Original Caption: "Ron Shuffield of Bismarck unhooks the 10-pound 4-ounce lunker that proved to be the biggest bass taken during the recent BASSmaster Texas Invitational tournament on Texas' Sam Rayburn Reservoir. Shuffield caught the bass, his biggest ever, on a four-inch plastic worm worked on eight-pound test line. The fish was worth a $17,000 Ranger boat rig. Shuffield earned an additional $2,400 in cash for his seventh-place finish and is now eighth in the season standings for the BASS Masters Classic. April 1987, Baxter Bulletin (AR), photo submitted.

By request, today’s Friday Finale historical photo features Ron Shuffield. This old news photo dates back to 1987 and the BASSmaster Texas Invitational tournament on Texas’ Sam Rayburn Reservoir. Ron held the first day lead, weighing an opening day limit of 5 bass going 21 pounds that also included the event’s big bass at 10-pounds, 4-ounces.

Ron was 30 years old at the time and a former steelworker just turned bass professional. Interestingly, he had won the big bass award the previous year in the same event – and another boat. He caught this big bass on a four-inch purple ringworm with an eighth-ounce slip sinker and eight-pound test line. The fish came from seven feet of water.

In the news article Ron stated, “I was fishing for bedding bass. I didn’t see the fish on beds, but I knew there were some bedding fish in the area.”

After Day 1, he held a 3-pound lead over second place angler Denny Brauer, who flipped a jig and pork frog to willows and buck brush to land 18-13 pounds of bass.