Robert Kessler of Spring, Texas, won the Co-angler Division Saturday with a three-day total of 13 bass weighing 36 pounds, 13 ounces.
The Spring, Texas co-angler put a Neko rig in his hand on day one and never looked back. Paired with James Marsh on day one, Kessler scrounged up four bass worth 8 pounds, 15 ounces to sit in 22nd. He drew Skeeter Fowler on day two and caught a whopping 17-12 with four bass – thanks to an 8-13 that took big bass honors – to skyrocket to second place. On Saturday, fishing with local guide Justin Cooper, Kessler finally caught a limit weighing 10-2 and walked away with a new Phoenix 518 Pro with a 115 horsepower Suzuki.
“This was my first time fishing Toledo Bend,” Kessler says. “I took about a 25-year break from bass fishing and decided I wanted to get back into it. Things have changed so much over the last 25 years that it really speeds things up for learning when you fish with guys like this.”
His Neko rig setup consisted of a YUM Dinger with a 1/8-ounce VMC Neko Weight and a VMC Weedless Neko hook on the business side.