Today’s Friday Finale covers a 1995 Louisiana newspaper story, “Cooley wins McDonald’s Big Bass Tournament,” that highlights a Toledo Bend big bass caught in an annual fishing tournament on the famous reservoir. The contest was the Bob Sealy McDonald’s Big Bass Tournament, and this particular iteration was the ninth in the series. Today the tournament has evolved into the Sealy Outdoors Big Bass Splash, “Where Amateurs Win Like The Pros.” In this story, the contest was won by Karlos Cooley (pictured above) who landed a nearly 7-and-a-half pound toad only 10 minutes into the two-day contest. It’s a heckuva nice bass taken from Toledo Bend, a lake known for producing trophy largemouth.
Some highlights from the story:
- “Cooley won $14,200 in prizes and cash, including a fully rigged 1995 Stratos 268, with a 70-horsepower Evinrude motor, plus a Stratos Trail trailer. He will also receive a replica of the 7.54 pound bass at next year’s Bob Sealy’s Tenth Annual McDonald’s Big Bass Tournament.”
- “‘That was the longest nine hours I’ve ever spent on the lake,’ Cooley said about the second day of the tournament. ‘It’s the biggest fish I’ve ever caught.'”
- “There were 1,950 people entered in the tournament. Cooley caught his tournament winning bass on a White Lunker Lure, with Buzz Bait in about two feet of water, just south of the Pendleton Bridge.”
- “‘Karlos didn’t touch the fish until after he had it weighed in. I put it in the bag.’ Byron Cooley said. ‘This was Karlos’ first McDonald’s tournament. This was our second tournament fishing together and we won both tournaments.'”
- “Proceeds from the tournament went to the Ronald McDonald House of Houston, Texas. More than $24,000 was raised for the Ronald McDonald House.”
Below is the second photo that was included in the article.
1950 people entered in the tournament!!! I bet that was a cluster of a mess to deal with…lol.
Haha! No kidding!