By John Johnson
BassFan Senior Editor


Weather issues caused the Lake Amistad Southwestern FLW Series to be shortened from 3 days to 2. Ray Hanselman all but secured the victory in a single day.

The Amistad guide and Bassmaster Elite Series pro caught a 25-15 bag on the first day of the derby. That's precisely the combined weight that runner-up Tyson Patrick posted as Hanselman, who caught 12-01 on day 2 for a 38-00 total, cruised to his fifth career victory on the circuit.

His massive stringer came from a ditch that contained scattered patches of grass. He had the majority of his weight after the first hour and a half.

"When fishing is tough, having a home-lake advantage really pays off," he said. "When the fishing's good and you know everybody is going to catch them, it can be hard to settle in and just have confidence in what you have. But when you know there's just a handful of key areas that are better than everything else and have a big population of fish, that makes it a lot easier."

They Always Show Up

The bottom of the ditch that Hanselman exploited with a Strike King 5XD crankbait was 16 feet under water. Unlike a lot of places on the lake, the hydrilla had "fallen" (gone dormant for the remainder of winter) and rose only a couple of feet from the lake's floor as opposed to 10 feet in non-dormant locales.

"It's a historic staging area for pre-spawn fish every year and sooner or later a school of good ones shows up," he said. "I practiced for 2 days and ran my staging milk run and I had a decent first day. I saved that place for the last 30 minutes of the second day and I made two casts and caught two 2 1/2-pounders

"In the back of my mind I thought there might be some better ones there because those 2 1/2s were fat females. I figured in the worst-case scenario I could catch 12 to 13 pounds there and in the best case I might catch a couple of big ones."

He ended up boating more than a couple of oversized fish once competition got under way – his opening bag consisted of two that topped 6 pounds, one that was over 5 and two in the 4-pound class.

"It was wide open for 30 to 45 minutes when I pulled in their the first (tournament) day. I caught a lot of fish right away and had two big ones, and then there was about a 30-minute lull before they got fired up again and I caught two more big ones.

"We sat there and hammered them real hard. There were a couple of boats nearby that I knew would've jumped right on it if I left, and at one point my co-angler had 11 or 12 pounds and I had what I had and we just sat there and had lunch and talked about the good ol' days for about an hour. Between the two of us, we'd caught 40 to 50 fish."

The following day was a much different story – he caught a decent keeper on the crankbait on his third cast, but that was his only bite on that offering during the morning hours. He resorted to a dropshot rig and caught a pedestrian limit in 30 minutes that weighed far more than he needed; only the first fish was necessary to seal the win.

He culled once from an area farther up the lake, then returned late in the day and made two upgrades (a 3-pounder and a 2 1/2). He caught one of those fish on a crankbait and the other on a jerkbait.

He'd started the second day with an advantage of 9 1/2 pounds, but he wasn't of the mindset that all he needed was a small limit to nail down the win.

"It's still Amistad and there was a handful of guys who could've caught what I had the day before. Realistically, though, with the real high (barometric) pressure, it was one of those days when it wasn't going to happen."

Winning Gear Notes

> Cranking gear: 8' medium-action Power Tackle 550 Power Point rod, Shimano Curado casting reel (6.5:1 ratio), 10-pound Gamma fluorocarbon line, Strike King 5XD (prism shad).

> Dropshot gear: 7-foot medium-heavy Power Tackle SPN 43 rod, Shimano Sustain 2500 spinning reel, 10-pound Gamma braided line (main line), 7-pound Gamma fluorocarbon (leader), size 1 Owner Mosquito hook, Strike King Dreamshot (KVD magic), 3/8-ounce Strike King Tour Grade dropshot weight.

http://fish.shimano.com/content/fish/northamerica/us/en/homepage/Shimano_Product_Page.P-SUSTAIN_FI.html

The Bottom Line

> Main factor in his success – "Maybe it was having a short practice and just running and gunning the high-percentage areas that I thought would produce."

> Performance edge – "Just having that rod and reel combo, and the 5XD is a really good crankbait for grass with the way it digs in there and comes free without getting a bunch of it in the hooks."

Much of the tackle referenced above is available at the BassFan Store. To browse the selection, click here..



