January 26, 2018 - Allen/Loetscner grab win in TTT opener
More than 250 teams anted up for the 2018 Texas Team Trail season opener held Jan. 13 on Toledo Bend. Several found the big ones biting.
Harold Allen and Matt Loetscner topped the field with a five-fish sack weighing 28.74. The win earned them a fully rigged boat and bonus money valued at $34,045.
Allen said their bites came on jigs fished slowly along offshore drops in 10-20 feet with brush nearby.
“We fished spots that had some wood, not only on the bottom, but also hanging off the drop,” Allen said. “Right now, the fish are either going to be right on top of the drop, or where it eases off. If you can find some cover off the side of the ledge, that’s even better. Some of our fish were right on top of the ledge and some of them halfway down the sides of the drops.”
George Jeane and Tater Reynolds finished a close second with 27.47 anchored by a 10.32 pound kicker. Eleven other teams broke the 20-pound mark.
The next TTT event is set for Feb. 10 on Sam Rayburn. The popular circuit heads to Lake Amistad on April 14th and Ray Roberts on May 5.
'Chronicle scribe, LFSA latest HOF inductees
Long-time Houston Chronicle outdoors writer, Shannon Tompkins of Porter, and the Lake Fork Sportsman's Association, will be inducted to the Texas Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame this spring.
Based at the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center in Athens, the HOF recognizes individuals and organizations that have made unique or significant contributions to freshwater fishing across the state.
Tompkins has been employed by Hearst newspapers for more than three decades and has covered a wide range of freshwater topics related to recreation, conservation and environmental issues. He has earned numerous awards on the state and national levels along the way. The LFSA is local conservation organization with a special interest in Lake Fork and its natural resources.
The latest HOF inductees will be honored during an induction ceremony held during the 2018 Toyota Bassmaster Texas Fest in May.
Matt Williams is a freelance writer based in Nacogdoches. He can be reached by e-mail, mattwillwrite4u@yahoo.com.
