GRAPEVINE, Texas - There?s a reason Ish Monroe is building a house in the Lone Star State.
The Hughson, Calif., pro won his first Bassmaster title at the season-opening CITGO Bassmaster Elite Series tournament- the Battle on the Border- on Lake Amistad in Del Rio, Texas, in March.
Monroe ended his season Saturday by winning the Busch Shootout on Grapevine Lake.
The BUSCH Shootout will air Saturday, October 21, on ESPN2 at 10 a.m. ET.? It will reair Oct. 24, Nov. 7, Dec. 8 and Dec. 30.?
??I love Texas,? a delighted Monroe shouted Saturday at the weigh-in at Scott?s Landing Marina after defeating fellow Californian Fred Roumbanis in the final round of the BUSCH Shootout to win the $100,000 top prize.
Monroe, of Hughson, Calif., who is building a house in Del Rio, caught five bass weighing 7 pounds, 6 ounces, including one of about 4 pounds. Roumbanis, of Auburn, Calif., had one fish weighing 3-3.
?It got really, really tough,? Roumbanis said. ?My fish left. They weren?t in the same areas. The conditions were right. Everything was right. I think it came down to a lack of knowing the lake.?
That was the second time Monroe and Roumbanis finished 1-2 respectively. In the Battle on the Border, Monroe caught a four-day total of 104-8. Roumbanis was second at 101-13.
Monroe qualified for the BUSCH Shootout with a catch weighing 34-1 on the third day at Amistad. Roumbanis qualified with a weight of 28-1 on the final day at Amistad.
The Shootout featured the 10 anglers who weighed the heaviest single-day catches during 2006 Elite Series and the three anglers who weighed the heaviest one-day bags at the 2006 Bassmaster Classic, the 2006 Federation Nation Championship and the 2005 Open Championship.
After fishing Friday, the four anglers with the heaviest weights qualified to fish Saturday. Denny Brauer of Camdenton, Mo., led the way at 23-4, followed by Monroe at 15-15, Kevin Wirth of Crestwood, Ky., at 15-1 and Roumbanis at 14-12. As the top seed, Brauer fished against Roumbanis Saturday morning while Monroe and Wirth squared off.
Roumbanis, a second-year pro, shocked the crowd assembled for the weigh-in by beating Brauer, 57, the 1998 Bassmaster Classic champion and the 2006 Toyota Horizon Winner. Roumbanis had three fish weighing 5-6. Brauer had two fish weighing 5-1.
Monroe had a five-fish limit weighing 6-4 to beat Wirth, who had one fish weighing 2-14.
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?The key is always make sure you come in with five,? said Monroe, who caught his limit by a dam where the water was flowing, then fished around some docks where he caught a few more fish.
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Monroe went back to the dam Saturday afternoon and never left. The spot had produced a bass of 7-11 for Monroe Friday morning and he hoped to catch a limit, then go for a kicker fish -- a big bass that would boost his weight.
It took him 90 minutes to catch a small keeper bass on a small plastic worm. Then he switched to a Tru Tungsten jig with a grub catching a number of bass.
??That?s a problem that I?ve had for a lot of years. Finishing,? Monroe said. ?It comes to a point where you have to close. You catch five, then you have to go out and catch that kicker fish. I feel that?s going to help my career.?
Click here to download related photos of the BUSCH Shootout.?
BUSCH beer is the ?Official Beer of BASS,? and committed to supporting BASS anglers across the country through its current association with BASS, and its sponsorship of Denny Brauer, 16-time winner of the CITGO Bassmaster Tournament Trail and 1987 BASS Angler of the Year.?
BASS is the worldwide authority on bass fishing, sanctioning more than 20,000 events through the BASS Federation Nation annually. Guided by its mission to serve all fishing fans, BASS sets the standard for credibility, professionalism, sportsmanship and conservation, as it has for nearly 40 years. ?
BASS stages bass fishing tournaments for every skill level and culminates with the CITGO Bassmaster Classic. Through its clubs, youth programs, aquatic resource advocacy, magazine publishing and multimedia platforms, BASS offers the industry's widest array of services and support to its nearly 530,000 members. The organization is headquartered in Celebration, Fla.?
For more information, call BASS Communications at 407-566-2208. To join BASS, visit www.Bassmaster.com/ or call 1-877-BASS-USA.