Final Standings

1. Ray Hanselman -- Del Rio, Tx -- 25-15 (5) -- 12-1 (5) -- 38-0 (10) -- $36,751

2. Tyson Patrick -- Mccamey, Tx -- 10-3 (4) -- 15-12 (5) -- 25-15 (9) -- $14,263

3. Jeff Kriet -- Ardmore, Ok -- 14-6 (5) -- 10-14 (5) -- 25-4 (10) -- $10,965

4. William Blaine -- San Angelo, Tx -- 8-6 (5) -- 16-4 (5) -- 24-10 (10) -- $9,138

5. Tim Flowers -- Midland, Tx -- 14-15 (5) -- 8-9 (4) -- 23-8 (9) -- $8,224

6. Todd Castledine -- Nacogdoches, Tx -- 4-12 (2) -- 18-7 (5) -- 23-3 (7) -- $7,310

7. T.R Andreas -- Kerrville, Tx -- 9-15 (5) -- 13-3 (5) -- 23-2 (10) -- $6,396

8. Kyle Cortiana -- Coweta, Ok -- 10-7 (4) -- 12-7 (5) -- 22-14 (9) -- $5,483

9. Clyde Glenn -- Belton, Tx -- 14-15 (5) -- 7-6 (4) -- 22-5 (9) -- $4,569

10. Lance Crawford -- Broken Bow, Ok -- 13-11 (5) -- 7-7 (5) -- 21-2 (10) -- $3,655

11. Jeff Sprague -- Point, Tx -- 9-1 (5) -- 11-14 (5) -- 20-15 (10) -- $3,427

12. Charles Whited -- San Marcos, Tx -- 7-3 (5) -- 13-8 (5) -- 20-11 (10) -- $3,198

13. Dicky Newberry -- Houston, Tx -- 10-11 (5) -- 9-12 (5) -- 20-7 (10) -- $2,741

14. Raul Cordero -- Del Rio, Tx -- 7-1 (4) -- 12-10 (5) -- 19-11 (9) -- $2,741

15. Rick Clunn -- Ava, Mo -- 13-0 (4) -- 6-10 (5) -- 19-10 (9) -- $2,741

16. Cameron Mattison -- Bossier City, La -- 11-9 (5) -- 7-10 (5) -- 19-3 (10) -- $2,741

17. Andrew Upshaw -- Tulsa, Ok -- 5-3 (4) -- 13-15 (5) -- 19-2 (9) -- $2,741

18. Jeff Reynolds -- Calera, Ok -- 7-4 (5) -- 11-12 (5) -- 19-0 (10) -- $2,741

19. Colby Miller -- Elmer, La -- 13-9 (5) -- 5-5 (2) -- 18-14 (7) -- $2,741

20. J.J. Ducharme -- Brackettville, Tx -- 8-15 (4) -- 9-14 (5) -- 18-13 (9) -- $2,741

21. Blake Schroeder -- Whitehouse, Tx -- 8-14 (5) -- 9-13 (5) -- 18-11 (10) -- $2,513

22. Rob Burns -- Plano, Tx -- 9-15 (5) -- 8-4 (5) -- 18-3 (10) -- $2,513

23. Dave Parsons -- Yantis, Tx -- 16-8 (4) -- 1-10 (1) -- 18-2 (5) -- $2,513

24. Trent Holloway -- Kingwood, Tx -- 13-3 (5) -- 4-13 (2) -- 18-0 (7) -- $2,513

25. Tommy Martin -- Hemphill, Tx -- 8-11 (5) -- 9-2 (5) -- 17-13 (10) -- $2,513

26. Woodard Chance -- Paris, Tx -- 10-9 (5) -- 6-12 (5) -- 17-5 (10) -- $2,284

27. Bradley Hallman -- Norman, Ok -- 8-6 (5) -- 8-15 (5) -- 17-5 (10) -- $2,284

28. Randy Dixon -- Borger, Tx -- 13-3 (4) -- 3-15 (2) -- 17-2 (6) -- $2,284

29. Denny Brauer -- Del Rio, Tx -- 5-5 (3) -- 11-13 (5) -- 17-2 (8) -- $2,284

