Arkansas Sportsman

Anglers sharpening hooks for Big Bass Bonanza

We've had three big bass tournaments in Arkansas this year, but the biggest for Arkansans will be June 24-26 when the Arkansas Big Bass Bonanza comes to the Arkansas River.

Hosted by the Arkansas Hospitality Association, the Big Bass Bonanza is one of the largest amateur bass tournaments in the country. It takes place along the length of the Arkansas River in Arkansas. The angler that weighs in the heaviest bass of the tournament will win $50,000, but other anglers will cash big checks, too.

The Arkansas River will be divided into five pools. The anglers that catch the biggest bass from each of the five pools will win $10,000. The biggest bass overall will earn a $40,000 bonus to complete the $50,000 grand prize.

The anglers that weigh in the second-, third- and fourth-heaviest bass in each pool will win $900, $700 and $400, respectively.

Additionally, anglers also will win cash awards for weighing in the heaviest bass per hour in each of the five pools. The hourly prizes are based on the number of entries.

In 2014, for example, the tournament awarded $234,000 in cash prizes based on 2,277 entries. First place per hour paid $650, second place paid $400 and third place paid $300.

In 2013, total awards of $203,000 were based on 2,014 entries. First, second and third places per hour paid $500, $300 and $200.

While most aim for the hourly prizes, the chances of catching a $50,000 fish aren't as remote as they seem. Since the Big Bass Bonanza began in 1989, the average weight for the biggest bass is 7.14 pounds. Robinette Fox of Hot Springs won the grand prize last year with a Lake Dardanelle largemouth that weighed 7.15 pounds.

Before that, 2009 was the last year an angler weighed a bass that was heavier than 7 pounds.

Steve Scherrey of Conway won in 2014 with a bass that weighed 6-15. He also won in 2000 with a 6-12 bass. Scherrey is the only angler to win twice.

The overall winner is almost always caught in the Dumas Pool or Lake Dardanelle, so most anglers concentrate in those waters. Tim Griffis of Little Rock was a cast away from Duke Gunnell when he caught the winning bass in Post Lake in 2008. That bass weighed 8.14 pounds, one of only five 8-pounders caught during the tournament since 1989.

Money winners must take a polygraph. In 2005, an angler caught the biggest bass of the tournament on the first day in the Little Maumelle River, but he was disqualified when he admitted to having a celebratory smoke of an illegal substance. That's when the grand prize was $100,000.

Montine McNulty, executive director for the Arkansas Hospitality Association, said the Big Bass Bonanza is a popular event that draws anglers from all over the nation. People who moved away come back to fish it during their vacations, and far-flung relatives participate in it during family reunions.

McNulty said anglers have entered the tournament from as many as 24 states. The average seems to be 15-18 states.

To promote its family flavor, the hospitality association also gives its Willowleaf Award at the end of the tournament to the bigenerational team that catches the biggest bass. It could be a parent and child or grandparent and grandchild, provided that the child or grandchild is younger than 22.

Entry fees for the Big Bass Bonanza are $80 for one day, $160 or two days or $240 for three days. Hourly winners that purchase commemorative 2016 Big Bass Bonanza caps and T-shirts will receive cash bonuses. Caps cost $15, and shirts cost $10. You can also buy pool navigation maps for $5 each.

An awards ceremony will be held June 26 at the downtown Riverside RV Park Pavilion in North Little Rock. Whole Hog Cafe will provide barbecue sandwiches, coleslaw and baked beans for registered anglers. Guests can buy tickets for $5. The food is always good, and it's a fun time to visit with other anglers and hear all kinds of fishing stories.

For more information or to register online, call the Arkansas Hospitality Association at (800) 472-5022 or visit arkansasbigbass.com.

Sports on 05/08/2016

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