Allen & Ackerman Win Boats

The Mid States Tournament Association (MSTA) held their championship Sunday October 12, 2008 out of Camp Branch Marina at Smithville Lake.  The top 35 boaters and non-boaters from the regular season made it to the no-entry fee championship where anglers fished for cash and prizes worth over $58,000.

There is not another circuit around where anglers can fish for such prizes with such a low entry fee for anglers during the regular season.  Special thanks go out to Smithville Marine, Stratos Boats and Evinrude Motors who are the title sponsors of the tournament, without all of their hard work and support none of this would be available.  Entry fees into the 2009 season are now being taken; call Smithville Marine at 816-532-4000 for more information.

Winners of the tournament were boater David Allen from Platte City, MO and his non-boater partner David Ackerman from Claycomo, MO.  This team brought 4 fish to the scales that weighed 10.52 lbs. on an extremely tough day of fishing.  With MSTA’s unique format where both the boater and the non-boater combine their fish to make up the teams weight for the day, today was one of those days when the format paid of big time.

David Allen got on stage and gave all the credit to his non-boater partner David Ackerman, Mr. Allen said “All I did was drive the boat today”, and in a personal interview called David Ackerman “A fishing machine.”

This team hit several places on the lake that David Allen had in mind with no luck, but as is the case with the unique format that the MSTA offers the boater and the non-boater, they worked as a team and Mr. Allen asked Mr. Ackerman for his input, who suggested they go to the milfoil beds, David Allen listened and the rest is history so to say.

David Allen walked away from this tournament with a Stratos 285 ProXL rigged with an Evinrude E-tec 150 outboard professionally rigged by Smithville Marine; his package prize was worth $30,000.  David Ackerman won a Stratos 176XT with an Evinrude 50 E-tec professionally rigged by Smithville Marine; his package was worth $15,000.

Second place went to the team of Eddie Yocum from Smithville, MO and his non-boater partner Bill Horvath from Leavenworth, KS.  This team brought in two fish to the scales that weighed 9.32 lbs.

Again, the non-boater played a key role in the teams high finish, with Bill Horvath’s 6.02 lb. toad sealing the team’s high finish.  Bill’s big fish ended up being big fish of the tournament on both the boater and non-boater side.  Eddie took home $2,500.00 for second place on the boater side and since he was running a Stratos boat that he won from Smithville Marine in a drawing a few years ago, he took home an additional $1,000.00 thanks to the Smithville Marine bonus bucks program, where anglers are rewarded for their loyalty.  Bill took home $1,000.00 in cash for second place.

Third place went to the team of Jim Sloan from Kansas City, KS and Jed Hawkins from Lansing, KS this team brought 3 fish to the scales that weighed 7.04 lbs.   Jim took home $1,000.00 for third place and Jed took home $500.00.

Layton Strong was the highest finisher to run a Non-Stratos boat from Smithville Marine and in doing so won $500.00 for running a boat purchased from Smithville Marine thanks to the Smithville Marine bonus bucks program.

Alsop & Buso Finish With a Win

The Mid States Tournament Association (MSTA) held their last qualifying event of the 2008 season out of Camp Branch Marina, September 7, 2008. Smithville Marine, Stratos Boats, and Evinrude Motors are the title sponsors of the 2008 MSTA events.

There was a lot on the line today for many anglers today — it was make it or break it to be able to fish the 2008 championship, which will be held in October on Smithville Lake. This year, both the boater and non-boater championship winners will take home new Stratos boats with Evinrude motors professionally rigged by Smithville Marine.

The winning championship boater will take home a new Stratos 285 Pro XL with a 150 Evinrude motor. The non-boater championship winner taking home a Stratos 176XT rigged with an Evinrude motor.  Each qualifying tournament also offers big cash incentives for anglers running boats purchased from Smithville Marine and today was no different as the top two anglers cashed in big on those incentives.  The Stratos 2X program is available, where anglers can double their winnings, Skeeter Real Money, which pays up to an additional $3,000.00, and the  “Smithville Marine Bonus Bucks” where anglers are rewarded for their loyalty for purchasing boats from Smithville Marine.  Call Smithville Marine at 816-532-4000 for more information on all of the extra incentives and advantages of owning a boat purchased from Smithville Marine, they have been serving anglers for more than 25 years.

Congratulations go out to Chris Self for winning the points championship on the boater side and to Greg Bennett on the non-boater side; it was a long hard fought battle for both positions!

First place went to the team of Tom Alsop from Overland Park, KS and his non-boater partner Matt Buso from Blue Springs, MO this team had a total of 6 keeper fish on the day with their best five weighing 15.82 lbs.  Tom almost tripled his regular winnings thanks to Smithville Marine and Stratos boats. Tom doubled his winnings from $1180 to $2360 since he was eligible for the Stratos 2X program and he also took home an additional $1,000.00 in winnings since he was running a Stratos boat purchased from Smithville Marine thanks to the Smithville Marine Bonus bucks program. As you can see it pays to run a boat from Smithville Marine!  Tom and Matt caught their fish a variety of ways, one key fish came on a Spro frog out of the milfoil beds, 2 fish came on Carolina rigged Big Bite creature (www.bigbitebaits.com) and 3 fish came flipping the same creature bait to tree lines in 5 to 8 foot of water.