30. Victor Martinez -- Laredo, Tx -- 8-12 (5) -- 8-5 (5) -- 17-1 (10) -- $2,284

31. Jordan Lane -- Conroe, Tx -- 9-10 (5) -- 7-4 (5) -- 16-14 (10) -- $1,828

32. Roger Hughes -- Bartlesville, Ok -- 5-11 (4) -- 10-14 (5) -- 16-9 (9) -- $1,828

33. Sheldon Collings -- Grove, Ok -- 6-14 (5) -- 9-11 (5) -- 16-9 (10) -- $1,828

34. John Pilcher -- Kansas, Ok -- 7-7 (5) -- 8-14 (5) -- 16-5 (10) -- $1,828

35. Chase Brooks -- Iraan, Tx -- 8-0 (4) -- 8-5 (5) -- 16-5 (9) -- $1,828

36. Stephen Johnston -- Hemphill, Tx -- 8-2 (5) -- 8-3 (5) -- 16-5 (10)

37. Josh Bensema -- Willis, Tx -- 6-12 (4) -- 9-6 (3) -- 16-2 (7)

38. Darrel Robertson -- Jay, Ok -- 10-12 (4) -- 5-3 (3) -- 15-15 (7)

39. Mitchell Webb -- Skiatook, Ok -- 9-2 (5) -- 6-13 (5) -- 15-15 (10)

40. Justin Wojcik -- Bulverde, Tx -- 4-15 (4) -- 10-15 (5) -- 15-14 (9)

41. Terry Luedtke -- Burton, Tx -- 8-14 (5) -- 6-15 (4) -- 15-13 (9)

42. Ross Wright -- Mcqueeney, Tx -- 6-6 (5) -- 9-6 (5) -- 15-12 (10)

43. Wade Hudgens -- Longview, Tx -- 7-3 (5) -- 8-9 (5) -- 15-12 (10)

44. Tim Reneau -- Richland Springs, Tx -- 8-5 (5) -- 7-5 (4) -- 15-10 (9)

45. Brian Robison -- Magnolia, Tx -- 9-8 (5) -- 6-0 (4) -- 15-8 (9)

46. David Wencil -- Buda, Tx -- 3-14 (1) -- 11-1 (5) -- 14-15 (6)

47. Cody Bird -- Granbury, Tx -- 8-9 (5) -- 6-4 (4) -- 14-13 (9)

48. Jimmy Steed -- Laredo, Tx -- 6-10 (5) -- 8-0 (5) -- 14-10 (10)

49. Joe Beebee -- The Woodlands, Tx -- 11-8 (5) -- 3-0 (2) -- 14-8 (7)

50. Justin Morton -- Etoile, Tx -- 6-5 (3) -- 8-1 (5) -- 14-6 (8)

51. Jason Bonds -- Lufkin, Tx -- 4-13 (3) -- 9-7 (5) -- 14-4 (8)

52. Paul Heavener -- Tulsa, Ok -- 1-12 (1) -- 11-15 (5) -- 13-11 (6)

53. Chris Russell -- Montgomery, Tx -- 6-1 (4) -- 7-10 (5) -- 13-11 (9)

54. Weston Brown -- Houston, Tx -- 6-3 (4) -- 7-8 (5) -- 13-11 (9)

55. James Laramore -- Vidor, Tx -- 5-3 (3) -- 8-7 (5) -- 13-10 (8)

56. Darold Gleason -- Many, La -- 8-9 (5) -- 4-6 (3) -- 12-15 (8)

57. John Soukup -- Agra, Ok -- 8-8 (5) -- 4-6 (3) -- 12-14 (8)

58. Jake Ormond -- Sterlington, La -- 5-8 (3) -- 7-6 (4) -- 12-14 (7)

59. Jack Covas -- Waco, Tx -- 5-5 (4) -- 7-4 (5) -- 12-9 (9)

60. Kevin Ledoux -- Choctaw, Ok -- 2-6 (1) -- 10-2 (2) -- 12-8 (3) -- $260

61. David Curtis -- Trinity, Tx -- 2-7 (2) -- 9-15 (5) -- 12-6 (7)

62. Roy Whisenhunt -- Valliant, Ok -- 10-8 (2) -- 1-7 (1) -- 11-15 (3) -- $260

