Venue: Lake Okeechobee
February 27-28
The inaugural Hook’d Up Big Bass Fishing Tournament attracted 450 anglers from the local area and as far north as Ontario Canada. This two day event featured a bi-hourly weigh-
in format in which individuals could weigh-in their Big Bass at four different locations positioned around the lake. Each bi-hourly time slot awarded cash prizes for the top 10 bass.
At the end of the tournament the top three heaviest bass were awarded the grand prizes. In addition to the unique time slot and the multiple weigh-in locations, this tournament was open to all types of boats, including bass boats, Jon-boats, pontoon boats, airboats, and even kayaks. All you needed was a boat and a working livewell to participate. Due to a series of cold fronts that came through that weekend, the fishing was tough. Early morning air temperatures were in the low 40’s and water temperatures in the shallows fell to 55°F. This forced many of the spawning bass to leave their beds to seek warmer waters or they sheltered under thick vegetation matts. During the two days, morning weights were light with bass as small as 3.08-lbs being able to cash in on some of the prize money. As the afternoon rolled around, the air temperature rose and so too did the weights. The winning weight of 8.09-lbs wasn’t registered until the final hours of fishing. Over the two day event, 217 bass were brought to the scales. Being the first tournament on Lake Okeechobee with this format, it was a great success. Despite the cold and wind, all the participants had a great time and are looking forward to the next event.
- 1st Place: Mike Davis, Big Bass, 8.09-lbs, $20,000 cash prize
- 2nd Place: Jai Hunter Sr., Big Bass, 7.90-lbs, $ 6,000 cash prize
- 3rd Place: Sander Entus, Big Bass 7.04-lbs, $ 4,000 cash prize