The Big Bass Splash on Toledo Bend celebrated it's 30th year May 20-22, 2016 at Cypress Bend Park with participants from sea to shining sea. Hourly winners have included those from Rhode Island to California, cashing in on a part of the $520,000 up for grabs in Guaranteed total cash and prizes. Thanks to the participants and Sealy Outdoors, St. Jude Children also a big winner from this event.
With fifteen places being paid each hour, plus a $5,000 bounty on the first 3.00 - 4.00 and 5.00 even weight bass brought to the scales, anglers will be busy at it catching their fish and rushing them to the scales. In an event like this, it is much like playing poker. You've got to know when to hold' em and know when to weigh' em if you want to cash in on the winnings. The Little Anglers also competed in their own division, winning prizes for the biggest bass, crappie, catfish or perch. Winners in the Little Anglers division received gift cards from Academy Sports and Outdoors.
All of the unclaimed exact weight bonuses will up for grabs and all contestants have a chance to be drawn to win - but you have to be present to claim the prize.
As has become tradition, Sealy Outdoors will share the stage Sunday as the Toledo Bend Lake Association presented the replicas earned by lucky anglers over this past year catching bass in excess of ten pounds and registering their catch with the Lunker Bass Program. This program is at no cost to the anglers, and the free replicas are presented to these anglers at the annual Big Bass Splash at Cypress Bend Park. As a world-class fishery, this number keeps growing every year.
"Toledo Bend has been coming on strong over this past year, thanks to the great management and efforts from the Toledo Bend Lake Association, the Sabine River Authority and the surrounding communities. You will see proof of their success Sunday when we turn the stage over to them to present the lunker replica's to the anglers who caught bass ten pounds or more and turned them into the Toledo Lunker Program over this past year," state Bob Sealy, CEO of the Big Bass Splash. Linda Curtis Sparks gave accolades to the program and the anglers who have participated in it over the years helping to make it the success that it is today. Dinah Medine of the Lunker Program reported that over 421 replicas have been given away in the ten years of the program, 35 of the bass entered into the program have been caught more that once and re-entered. Scottie Lucas of Scottie's Taxidermy has been making the replicas for the anglers to commemorate their catch and encourages anglers to live release these big fish back into the lake. "The Toledo Bend Association makes it possible for this program to exisit. I encourage everyone who enjoys this lake to become a member. Visit their website at www.ToledoBendLakeAssociation.com for more information.
Every year, a portion of the proceeds from the Big Bass Splash events is donated to the Ronald McDonald
