Angler Wins Legend Bass Boat at Lake Ouachita Big Bass Splash
OutdoorHub 10.23.13
When the waves settled Sunday evening at the Big Bass Splash presented by Sealy Outdoors and B.A.S.S., Kou Yang, of Glenwood, AR, was handed the keys to a brand new 2013 Legend 186 powered by Mercury. Kou Yang weighed his fish in the 10-11 hour on Saturday and tipped the scales at 5.66 lbs to take the overall lead.
Saturday morning started off with rain and thunderstorms resulting in anglers bringing a steady amount of bass to the scales. A total of 93 fish were caught on Day 1 with a total of 244.58 lbs and a 2.68 average weight. In the 12 to 1 o’clock hour, the average weight was 3.18 lbs. Sunday turned out to be a beautiful warm day with more fish weighed in. The weights were smaller on Sunday than they were on Saturday and only one fish was weighed in big enough to finish in the Top 5 Overall, Evan Barnes with a 4.92. Kou Yang held on for the win sending him home with $38,000 in cash and prizes.
Kou Yang has been fishing Lake Ouachita for about 7 years and has never fished a Big Bass Tournament. He caught his fish on a White Heddon Super Spook in about 2 foot of water just North of Mountain Harbor. “I was so excited to enter the event, and at the end of two days, take home the Legend. I’m sure to be back next year”, Yang says.
Finishing out the Overall Top 5 were:
2nd Place- (5.59) Trent Owens; Amity, AR- $2,500 CASH
3rd Place- (4.98) Eric Wilson; Mount Ida, AR- $2,000 CASH
4th Place- (4.92) Larry Ford; Lonsdale, AR- $1,500 CASH
5th Place- (4.92) Evan Barnes; Hot Springs, AR- $1,000 CASH
Each day $1,000 CASH is awarded for the first 4.00 exact weight bass weighed in. Neither one was weighed, so they became an open drawing amongst the contestants. Tim Nesterenko of Little Rock, AR was the first name drawn to claim his $1,000 and then Alecia House of Mena, AR was drawn for the second $1,000. Alecia House is the wife of Brandon House whom won the Elimination Boat at Lake Fork just a few weeks ago.
Patrick Izell of Greenwood, AR won a Polaris Sportsman 400 HD (Sponsored by Greeson Polaris) in the famous “Elimination Drawing”.
Anglers from all over came to win their share of $85,000 Guaranteed in Cash & Prizes. There were 348 entries in this year’s Lake Ouachita, AR event. There were 10 states represented with anglers coming from as far away as Connecticut and Florida.
Next year’s dates were announced on Sunday during the Awards Ceremony for October 11 & 12, 2014. A Special Thank you for the local support from Mountain Harbor Resort & Spa along with US 97 for being the Official Radio Station. A Special Thank You to Caleb, Bryce, Dylan and Kyle with the Lake Hamilton Bass-N-Wolves Fishing Team for running fish.
