the camp, and after finishing second in the Classic last year, Mazour had his sights on a strong finish this year.
“When we pulled in I felt I was going to finish in the top 10. I thought there was no way I would win,” Mazour said.
Aside from the $2,500 first prize, Mazour also earned $500 for weighing in the largest bass of the Classic. He needed help from his parents to carry all his spoils, but as pro angler and guide Kurt Dove explained, it’s the parents who are a big part of the fishing experience, and the bass camp, as well.
Case Kramer finished second overall with 6.50 pounds.
“I made really good decisions today. We fished high spots on grass, and I managed to lose a big one there … about a five pounder. I was punching grass and he just got away,” Kramer said.
Dove asked Kramer how he recovered from the loss of a bass that large, and Kramer said he just kept fishing. “I picked my rod back up and threw one out there and caught that two-and-a-half pounder that helped bail me out,” Kramer said.
Mississippi’s Max Morgan was third with 6.28 pounds. He held the lead overall for just two anglers before Mazour made his way to the weigh-in.
Like most of the anglers, Morgan said it was the combination of grass and shallow water that led to his success.
“Once we moved to grass we caught ‘em. That was in the morning. We stayed shallow, about five to seven feet of water,” Morgan said.
Jack Henry Stubbs was fourth with 6.27 pounds, showing that in fishing it’s a matter of ounces that can mean the difference between cashing a check or just moving on to the next tournament.
Stubbs attended the camp with his brother Jordan Stubbs. The Mississippi anglers bunked together, but Jack let it be known his brother wasn’t the easiest roommate.
“He’s loud … really loud,” he said when asked what it was like to room with his brother. “He likes to make people laugh.”
When it came to fishing, Jack got serious.
“I used Texas rigs with a Magnum curly worm. I caught them around 9:30-10. Didn’t catch anything really after that,” Stubbs said.
Austin’s Bronson Lopez took fifth with 6.20 pounds including a 2.91-pounder.
Lopez, who also attended the first bass camp on Lake Amistad in May, will be headed to New York for another Kurt Dove Pro-Bass Camp in July. Dove said it isn’t often that campers attend all three camps.
“I used a drop shot chatter bait, green pumpkin color, on grass,” Lopez said. “That big one … I hit it real close to the boat.”
When asked about the camp, Lopez summed up the experience pretty succinctly. “It was super good and fun. Just good fishing all week,” he said.
Rounding out the top six was Andrew Swaney with 6.07 pounds. He said he caught his three keepers in the afternoon with two coming on swim baits.
Award winners, and their prizes are as follows:
Wilson Basden – Biggest Bass of the Week, 6.8 pounds, $500
Corbin Bailey – Pitching/Flipping Champion, $500
Andrew Swaney – 6th place, 6.07 pounds, fishing product
Bronson Lopez – 5th place, 6.20 pounds, $250 and a new rod and reel
Jack Henry Stubbs – 4th place, 6.27 pounds, $1,000 and a new rod and reel
Max Morgan – 3rd place, 6.28 pounds, $1,250 and a new rod and reel
Kase Kramer – 2nd place, 6.50 pounds, $1,750 and a new rod and reel
Hunter Mazour – Biggest Bass of the Tournament, $500; and 1st place, 8.36 pounds, $2,500
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Contact the author at drnhsports@gmail.com
