Holder Lands $100,000 Grand Prize In 2007 Arkansas Big Bass Bonanza

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (August 19, 2007) — Johnny Holder of Hot Springs won the 2007 Arkansas Big Bass Bonanza $100,000 grand prize today after catching his 6.33-pound winning bass near Dumas this morning.  Holder, who weighed in his bass at 10 a.m., had to wait until the tournament ended at 1 p.m. for confirmation of his win.

More than $214,000 in total prize money was available to the 2,199 fishermen in the eighth annual tournament, which spans more than 300 miles of eligible fishing waters on the Arkansas River inside the state’s borders.

A $1,000 prize for the Willow Leaf Award, which is presented each year to a parent-child or grandparent-grandchild duo who catches the largest bass, goes to Kelly Shamlin and his son, Donny Shamlin, both from Benton, Ark., for their 5.34-pounder caught yesterday at the Regional Park Pine Bluff pool.

When asked what he was thinking about as he waited for confirmation of his win, Holder simply replied, ”I hope [the catch] holds up.”

Holder, who was a first-year participant in the competition, caught his bass near Lock 2 of the Wilbur D. Mills Dam on the Arkansas River. He used black buzz bait.

Holder won $10,000 for catching the largest fish in the Pendleton Bridge pool east of Dumas during the three days of competition and won another $90,000 for having the biggest catch of the entire three-day tournament.

The top three places for each pool are:

Pool 1 – Clear Creek Park, Fort Smith
Danny Brown of Van Buren, Ark. (6.09)
Randy Jones of Mulberry, Ark. (5.62)
David Sight of Van Buren, Ark. (5.51)

Pool 2 – Dardanelle State Park/Russellville
Brent Chenowith of Russellville, Ark. (6.16)
Michael Wood of Greenbrier, Ark (6.09)
Marvin Harris of London, Ark. (5.91)

Pool 3 – North Little Rock/Alltel Ramp
Eugene Moore, Jr., of Little Rock (6.01)
Glendary Carter of England, Ark. (5.77)
Dale Maine of Mabelvale, Ark. (5.64)

Pool 4 – Regional Park/ Pine Bluff
Bart Moore of Pine Bluff, Ark. (5.98)
Thomas Aldridge of Little Rock (5.75)
Josh Madar of Dumas, Ark. (5.71)

Pool 5 – Pendleton Bridge/East of Dumas
Johnny Holder of Hot Springs, Ark. (6.33)
Phillip White of Lewisville, Ark. (5.49)
Les Irons of McGehee, Ark. (5.45)