The 2024 Southeast Region Individual Trail made their final two stops of the 2024 season, at Sam Rayburn out of Cassels Boykin on Saturday and Sunday, June 8 & 9, 2024. June 8th was originally scheduled for Lake Stillhouse, but due to recent flooding in the area the lake was closed and June 9th was a make-up tournament for a May tournament on Lake Conroe when the lake was closed the evening prior to the tournament.

Sam Rayburn was a little over six feet above pool and according to pre-tournament talk, there were a variety of ways to catch them.

On Saturday June 8, 2024, Vidor Bass Anglers Association member Justin Royal bested the field of 58 anglers with a limit of bass weighing in at 20.86, Justin states that he was targeting a gizzard shad spawn on the original bank lines in the mornings with a Carolina Rig with a 6th Sense Flush on a Reneau Tackle “The One” 04 7’10” rod, once the shad moved off the bank, he would follow them out utilizing a 6th Sense 500DD in the Shook Shad color, a 6th Sense Magnum spoon and a hair jig, paired with a Reneau Tackle “The One” 03 7’10” rod.

Robert Royal with the Vidor Bass Anglers Association finished second with a five bass limit that weighed 20.26 pounds, his bag was anchored by an 8.15-pound Rayburn sow, which earned him the second big bass of the day honors. Robert started on a willow point throwing a swim-jig on a Reneau Tackle Pow-R-Point 580 7’6” rod, he was able to box a couple of keepers before the sun got up, once the sun came up he went to the flooded brush armed with the Pow-R-Point 580 7’6” rod, rigged with 20 pound fluorocarbon with a 3/8 ounce weight and a craw type bait, he wrangled the 8.15 pounder from a clump of willows, he then proceeded to his secondary spot, another flooded point with an assortment of cover including cypress trees, he finished his limit here and upgraded 3 times by rotating between the 3/8 ounce weight craw type bait and Reneau Tackle Pow-R-Point 970 7’3” rod rigged with 65# braid with a 5/8 ounce weight with a creature bait in the cypress trees.

Vidor Bass Anglers Association member Brandon Simoneaux finished third overall with a five bass limit, tipping the scales at 19.63 pounds. Brandon states that he spent most of Friday graphing the main lake, with no luck, so he decide to look closer to the bank and found a school of fish at the mouth of major spawning cove, armed with that information he refocused his search and was able to locate a second school the same way. Brandon was able to locate these fish again on Saturday and utilized a combination crankbaits and live scoping them with a jig head minnow.

Dillon Y’Barbo with the Vidor Bass Anglers Association had the Big Bass of the event with 8.66-pound Sam Rayburn beauty. Dillon also captured the Southeast Region Big Bass of the Year honors with his catch.

On Sunday June 9, 2024, Dustin Berry with the Vidor Bass Anglers Association topped the field of 62 anglers with a 5 fish limit of bass weighing in at 24.51 pounds. Dustin reports finding his fish during practice on Friday. Dustin was utilizing a Carolina rigged fluke in 15 feet of water between the grass line and bushes near the back of a cove. Dustin stated that the bite window was primarily between 7-10 AM.

Vidor Bass Anglers Association member Justin Royal finished second with a limit of bass weighing in at 19.92 pounds anchored by the big bass of the day a 7.54 pounder. Justin stated that he ran the same pattern as Saturday, it just took a little longer on Sunday for his fish to get active. He was targeting a gizzard shad spawn on the original bank lines in the mornings with a Carolina Rig with a 6th Sense Flush on Reneau Tackle “The One” 04 rod, once the shad moved off the bank, he would follow them out utilizing a 6th Sense 500DD in the Shook Shad color, a 6th Sense Magnum spoon and a hair jig, paired with a Reneau Tackle “The One” 03 7’10” rod. Justin states that he caught well over 60 fish each day.

Dillon Brock with the Nacogdoches Bass Club captured third place with a 5 fish limit weighing in at 19.12 pounds, anchored by a 6.01, the second biggest bass of the day. Dillon states that he started the morning off with a frog in some flooded bushes and trees and caught a couple doing that, once that faded, he started fishing Cypress trees with a 3/8-ounce chatterbait and a damiki rig, Dillon said he found a magical spot in some shade and was able to cull up to his final weight by 9:00AM. Dillon states that he lost a couple big ones that would have certainly helped.

A special thank you goes out to the Southeast Region Director Matt Russell for steering us through a chaotic last 2 months of the season, as well as all of the Southeast Region directors and club volunteers for their time and sacrifices.

Written by: Robert Royal Southeast Region Secretary.