The Southeast Region Individual Trail made their third stop of the 2023 season at Lake Conroe on Saturday March 11, 2023, out of April Plaza Marina. Anglers were greeted with overcast skies with the promise of sunshine and high winds later in the day and this time the forecasters were right.
According to reports on Friday, pre fishing had been pretty tough, as the lake had just hosted a 4-day big bass tournament the week before and it appeared that at least the first wave of spawners may have already come and gone with the unseasonal warmer temperatures we have experienced this year.
At the end of the day, Ed Grisham with The Bass Club topped the field of 100 anglers with a 5 fish limit weighing in at 19.60 pounds.. Ed stated that based on his practice, he was just going to have to go fishing. Ed stated that he targeted depths from 1 to 10 foot and fished a variety of baits from soft plastics to moving baits, Ed said the five he weighed in came on the following, 1 came on a Carolina Rig, 2 on a chatterbait and 2 on a Senko.
Clint West with the Vidor Bass Anglers Association came in second with 2 fish weighing 18.65, anchored by the overall tournament big bass weighing in at 10.90. Clint was fishing with his 10-year-old son Brooks. Clint stated that they started out the day targeting shallow fish throwing frogs and Texas rigged Senkos in the backs of creeks, he said that they caught several short fish and that Brooks caught two keepers doing that. Later in the day they started fishing spawning pockets and that he couldn’t see the fish on beds, but that he could see the beds on his Humminbird 360 and they would throw wacky rig Senkos to the beds, he said they caught a few small fish, then he hooked up with the 10.90, he played her for a couple of minutes, before Brooks got her netted, much to the pleasure of a crowd that had watched it unfold. Later in the day he caught his second keeper a 7.75 pounder doing the same thing. Certainly, a memorable day for both father and son.
The Bass Clubs’ Ronnie Wagner finished third over all with a 5 fish limit weighing 17.96 lbs. Ronnie stated that he was utilizing soft plastics in the back of pockets in the mid-lake area. He went to a big fish he had located the day before and hooked her and lost her. So, he just kept running his pattern and started to put together a limit, he returned to the big fish later in the day and hooked and lost her again. He then got on a chatter bait bite and upgraded his catch to his final weight. Ronnie would like to thank AllChem Services, Inc., ResLand Realty Group and CastAway Rods for their support.
Jacob Bruener with the Nacogdoches Bass Club captured second big bass of the tournament honors with a 7.57-pound Lake Conroe largemouth.
A special thank you goes out to the assisting clubs The Bass Club and the Seven Coves Bass Club, as well as the Southeast Region Directors for their assistance in conducting a smooth tournament.
The Southeast Region next individual event is on Toledo Bend April 22, 2023, out of San Miguel, the third stop on Southeast Region Texas Bassmaster Open Team Trail event will take place on Sunday April 23, 2023, on Toledo Bend out of San Miguel.
Written by: Robert Royal Southeast Region Secretary
Ed Grisham shows of 2 of the fish that anchored his winning bag at 19.60 lbs.
Clint West with the Big Bass of the tournament a 10.90 lb. Lake Conroe beauty.
All Smiles – L to R – Robert Royal VBAA President, VBAA Junior Angler Brooks West aka The “Net Man” on this day and Big Bass Winner Clint West, pictured in background Southeast Region Director Matt Russell