First Woman Takes Top Big Bass Bonanza Prize

 

7.15 Bass Wins $50,000 in the Arkansas Big Bass Bonanza

Robinette Fox Becomes First Woman to Win Contest

 

LITTLE ROCK, Ark.  — After competing in the Arkansas Big Bass Bonanza for 15 years, Robinette Fox took home the big prize this year.

The 7.15 pound bass she caught in the 10:00 hour on Friday in the Dardanelle pool was the winner. Robinette is taking home $50,000 for her efforts. Fox beat out 1,693 other anglers to win the grand prize.

This is her fifteenth year to compete in the tournament and fish with her husband. She caught the winning bass while fishing with a ten inch “old monster worm.”

big bass bonanza 2015 winnerFox said, “My overall experience has been outrageous, happy and just crazy. I am very proud to be the first woman angler to win the tournament.”

 

First-place winners in each of the other pools winning $10,000 each are:

• Anthony Craig, Lincoln (6.53) – Fort Smith pool

• Rusty Gosvener, Roland (6.01) – North Little Rock pool

• Jamey Taylor, Wynne (5.80) – Dumas pool

• Rob Stone, Cabot (5.54) – Pine Bluff pool

 

Brandon Ward and his Dad, Brent Ward, both from Pine Bluff, took home $1,000 cash and the Willow Leaf Award, which goes to the parent/child or grandparent/grandchild pair weighing the biggest fish. Their bass tipped the scales at 4.83 pounds.

Guaranteed place money for each of the five pools is $900 to 2nd place, $700 to 3rd place and $400 to 4th place to the winners, in each of the five pools. The winners of those are:

 

Pool 1 – Fort Smith

2nd John Whitman, Charleston (5.62)

3rd Burke Broadfoot, Van Buren (5.53)

4th Brian Robinson, Alma (5.00)

 

Pool 2 – Dardanelle

2nd Eldon Dugan, Poteau, OK (6.82)

3rd Jonathan Bradley, Atkins (6.03)

4th Rusty Hamby, Bauxite (5.90)

 

Pool 3 – North Little Rock

2nd David Huffmaster, Sherwood (5.87)

3rd Scotty Edwards, Little Rock (5.28)

4th Arthur Roller, Mayflower (5.23)

 

Pool 4 – Pine Bluff

2nd Bill Reed, Bryant (5.20)

3rd Larry Keen, White Hall (5.05)

4th Dennis Bradshaw, White Hall (5.01)

 

Pool 5 – Dumas

2nd David Cooksey, Brandon, MS (5.62)

3rd Don Jones, Pine Bluff (5.57)

4th Tim Griffis, Lonoke (5.06)

 

A total of $157,853 in prize money was awarded, and the hourly payouts were $250 for 1st Place, $200 for 2nd Place and $150 for 3rd Place. In addition, if the hourly winners purchased and were wearing a Big Bass Bonanza t-shirt and cap, they received an extra $100 in bonus money. Bonus money awarded is $11,600.

 

Academy Sports and Outdoor gift cards were also won. For a 3.00 pound fish on the 3rd hour, a $300 gift card is awarded. For a 4.00 pound fish on the 4th hour a $400 gift card is awarded. For a 5.00 pound fish on the 5th hour a $500 gift card is awarded. Seven fishermen won gift cards totaling $2,900.

 

On Friday, Gene Davis of Russellville weighed in a 3.0 lb bass in the 10:00 hour at the Dardanelle pool, Mike Drummond of Winslow weighed in a 4.0 lb bass in the 11:00 hour at the Fort Smith pool and Cody Glaze of Bald Knob weighed in a 4.0 lb bass in the 11:00 hour at the Dardanelle pool. On Saturday, Cody Underhill of Russellville weighed in 4.0 lb bass in the 11:00 hour at the Dardanelle pool, Chip Hawkins of Little Rock weighed in a 4.0 lb bass at the 11:00 hour in the Dardanelle pool, Jon Francis of Pottsville weighed in a 5.0 lb bass in the 12:00 hour at the Dardanelle pool, and Don Douglas of Maumelle weighed in a 5.0 lb bass in the 12:00 hour at the North Little Rock pool.

 

At the conclusion of the awards event, “Wildman” Steve Wilson, will be honored by the Arkansas Hospitality Association, and the bass fishermen of Arkansas for his lifetime support of fishing and wildlife in Arkansas along with his contributions to the development of travel and tourism.

Big Bass Bonanza

 

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