3rd Annual Big ASS BASS Tournament - Late June 2009
Winners - Team Jurkbald
Biggest Fish - Deeznuts                     Size- 3lbs.

We added a "first biggest fish pot" which required everyone to throw in 5 bucks and whoever caught the biggest first fish won the cash.  This was not a team contest but an everyman for himself competition.  Team Browson left the docks first and started to head down a shoreline but then decided to switch to the other side.  Team Jurkbald, two time defending champions, took the other bank and instantly Kuta hooked up with a 2 pound 9 ouncer.  This was already bigger than the biggest fish we caught in 2008 and the cherry on the sundae was the fact that it was caught right in front of the other teams.  Everyone knew it was on...

The two new teams started off a little slow with one of the teams having boat trouble and the other one high centering their boat on a log.  Team Jurkbald and Team Browson started off fast using junebug color plastic worms.  Day 1 ended with all teams catching their limit and Team Jurkbald, Team Browson and team McVotto all close.  Rumor has it, Team Sullison spent most of the day driving in circles.  IT WAS FRIGGIN' HOT!!!

Part of the competition is trying to get your competitors to stay up late and have too much fun so they either sleep late or don't do their best the next day:)  Votto just so happens to be an award winning smoker.  He was kind enough to smoke a bunch of ribs and an awesome brisket before he left. Friday night dinner was had a Team McVottos cabin but the Friday night party was back at the main cabin where the original "four"fathers stayed.  I think Action Jackson had the most fun on Friday and ended up paying for it the next day sitting in the heat!  Mission accomplished by the other three teams.

Day two was more of the same...HOT HOT HOT. Deeznuts won the biggest first fish contest but not only was this the biggest first fish, it was the biggest fish of the entire tournament at 3lbs. This fish put team Jurkbald with the two biggest fish of the tournament and in control of the third annual Big Ass Bass Fishing tournament.

Each team customized their boat to make it their own.  Team Jurkbald had just about every contraption to keep cool available.  The best way to stay cool was just keep yourself wet all day and keep putting the our socks into a ice cooler (yes that's gross but we had a separate ice cooler for our nasty socks.)  Team McVotto spent the first hour rigging their boat with all the equipment needed to see under water and find the fish.  Team Browson decided to bring an umbrella which worked out perfect because they always had some sort of shade on their boat.  the sun was INTENSE so the umbrella was a brilliant customization to ensure they had shade no matter where they went.  They also followed the example of desert nomads and wore long sleeves and long pants.  We will never know if this helped or hurt.  Finally, Team Sullison brought a big silver reflective cooler made of steel plated something or other and it was HOT as HELL!  Team Sullison essentially brought a heater on their boat!

Day two involved more fishing using the Junebug colored plastic worm.  Although Votto caught one on a plastic crappie looking shad thing and during the evenings and mornings fish could be caught using top water poppers.  Team McVotto had major boat issues and weren't able to launch until later than the others.  Team Jurkbald ended the day fishing with Team Sullison near by.  Deeznuts managed to catch several fish, which basically sealed the tournament, right around team Sullison boat.

Saturday night was fun.  While everyone else ate and cooked great steaks and food, Team Browson was forced to eat some thin sliced roast beef that Brown had mistaken for steaks.  The entire crew enjoyed Jager shots and stayed up until the wee hours of the morning.  Team Sullison was rumored to have stayed up until 4 am fishing in the crappie hut. Basically their tournament was over and Action Jackson had claimed the Pink Panty Award for 2009.  This award is won by the person who catches the least amount of fish for the entire tournament.  In his defense he probably had more fun than anyone else during the evenings!

Sunday was a little cooler than the pervious two days.   Team Jurkbald was the last team on the lake as everyone else had gotten out pretty early with hope of catching the two time defending champs.  It rained Saturday night so the fishing on Sunday was soooooooo slow.  We kept fishing until about 11 when everyone but team McVotto decided to dock up.

After the noon Sunday deadline had passed it was obvious that Team Jurkbald had won it's third straight Big Ass Bass Fishing Tournament.  Deeznuts had won his second biggest fish award.  This years  controversy is around second place.  The totals were never figured out for second place and Team McVotto claims they had a shot at beating Team Browson. However since no one cares about second place, we didn't worry about it.  Although formally, team Browson was awarded second place and since the score cards had been destroyed, there was no recount.