Mize finds new way to land fish
 ATHENS, Ala. – Despite some technical difficulties, Melinda Mize of Ben Lomond, Ark., won her first Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Weekend Series, operated by American Bass Anglers, Arkansas Division 12 tournament, held June 26, 2010, on Lake Millwood near Texarkana.
The 27-year-old daughter of professional bass anglers Jimmy and Lucy Mize won the Boater Division with five bass. She landed 13.76 pounds, but finished with an official weight of 13.26 pounds after suffering a penalty. One bass tipped the scales at 4.33 pounds. She caught about 25 bass, including eight keepers to win.
“This is my home lake,” she said. “I grew up five minutes from it and fished it all my life. I had to put a lot of things together to make a winning bag. I just kept moving. I caught most of my fish on topwaters or a Carolina rig, but caught all three blacks by doing different things.”
According to Arkansas regulations, anglers could not bring in more than three black bass from the 29,200-acre impoundment on the Little River. Each black bass had to exceed the 16-inch minimum length limit, but pro anglers could fill out their five-fish tournament limits with Kentucky spotted bass.
“I knew I had to catch the spots early since we could only weigh in three blacks,” Mize explained. “After I caught them, I just ran different places all day long. The areas that I fished really paid off.”
Mize almost didn’t land one big black bass. With four good fish in the boat, she needed a solid black to make a limit. Fishing a Carolina rig, the pro set the hook on a 3.5-pound largemouth. Then, trouble erupted.
“My mom always said if you’re meant to win, everything lines up,” Mize explained. “Today, I proved it. When I set the hook, the fish felt like a tree. I knew it was a good fish. Then, my reel popped off my rod. The fish was pulling steady as I was trying to get my reel back on my rod. Finally, I just threw my rod and reel on the deck and wrapped the line around the trolling motor. When the fish’s head popped out of the water, I just held it there until my partner could get the net. When we got it into the boat, I had rods, reels and line everywhere.”
In second for the boaters, Marty Thomas, 49, of Fouke landed three bass for 10.58 pounds. Catching 20 fish with six keepers, his biggest weighed 5.46 pounds. Fishing a patch of grass in shallow water, he earned $1,078.
“I missed some good fish,” Thomas admitted. “I found some fish in practice. I had been catching them on frogs, but today, I caught them by flipping trees with Sweet Beaver jigs and Texas rigs. I caught the biggest one on a California 420 Beaver and caught some on black or black and blue. I lost four good fish. I know at least three would have upgraded my bag tremendously.”
Chad Williamson, 32, of Texarkana landed three bass for 10.13 pounds with one 4.18-pounder. He landed 15 fish, mostly on a black neon chigger craw, to pocket $714.
“I just stayed on typical summer patterns,” Williamson said. “We caught fish around the grass. I didn’t have time to go looking for spotted bass.”
Matt Mize of Ben Lomond finished fourth with five bass weighing 9.80 pounds, followed by Tony Nesterenko of Little Rock with three bass at 8.67 pounds. With only one bass, Bryan Calloway of Pine Bluff took 10th place. His 5.81-pound lunker topped the division. 
For the Co-Anglers, Tim Crow, 31, of Malvern landed a three-bass division limit weighing 8.35 pounds to win. He caught 20 fish, mostly on shad-colored crankbaits or topwaters.
In second, Dylan Hays of Greenbriar landed three keepers weighing 8.15 pounds, followed by Rob Russow of Little Rock with three bass going 7.73 pounds. Randy Allen of Atkins took fourth with three bass and 7.26 pounds. Buddy Rudolph of Bismarck finished fifth, but his one 7.04-pound bucketmouth took tournament big bass honors.
About American Bass Anglers: The Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Weekend Series provides weekend anglers a professionally operated competitive tour with a path the world championship of bass fishing the Bassmaster Classic. American Bass Anglers commitment is to provide low cost, close to home tournaments for the weekend angler and at the same time offer each competitor an upward path for individual angler progression. For more information about American Bass Anglers and the American Fishing Tour, The Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Weekend Series, The American 150 Series or the American Couples Series, visit www.americanbassanglers.com.
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