By Brian Argabright
What began as a cold and blustery day gave way to a picturesque day on Lake Amistad for the latest incarnation of the Border Bass Battle.
More than 300 anglers from around the state and as far away as New Mexico, Colorado, South Carolina and Virginia competed in Saturday’s event coordinated by the Del Rio Chamber of Commerce’s Special Projects Committee and Convention and Visitors Bureau.
More than $27,000 was paid out to the top anglers in the tournament. Anglers could bring one fish to the weigh-in each hour. The top three heaviest bass earned payouts for their anglers and put them in line to win the prizes for heaviest largemouth bass, heaviest smallmouth bass and gave anglers ages 15 and below a chance to win the youth division.
The top angler of the tournament was Andy Whitehead of Pflugerville. Whitehead was the third person to the scales and brought with him the biggest bass of the day, an 8.9-pound lunker. He won the first hourly weigh-in and earned the payday for the heaviest largemouth bass of the tournament.
Whitehead and his partner fished out of Box Canyon. The duo pre-fished Friday and came up some large bass on a grass bed. Whitehead said he hoped they would still be there during the tournament, and at least one was.
“I used an Ultra Vibe Zoom Speed Crawl in about eight feet of water,” Whitehead said.
The first anglers to the scale were Michael Falcon and his 10-year old nephew Seth, both of Brackettville. Michael’s bass weighed in at 2.97 pounds while Seth’s weighed in at 3.67 pounds. His weight held as the top weigh in the youth division for several hours until 15-year-old Austin Gonzalez of Leakey brought a 3.76-pound to the scales during the 2 to 3 p.m. weigh-in period.
Though he lives in Leakey, Gonzalez is familiar with Amistad as he’s attended Kurt Dove’s annual bass camp, which is held at the lake.
Jose Rios of Iraan won the smallmouth bass division with a 2.22-pounder. He weighed his bass in during the noon to 1 p.m. period.
The results are as follows:
8 to 9 a.m.
First – Andy Whitehead of Plugerville, 8.90 pounds, $1,750
Second – Seth Falcon of Brackettville, 3.67 pounds, $750
Third – Michael Falcon of Brackettville, 2.97 pounds, $250
9 to 10 a.m.
First – Chisholm Carruth of Odessa, 7.49 pounds, $1,750
Second – Anthony Muñoz of Brackettville, 3.97 pounds, $750
Third – George Garcia of Del Rio, 2.15 pounds, $250
10 to 11 a.m.
First – Roger Montejano of Del Rio, 7.66 pounds, $1,750
Second – Kenneth Fairly of Lockhart, 4.83 pounds, $750
Third – Weston Tietze of Boerne, 4.22 pounds, $250
11 a.m. to Noon
First – Kenneth Fairly of Lockhart, 6.63 pounds, $1,750
Second – Abel Acosta of Del Rio, 4.56 pounds, $750
Third – Mitch Goodall of Boerne, 4.21 pounds, $250
Noon to 1 p.m.
First – James Coppedge of Odessa, 4.74 pounds, $1,750
Second – Ross Jewell of San Angelo, 4.42 pounds, $750
Third – Elena Balboa III of Del Rio, 4.08 pounds, $250
1 to 2 p.m.
First – Dustin Bardovsky of Kerrville, 6.54 pounds, $1,750
Second – John Vogt of Boerne, 3.77 pounds, $750
Third – Jaime Buitron of San Antonio, 3.74 pounds, $250
2 to 3 p.m.
First – Steven Cravey of Junction, 7.73 pounds, $1,750
Second – Danny Puente of Del Rio, 4.86 pounds, $750
Third – Austin Gonzalez of Leakey, 3.76 pounds, $250
3 to 4 p.m.
First – Paul Coffee of Del Rio, 6.11 pounds, $1,750
Second – Bodie Dunn of Uvalde, 4.13 pounds, $750
Third – Mike Cones of Del Rio, 4.03 pounds, $250
Biggest Largemouth – Andy Whitehead, 8.90 pounds, $3,000
Biggest Smallmouth – Jose Rios of Iraan, 2.22 pounds, $1,000
Biggest Largemouth, Youth Division – Austin Gonzalez, 3.76 pounds, $1,500
