Two professional anglers who’s home lake is Lake Amistad are offering Border Bass Battle competitors some tips for landing the big one, as fishermen compete for $25,000.
The tips can’t get much simpler than Ray Hanselman’s. He’s got quite the resume to offer wisdom. He’s a B.A.S.S. Bassmaster Elite Series fisherman and was a 2020 Bassmaster Classic contender. On top of that, he’s got 30 years experience on Amistad as a professional, and has been guiding fishermen for 20 years.
“What’s your 3 tips for catching a big bass on Lake Amistad,” he was asked.
“Water, rod and reel, hook Bam!” he joked. Angler’s only wish it were that simple.
His fellow Angler, Kurt Dove, who fishes on the B.A.S.S. FLW Series, fished in 108 tournaments, finished in the Top 10 4 times, in the Top 20 12 times and notched 21 Top 30 finishes in tournaments, with major sponsors backing him, is kind enough to share what’s been working for him when asked.
What’s Tip 1? “You can’t be too shallow…there are big fish roaming in skinny water!” he wrote.
Tip 2? “Generally, fish are scattered and chasing bait, move often to find the active fish.
And his last tip? “Shad is a primary diet in the fall, horizontal presentations can be very effective…crankbaits, flukes, chatterbaits, swimjig, topwaters are great lure choices for fall bass fishing.”
Hanselman has more serious tips than his initial joke for Border Bass Battle anglers as well.
He agrees with Dove. “I would be prepared to fish top water, which could mean walking baits, popping baits, frogs and probably most popular top water in fall would be a buzz bait,” he wrote. If there has been a cold spell then top water may not be the best. I would maybe switch to a bladed swim jig or a weedless swimbait, or even a lipless crank bait, he wrote.
He recommended soft plastics in the fall around grass. He also said Light Tx rig, Neko Wacky Rig, belly weighted fluke all fish over the submerged grass out to the outside edge.
The temperature should be around 70 degrees when boats launch and get as high as 85 degrees by the time the tournament wraps up at 3 p.m., according to Weather.com.
Registration will be at Rudy’s Country Bar-B-Que Friday night between 5 and 9 p.m. and fishing will start at 7 a.m. Saturday morning.
Throughout the day, KDLK 94.1 will broadcast updates about the tournament.
Entry fee to compete for the $25,000 in prizes is $125 and the Del Rio Chamber of Commerce, the event’s owner, expects about 300 anglers to ante up for the event.
The event has been so popular, the next battle is already slated for March 13, 2021.
To register for either battle, go to www.DrChamber.com, call 830-775-3551 or email frontdesk@drchamber.com.
Presenting sponsors are Rudy’s Country Bar-B-Que and Bud Light.
(Weather graphic provided by www.Weather.com)
