The NABC (National Association of Bass Clubs www.bassfacts.com ) made its presence known to the Ark-La-Tex at the KTBS Boat and Sport Show held January 19th thru the 22nd at the brand new Shreveport Convention Center. The NABC had a booth set up on the second floor and word of the organization was spread to anglers from all over the area. New contacts were made with bass clubs from 3 states as well as non-bass club affiliated anglers. Response was overwhelming to say the least, to the information presented. The main theme presented was the idea of bringing the focus of the angling world back to the "Everyday Angler".
The booth was manned by members of the Twin Cities Team Club as well as members of the NABC (National Association of Bass Clubs). Mike Noble, Mike and Laurie Cork, James Teer, Ron Fogelson, and I (David Welch) manned the booth the entire length of the show. Appreciation is extended to Randy Qualls of Legend boats for allowing us the use of their booth set up for the show.
Vendors from all over the states were set up with their wares for sale and contact information. The second floor was mostly booths and information stands as well as demonstrations. The bottom floor was for the larger vendors, such as the local marine dealers and outdoor power sports dealers. A rough estimate of the number of boats had to have ranged from 100-150, and there was even a larger tractor trailer inside the center.
On Saturday the 21st, the Convention Center held the weigh in of the 10th annual Reeves KTBS 3 – 4 Man/2 Bass tournament. The Twin Cities Team Club’s own Nick LeBrun took home the win with 2 impressive fish taken from Caddo lake with a total weight of 14.94 lbs. Nicks largest of the two weighed in at 7.98 lbs. Nick was the team leader of team #27, with Keith Cross, Matt Baker, and Jeremy Dodson completing the team line up. However it was Nick that caught the two fish that were weighed in. Nick reported on stage that his 5 biggest fish would easily have topped 30 lbs. Nick reported catching his fish on Black and blue jigs with a black trailer, also he had reported that he had caught some fish on a Spinnerbait near Jap-Island. Nicks first place finish and second big bass of the tournament brought his team a check for nearly $7000.00. Big Bass of the day went to the team of Jerry Lutterman, Chris Parsons, Jonathan Smith, and David Pemberton, with a weight of 10.08 that was taken from Cross Lake. That fish combined with their other fish gave them a total of 14.74 lbs which was enough to take home 2nd place and a check for just under $4500.00.
63 teams had entered the tournament however due to a cold front that had blown through the night before only 36 teams weighed in. Anglers were allowed to fish from 5 local bodies of water including the Red River, Caddo Lake, Cross Lake, Toledo Bend, and Lake Bistineau. On Saturday during the weigh-in, anglers were holding their fish in tanks just outside the front entrance and would be called in as a team, weigh in, and exit to the tanks to have their fish taken to the fish hatchery.
Despite the fact that some of the finish work on the convention center hadn’t been completed, the show was deemed a success by local officials and show-goers. The NABC (National Association of Bass Clubs) and the TCTC (Twin Cites Team Club) would like to thank all that stopped by and hope that you visit the sites frequently, as well as spreading the word about the NABC. The NABC is working, and working hard for the "Everyday Angler". Join us and show your support for the people who make bass fishing what it is.
Dave the Dope Man
David Welch
David.welch@ultimatebass.com
