By Brian Argabright
The 830 Times
There was no lack of confidence in the way Hudson Bibb took on the other competitors at Saturday’s Border Bass Battle.
The 12-year old from Boerne made his first appearance on stage when he appeared with family friend Brendan Kennell. Kennell had just won the first hourly weigh-in of the tournament with a 7.62-pound largemouth bass and described Bibb as his “good luck charm.” After Kennell’s win, Bibb was asked if he, too, was fishing in the tournament.
“Yeah I’m fishing in the tournament!” he exclaimed. “I’ve got a bigger fish than that to weigh in. It’s about an eight pounder.”
True to his word, Bibb stepped to the scales at the start of the next hourly weigh-in and brought with him what would be the biggest bass of the day, an 8.17-pounder.
That bass not only won Bibb the hour, and the $1,000 that went with it, but it also netted him the prize for the top overall bass, worth $1,600, and earned him first place in the junior division for anglers 15 years age or younger, which was worth another $650.
Bibb said he’d been fishing since he could hold a fishing pole and had been bass fishing with his father since he was six-years old. Like a true angler, he didn’t reveal much about how he landed the money-winning monster, but his father said he caught the fish with a swimbait and brought him into the boat about 8 a.m.
More than 180 anglers took part in the event. Cash prizes were awarded to the anglers that brought in the top three heaviest bass during each hour of the tournament. In addition, a prize was also paid out to the top smallmouth bass weighed in overall.
The strategy for the tournament has remained the same since its inception four years ago. Anglers will either weigh in their bass near the top of the hour or wait until the closing moments of the hour to hit the scales. If an angler feels their bass won’t land them in the money in one hour, they will wait for another hour’s weigh-in to take their chance.
While anglers can only weigh in one bass per hour, they can weigh in a bass in multiple hours, meaning an angler could take home several cash prizes for finishing in the top three in different hourly weigh-ins.
First place each hour was worth $1,000. Second place was worth $600, and third place was worth $250. The largest largemouth bass overall was worth $1,600 and the largest smallmouth bass was worth $850. The top angler in the junior division took home $650.
The results for the tournament are as follows:
8 a.m. to 9 a.m.
Brendan Kennell of Boerne took first with a 7.62-pound bass. Wayne Workman of Midland was second with 4.45 pounds. Ian Witt of Sonora was third with 2.62-pounds.
9 a.m. to 10 a.m.
Hudson Bibb of Boerne was first with 8.17 pounds. Marco Vazquez of Del Rio was second with 1.43 pounds. Only two anglers brought a fish to the scales in the second hour.
10 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Stevie Ray Rodriguez of Del Rio was first with 5.07 pounds. Gonzalo Nandin of Carrizo Springs was second with 4.32 pounds, and Denny Brauer of Del Rio was third with 3.48 pounds.
11 a.m. to noon
Mike Kelley of Amarillo, who was the first angler to weigh-in overall, took first in the fourth hour with 4.36 pounds. Raul Cordero of Del Rio was second with 4.25 pounds, and Yesenia Flores of Brackettville was third with a 3.58-pound smallmouth bass, which earned her the prize for largest smallmouth of the tournament. Kurt Dove, who oversaw the weigh-in, said it was the largest smallmouth ever weigh-in in the history of the Border Bass Battle.
Noon to 1 p.m.
Ray Stubblefield of San Angelo was first with 3.41 pounds. Chuck Whitehead of Del Rio was second with 3.31 pounds. Whitehead just missed the money in the previous hour as Flores’ fish beat Whitehead’s by just .09 pounds. Abel Acosta of Del Rio was third with 3.27 pounds.
1 p.m. to 2 p.m.
Randy Dixon of Cobblestone took first with 4.62 pounds. George Trosper of Del Rio, who was the first person to weigh-in during the 1 p.m. weigh-in, was second with 2.88 pounds. Sheri Jorde of Farwell, Texas, was third with 2.76 pounds.
2 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Jessica Jorde of Clovis, N.M., was first with 4.50 pounds. Jorde had her fish ready for the 1 p.m. weigh-in but chose to wait for the following weigh-in before cashing in her bass. Enrique Reyes of Kyle was second with 4.23 pounds, and Ronnie Gesell of Center Point was third with 3.41 pounds.
3 p.m. to 4 p.m.
In the final weigh-in of the day, Ram Ortiz of Del Rio was first with 6.3 pounds. Gonzalo Nandin of Carrizo Springs made his second appearance in a top three, as he took second with a 2.7 pounder. Roger Magdaleno of Del Rio was third with 2.65 pounds.
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Contact the author at drnhsports@gmail.com