63. T.W. Hardy -- Silsbee, Tx -- 8-5 (4) -- 3-7 (1) -- 11-12 (5)

64. Danny Weems -- Como, Tx -- 4-1 (3) -- 7-6 (5) -- 11-7 (8)

65. Allen Head -- Pryor, Ok -- 6-8 (5) -- 4-14 (3) -- 11-6 (8)

66. Scott Bonvillain -- Dequincy, La -- 5-2 (3) -- 6-4 (3) -- 11-6 (6)

67. David Mauldin -- Round Rock, Tx -- 7-14 (5) -- 3-7 (2) -- 11-5 (7)

68. Steve Tennison -- Lexington, Ok -- 4-4 (3) -- 7-0 (5) -- 11-4 (8)

69. James Biggs -- Comanche, Tx -- 4-8 (3) -- 6-12 (5) -- 11-4 (8)

70. Gary Riffle -- Paris, Tx -- 2-0 (1) -- 9-0 (4) -- 11-0 (5)

71. Craig Workman -- Fort Worth, Tx -- 1-9 (1) -- 9-5 (5) -- 10-14 (6)

72. Jason Conn -- Anna, Tx -- 7-4 (4) -- 3-6 (2) -- 10-10 (6)

73. Reid Farris -- Adkins, Tx -- 7-6 (5) -- 2-15 (2) -- 10-5 (7)

74. Steven Gilliam -- Blanchard, Ok -- 8-4 (5) -- 1-12 (1) -- 10-0 (6)

75. Trent Huckaby -- Fort Stockton, Tx -- 2-1 (1) -- 7-14 (5) -- 9-15 (6)

76. James Martin -- Longview, Tx -- 2-6 (1) -- 7-1 (2) -- 9-7 (3)

77. Terry Adams -- Berwick, La -- 4-6 (3) -- 5-0 (3) -- 9-6 (6)

78. Russell Cecil -- Willis, Tx -- 6-2 (4) -- 3-0 (2) -- 9-2 (6)

79. Charley Slaton -- Valliant, Ok -- 5-6 (2) -- 3-12 (2) -- 9-2 (4)

80. Anthony Thompson -- Shreveport, La -- 7-5 (5) -- 1-12 (1) -- 9-1 (6)

81. Steve Oram -- Hallsville, Tx -- 3-4 (2) -- 5-10 (4) -- 8-14 (6)

82. Theron Caldwell -- Colleyville, Tx -- 1-6 (1) -- 7-7 (4) -- 8-13 (5)

83. Bronk Mcdaniel -- Alexandria, La -- 2-15 (2) -- 5-13 (4) -- 8-12 (6)

84. Joe Gerard -- Concordia, Ks -- 4-12 (3) -- 3-13 (1) -- 8-9 (4)

85. Randy Cisler -- Mesquite, Tx -- 2-9 (2) -- 5-14 (4) -- 8-7 (6)

86. Michael Matthee -- Centurion, Gp -- 5-11 (4) -- 2-10 (2) -- 8-5 (6)

87. Mark Russell -- Yantis, Tx -- 5-5 (4) -- 2-15 (2) -- 8-4 (6)

88. Sterlyn Wood -- Mertzon, Tx -- 3-4 (2) -- 5-0 (3) -- 8-4 (5)

89. Kyle Hall -- Rio Vista, Tx -- 1-6 (1) -- 6-13 (4) -- 8-3 (5)

90. Lendell Martin Jr -- Nacogdoches, Tx -- 4-13 (3) -- 3-4 (1) -- 8-1 (4)

91. Shane Patrick -- Springdale, Ar -- 0-0 (0) -- 8-0 (4) -- 8-0 (4)

92. Rick Harris -- Del Rio, Tx -- 4-5 (3) -- 3-10 (2) -- 7-15 (5)

93. Tony Coatney -- Afton, Ok -- 1-8 (1) -- 6-0 (3) -- 7-8 (4)

94. James Caldemeyer -- Gilmer, Tx -- 4-11 (3) -- 2-12 (2) -- 7-7 (5)

95. Kevin Lasyone -- Dry Prong, La -- 4-3 (2) -- 3-4 (2) -- 7-7 (4)

