By Joel Langton
The 830 Times
Nearly 150 anglers entered Del Rio Chamber of Commerce’s Border Bass Battle Saturday held on Lake Amistad and battled over $18,000.
“The chamber made the decision to give away 106 percent of the entry fees back to the anglers in prize money,” said Kurt Dove, BBB organizer. Entrants paid $15,875 in entry fees and anglers received $17,850 in prize money.
“We really want this event to be successful and draw fishermen from throughout the region here to support our local economy,” said Blanca Larson, Chamber of Commerce executive director. “That we are able to do this is a big thanks to our sponsors from Silver Eagle and Rudy’s Barbecue.”
The tournament gave away awards hourly, from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., with the biggest largemouth bass of the hour gobbling up $1,100, second largest won $600 and third place snagged $250.
The day’s biggest largemouth won $1,350, largest smallmouth won $650 and the youth division winner brought home $250.
The big winner was Ryan Balser, who is from Kerrville and teaches agriculture at Center Point High School and took home nearly $3,500.
Balser won the biggest largemouth award ($1,350). That 5.13-pound largemouth bass helped him win the hour from 9 to 10 a.m. ($1,100), and then he won third place honors in the fourth hour ($250). Another largemouth helped him take second place honors from 2 to 3 p.m. ($600), for a $3,300 payday.
Pflugerville’s Andy Whitehead won the first hour with a 3.70-pound largemouth bass, edging Uvalde’s Gilbert Roldriguez. Brackettville’s Yesenia Flores finished in third.
The first Del Rio resident on the board was in the 8 to 9 a.m. hour when Stan Gerzsenyi beat out fellow resident Hector Rubio. Gerzsenyi’s largemouth was 4.53 pounds against Rubio’s 2.24-pounder.
The biggest trio of fish were weighed in from 9 to 10 a.m. Three anglers came in together at 8:40 a.m. with Ryan Jacobs grabbing the lead with a 4.14-pound largemouth that would have won any other hour. However, Balser was having none of it, as he waltzed in with minutes left in the hour with the day’s first and only 5 pounder, a 5.13-pound largemouth eventually worth $2,400. New Mexico’s Chelsey Jorde rounded out the hour with a 3.01-pound bass.
Rio Frio’s Jim Jackson took top honors with a 4.20-pound largemouth in the next hour. However, second was a battle as Andy Whitehead had a 2.55-pound bass against Balser’s 2.54-pound fish.
Andy Whitehead described the difference as, “a drop of water” that was worth $350. However, at the end of the day, Balser was okay with the outcome.
From 11 to noon, San Angelo’s Larry Hooper was the scale’s only visitor, with a 2.05-pound largemouth bass.
Noon to 1 p.m. was the second busiest hour of the day, as Del Rio’s Chuck Whitehead took the hour’s crown with a 4.61-pound bass. Shavano Park’s Todd Keagle finished second and Carlos Moreno rounded out the hour.
In the 1 to 2 p.m. weigh-in, Del Rio’s John Casparis won with a 4.07-pound bass where once again Keagle finished with a 3.99-pounder. Kerrville’s Dustin Bordovsky brought up third with a 2.67-pound bass.
Of course, the final hour was the busiest as 10 anglers visited the scales. Medina’s E.C. Whitehead’s 3.66-pound bass beat out Balser’s 3.60 pounder as William Garza rounded out the day in third.
Top youth angler was Boerne’s Hudson Bibb, who is 13-years-old and won the event in the spring with an 8-pound bass that won him the hour, tournament and
top youth angler. This tournament only earned him $250 for Top Youth Angler but, “It’s always fun coming out to Lake Amistad,” Bibb said.
This year’s battle had anglers from throughout Texas, New Mexico, Louisiana, Oregon and three states in Mexico.
The next Border Bass Battle is slated for March 18, 2023.
