In today’s historical photo, Shorty’s Big Trophy, we look back to one of the big regional tournament circuits that was around in the beginning years of the bass tournament craze. These circuits played a big part in creating the names we’d all come to know through Bassmaster Magazine. One such circuit was Project Sports Inc. (PSI).
The following report from the Bossier Press gave some good information on the recent Project Sports, Inc. $30,000 Open Bass Tournament that was held in August 1972 on Sam Rayburn Reservoir, TX. Contestants fished for 35.5 hours over 3 days (12 hours on Days 1 and 2, 11 1/2 hours on Day 3) and there were 254 entrants representing 15 states, including 3 women; Sandra Rood (Phoenix), Pat Hinton (Amarillo), Mary Ann Martin, Roland Martin’s wife, of (Paul’s Valley).
The newspaper reports described the weather as follows: “The weather for this tournament was an improvement over what we had on Toledo. It was just hot. No wind, no rain, just plain hot. The temperatures soared into the 90’s, the high 90’s to be exact.”
Winner Shorty Evans, pictured in the photo standing beside the trophy, which appears to be as tall as he, also garnered a check for $5,000 plus $100 for 3rd biggest bass (Day 1).
Other notable names in the top 10 included second-place finisher Elroy Krueger, third-place angler John Fox, fifth-place angler Jimmy Houston, and eighth-place Roland Martin.
Here are the winning details placed in the story: “We talked to Shorty immediately following the weigh-in and discovered that he manufactures the Shorty Evans Metal ElectricTrolling Motor Props. He got into that business when he discovered he was about to go broke buying replacement props for his own electric motor. Shorty offers a lifetime guarantee on his props and claims they get more RPM’s, cut through the moss better and are virtually unbreakable.
“Also discovered that he used Tom Mann’s Jelly Worms, Rebels and Redfins fished in water not over 6 feet deep to capture the fish that brought him that first place. He’s also an undertaker but I think that has become a sideline sandwiched in between bass fishing and trolling motor props.”