96. Logan Mcdonald -- San Angelo, Tx -- 1-6 (1) -- 6-0 (3) -- 7-6 (4)

97. James Marsh -- Thomas, Ok -- 5-4 (1) -- 2-2 (1) -- 7-6 (2)

98. Mark Martin -- Big Wells, Tx -- 1-8 (1) -- 5-12 (4) -- 7-4 (5)

99. Josh Priest -- Quitman, Tx -- 2-8 (2) -- 4-7 (3) -- 6-15 (5)

100. Jimmy Mize -- Ben Lomond, Ar -- 6-14 (3) -- 0-0 (0) -- 6-14 (3)

101. Skeeter Fowler -- Grand Saline, Tx -- 3-8 (2) -- 3-5 (2) -- 6-13 (4)

102. Cody Greaney -- Manchaca, Tx -- 3-3 (2) -- 3-7 (2) -- 6-10 (4)

103. Eric Wright -- Balch Springs, Tx -- 6-8 (2) -- 0-0 (0) -- 6-8 (2)

104. Jeff Cloud -- Lubbock, Tx -- 1-14 (1) -- 4-7 (3) -- 6-5 (4)

105. Mark Mitchell -- Mesquite, Tx -- 1-12 (1) -- 4-8 (2) -- 6-4 (3)

106. Michael Bennett -- Mustang, Ok -- 2-8 (1) -- 3-11 (2) -- 6-3 (3)

107. Alton Wilhoit -- Noble, Ok -- 4-6 (3) -- 1-12 (1) -- 6-2 (4)

108. Kelly Owens -- Crowley, La -- 5-12 (2) -- 0-0 (0) -- 5-12 (2)

109. James Kiser -- Montgomery, Tx -- 1-3 (1) -- 4-3 (3) -- 5-6 (4)

110. Jay Shipe -- Mineola, Tx -- 1-8 (1) -- 3-13 (3) -- 5-5 (4)

111. Curt Warren -- Rose, Ok -- 1-13 (1) -- 3-5 (2) -- 5-2 (3)

112. Mike Richardson -- Thorndale, Tx -- 0-0 (0) -- 5-1 (2) -- 5-1 (2)

113. Todd Town -- Amarillo, Tx -- 4-13 (3) -- 0-0 (0) -- 4-13 (3)

114. Derek Bartley -- Coleman, Tx -- 3-3 (2) -- 1-8 (1) -- 4-11 (3)

115. Robert Brown -- Round Rock, Tx -- 1-9 (1) -- 2-14 (2) -- 4-7 (3)

116. Keith Surber -- Longview, Tx -- 4-4 (2) -- 0-0 (0) -- 4-4 (2)

117. Stan Gerzsenyi -- Del Rio, Tx -- 3-11 (2) -- 0-0 (0) -- 3-11 (2)

118. Cole Moore -- Anacoco, La -- 1-8 (1) -- 1-11 (1) -- 3-3 (2)

119. Matt Pangrac -- Broken Arrow, Ok -- 2-12 (2) -- 0-0 (0) -- 2-12 (2)

120. Michael Yoder -- Texarkana, Ar -- 0-0 (0) -- 2-2 (1) -- 2-2 (1)

121. Waylon Harvey -- Henderson, Tx -- 0-0 (0) -- 1-15 (1) -- 1-15 (1)

122. Randy Sitz -- Prosper, Tx -- 0-0 (0) -- 1-8 (1) -- 1-8 (1)

123. Travis Mcguire -- Lubbock, Tx -- 1-5 (1) -- 0-0 (0) -- 1-5 (1)

Chuck Nelson -- Elmore City, Ok -- 0-0 (0) -- 0-0 (0) -- 0-0 (0)

Eric Faucett -- Norman, Ok -- 0-0 (1) -- 0-0 (0) -- 0-0 (1)

Rob Kilby -- Hot Springs, Ar -- 0-0 (0) -- 0-0 (0) -- 0-0 (0)

Kenneth Graeber -- Bennington, Ne -- 0-0 (0) -- 0-0 (0) -- 0-0 (0)

Richard Cremo -- Laredo, Tx -- 0-0 (0) -- 0-0 (0) -- 0-0 (0)

Floyd Drannon -- Stratford, Ok -- 0-0 (0) -- 0-0 (0) -- 0-0 (0)

Robert Worrell -- Longview, Tx -- 0-0 (0) -- 0-0 (0) -- 0-0 (0)