Second place went to Layton Strong from Pleasant Valley, MO and Randy Oliphant from Blue Springs, MO with the only other five fish limit that weighed 13.64 lbs.  Layton received an additional $250.00 courtesy of the Smithville Marine bonus bucks program since he was the highest finisher to run a “non-Stratos” Smithville Marine boat.  Layton and Randy caught all of their fish on buzzbaits and flipping soft plastics to tree rows on an all day bite, with their last fish coming 15 minutes before weigh in.

Third place went to Bryce Reider from Independence, MO and Andrew McKown from Trimble, MO with four fish that weighed 10.10 lbs.  Bryce and Andrew threw Daves Custom Baits square billed crankbaits to laydowns and pole timber to catch their fish, and this team reported catching all of their fish early in the day.

Big bass on the boater side went to Kim Much with a 5.86 lb. fish.

Big bass on the non-boater side went to Randy Oliphant with a 4.12 fish.

Willet/Buso Flip For the Win

The third event of the Mid States Tournament Association (MSTA) season saw 106 anglers (53 boaters and 53 co-anglers) turn out to brave the heat and high skies. And they were duly rewarded because fishing at Smithville is really good right now.

Although we are not seeing the big bags that were so common last year, we are seeing a lot of 5 fish limits being brought to the scales. We had a 23 lb. plus bag brought in at the second MSTA event but other than that, the weights have really been way below normal compared to last year. The nice thing is the reports of all of the 14-½ fish being caught; look for those fish to be keepers in the very near future. The next MSTA event will be held July 13th, call Smithville Marine to get signed up for this next event.

First place went to the team of Wes Willet and his non-boater partner Matt Buso, although this team only brought 4 fish to the scales, Matt’s 4.48 non-boater big bass sealed the victory for the team. Their total weight of 13.76 lbs. Earned Wes $1,300.00 for first place and another $500.00 courtesy of the Smithville Marine bonus bucks program since he fished out of his Stratos boat that he purchased from Smithville Marine.

Matt won $425.00 for first place on the non-boater side. With the lake being just over a foot and a half high this team concentrated their efforts in the flooded grass through out the lake. They caught fish in both the clean and dirty water catching their fish on Senko’s and craws flipped to the edges of the grass. This team reported catching over 25 fish on the day with several just shy of the 15” length limit.

Second place went to Steve Stroud and Will Abernathy with a five fish limit that weighed 12.60 lbs. This team also caught fish on Senko’s, but they caught all of their fish on hard wood laydowns. Steve won $765.00 on the boater side and Will took home $335.00 on the non-boater side.

Third place went to Chris Self and John Beus with 4 fish that weighed 12.38 lbs. Chris reported losing a 3 lb. Plus fish in the last 5 minutes of the tournament that cost them the win. Chris and John also concentrated on fishing the flooded grass, or the “Slop” as Chris calls it. They caught flipping Big Bite Yo-Mammas on Falcon Cara T-7 rods, Chris reported that using the Falcon T-7 gave him the extra sensitivity needed for connecting on the light biting fish. Chris took home $635.00 on the boater side and John won $265.00 on the non-boater side.

Tom Carlin who finished just out of the money in 12th place still won $250.00 courtesy of the Smithville Marine bonus bucks program. Tom was the highest finisher to run a non-Stratos boat purchased from Smithville Marine.

Mike Payne took home boater big bass money of $520.00 for his 4.54 lb. Bass.

Matt Buso won non-boater big with a 4.48 lb. Fish - $260.00.

A pre-tournament meeting was held Saturday evening before the tournament to pair boaters and non-boaters. Several nice prizes were drawn to those that attended the pre-tournament meeting, as is the case at every meeting. Shane Voyles was the lucky winner of a Hummingbird 767 valued at $500.00 courtesy of Hummingbird and Smithville Marine, a custom rod from the Rod Shop was given out courtesy of The Rod Shop, a $100.00 cash certificate courtesy of Allstates Insurance and several other nice prizes courtesy of Smithville Marine were given away. Several different models of Stratos boats were at the Lake on Sunday and those that took advantage of test drives took home some nice prizes as well, courtesy of Smithville Marine and Stratos Boats.

Smithville Marine, Stratos boats and Evinrude Motors are the title sponsors of the 2008 MSTA circuit. Anglers can cash in with extra incentives at each tournament via the Smithville Marine bonus bucks program and the Stratos 2X Program. Smithville Marine has been serving the Midwest for over 25 years, don’t miss out on your chance to cash in at the next tournament! Visit SmithvilleMarine.com call
816-532-4000 for more information.