Locals dot tournament landscape

BASS winner Harvey Horne and co-angler Jeff Wallace of West Monroe head down the Arkansas River

We’ve found that most people’s interest in fishing is centered more around the recreational aspect of it than following competitive events. But that doesn’t change the fact that tournaments of all shapes and sizes are a huge part of today’s fishing scene.

This past weekend proves that. And if you think that is something going on “somewhere else” with limited local interest, check out this report.

The American Crappie Trail and Crappie Masters have become everyday conversation items around Lake D’Arbonne. Both trails had tournaments this weekend. In addition, pro bass tournaments keep growing and while we don’t have one of those in our backyard, we have quite a few area fishermen who hit these trails.

Take a look:

Capps and the 3.01 slab

Quite a contingent of more than a dozen Lake D’Arbonne Country crappie teams hit the ACT event on Ross Barnett  this weekend. The Mississippi lake was not kind to most of our fishermen, but they did garner crucial points toward the National Championship which will be held on D’Arbonne early next spring.

The well-known national team of Ronnie Capps and Steve Coleman landed 14 crappie weighing 28.16 including a big fish of 3.01 to win the event. The next stop on the ACT will be on the Ouachita River this summer. Charlie and Heath Fitzgerald finished 18th and were the highest ranking local team. Wes Barmore and Mark Theodos finished 23rd. Shannon Porter and Trey Underwood were 24th.  We’ve attached a list of how they finished at the end of this report. Total payout on the event was $62,400.

Meanwhile, Crappie Masters was over on Lake Eufaula in Oklahoma. Only one area team fished there and didn’t find the Okie crappie very nice either.
Lake Eufaula Champions are Eric and Leann Howard with 11.35 pounds.

On the pro bass front, Adrian College’s Nick Marsh and Jarrod Layton rode a wave of shallow largemouth to victory at Pickwick Lake in the Carhartt Bassmaster College Series Southern Tour with a three-day total of 58 pounds, 11 ounces.

Louisiana Tech’s Kyle Weems and Trent Turner finished 10th in the event with 46-15 and ULM’s Tyler Craig and were 17th with 43-11. The event had 196 teams from colleges and universities around the south.

Meanwhile, over on the Arkansas River out of Muskogee, Oklahoma, a man with close ties to this area, Harvey Horne of Bella Vista, Ark., won the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Central Open on the Arkansas River.

Horne, a former resident of Ouachita and Union parishes, tallied a three-day total of 15 bass weighing 52 pounds, 7 ounces.

Harvey Horne

One of the neatest stories from the tournament wasn’t about a fish, but about rekindling an old friendship. When Horne received a text message Thursday evening notifying him he would be paired with co-angler Jeff Wallace of West Monroe, La., he knew he was going to have a good day.

“We have known each other since kindergarten,” Horne said. “We played football and baseball and other stuff together.”

Horne said he and Wallace “kind of lost touch” when they grew older, and Friday was the first time they had ever fished together.

“We absolutely had a ball,” said Horne. “We got to have fun today and from what I have been hearing, a lot of people aren’t having fun. On a day like today when you go have fun catching some great fish and hanging out with a great person like him, it’s a good time.”

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ACT final results. check for your favorite Lake D’Arbonne Country angler and how they finished (click to enlarge):