QUITMAN, TX – May 11, 2014: All eyes on were on Keith Combs this week at Lake Fork and he did not disappoint, leading wire-to-wire as he won his third TTBC title. On the eve of this event, Combs made a statement that seemed insane at the time – it could possibly take a 35lb or even a 40lb average per day to win this event. He was not that far off with fifteen bass for 110lbs, Keith set a new world record for a three day professional bass tournament. That’s a remarkable average of 7.33 pounds per bass weighed in. This is his third win in the TTBC in the last four years and it will certainly solidify his place in professional bass fishing history and further enhance Combs’ already legendary status in Texas. The TTBC is Fun For All Even when records are not being broken at the TTBC, all of the professional anglers who qualify are thrilled to get here and even more excited during the event. It is a truly unifying event, bringing the top anglers from the PAA, the FLW Tour and the Bassmaster Elite Series. Combs says more than any tournament, this is the one he looks forward to each year. “Everything about this tournament is so much fun, you have great concerts, amazing crowds and big Texas bass. What could be better?” asks Combs. Lake Fork Fishing Prior to this, I had no idea how good Lake Fork is, says the three-time world champ. Although Combs lives in Huntington, Texas, he really hasnt much prior experience on Lake Fork. While Combs made his win look easy this week, it was not without challenges along the way. After his Day 1 haul of 42lbs, he had a large group of spectator and camera boats following his every move. In addition, he was sharing the same areas with two anglers who were also in the top ten after the first day. This changed his strategy and how he made decisions throughout the day. “We were covering huge expanses of water by ‘strolling’ (long-lining) so we had to let the spectator boats know where we were headed so they could back off a little as we brought our crankbaits through. The boats out there were great though, you always hear about it how they will go in and fish your areas as soon as you leave, but thankfully everyone was great and left it alone when we left and went to another spot,” added Combs. Keith Combs rotated through several spots throughout the event and felt that timing was a critical aspect to his win. His toughest challenge was the morning of Day 3. “I went to where I caught them on Day 2 and didn’t catch a fish. I fished a few different spots in my rotation and caught a good one at each spot and had intentions to hit those areas again but never had to because my next spot produced a 6-8, an 8lber and I don’t know how many five pounders, it was amazing,” said Combs. His timing throughout the week on his key areas changed every day as the fish moved. Each hour and each day was different and it required being in the right place at the right time when the fish were biting. Lake Fork at its Peak right now Over the past few years Keith Combs has spent countless days on Texas lakes Amistad and Falcon guiding and fishing for fun, but believes that right now Lake Fork rivals the highest peaks at those or any fisheries. “Lake Fork is fishing better than any lake in Texas right now and probably the whole country. If anyone is planning a trip to Texas for bass fishing you need to come here to Lake Fork and you better get here really quick because the big fish are biting,” urged Combs. What’s Next? Everybody has heard of Lake Fork, it is the Texas state record lake and it produced a lot of 16 and 17 pounders back in its heyday. Well, last year they started catching them really good here, and this event proved that it is still the best lake in Texas! Id love to come back here in the very near future just to do some fun fishing, and I hope theyll keep having the Toyota Texas Bass Classic here. Lake Conroe has been great to me (where I won my first two TTTBCs), but I want to come back here next year and do this again. Lake Fork is unbelievable! You really never know what youre going to catch. Every time I set the hook today, I thought it was going to be a 10 pounder. In your mind, theres no doubt of the potential Lake Fork has on any cast. There arent many places we fish on the pro tours where that happens.
Posted on: Wed, 14 May 2014 17:05:31 +0000
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