At the mid-point of the 2007-08 Heartland Elite season sponsored by Tracker Marine/Nitro Boats and O’Reilly Auto Parts, the point race for Angler of the Year has started to become a one man show of Fred Combs. He has a commanding lead but with the Table Rock Lake two-day super tournament coming up in September, anyone can make up ground in a hurry in hopes to win the Elite year end title.

Early morning fog and bright sunny conditions put a damper on Tim Sainato’s fishing up until nearly noon. He started out with topwaters until the fog burned off but his Nitro livewells were empty. A move to deeper points to drag a Jewel football jig found just as much action, nothing. Tim was starting to get worried by mid-morning and decided to try bluff walls with a 3/8 oz Black and Blue Jewel Flipping jig with a matching Chompers twin tailed trailer.

Another hour passed with a goose egg riding on his shoulders and Tim had to make another change. He didn’t change his lure but he completely switched tactics. With this change came a winning bag and Tim’s third Heartland title.

Tim knew that fish on Truman and Grand lakes get active later in the day when it is hot and he was exactly right on target. He pulled up onto a flat and saw some shad skipping away from a clump of flooded bushes at the mouth of a drain on the flat. The Jewel Flipping jig went into the fray and a chunky keeper jumped all over it. The spot didn’t kick out fish after fish on successive casts but did produce 15 keepers in a couple hours. Tim’s best five scaled out at 18.06 lbs to seal up the Elite Series victory.

Tim wasn’t able to sit on the spot and cull up but each pass through the small clump resulted in quality bites. Tim wasn’t fishing the jig on the bottom but swimming and shaking it through the flooded bushes. When he came in contact with a bush, Tim would pop the jig loose and that was what triggered the bites. The Heartland Elite Series victory was worth $2600 plus another $1700 for Tracker Trophy, Solar Bat and Car Star incentive monies.

Tim is sponsored by Bass Pro Shop’s, Davis-Barr Chevy / Pontiac, Jewel Bait Co., Mercury Marine, Nitro Boats, Pro Guide Batteries, Rapala, Solar Bat Sunglasses, Storm Lures, Tracker Boats, Stealth Charger, Total Security Services.

2nd Place – Jeff Combs, Friend, NE
Jeff Combs is always in the hunt at any Heartland tournament and he nearly sacked a second Heartland victory. His 17.89 lb limit put Jeff in 2nd Place. All of his fish were nearly identical as Jeff’s kicker fish was just a solid 4.26 lbs. Jeff didn’t burn much gas as he stayed in the lower Grand all day to beat the bushes.

Jeff pocketed $1800 while pitching a black and blue craw tube made by Wolf Tackle of Lincoln, Nebraska. He found fish in flooded bushes 3-4 feet deep on long points. Jeff’s bait were pegged with a 1/4 oz Texas rig with a 3/0 Mustad hook and the bites were merely a slight heavy sensation. Jeff is sponsored by Falcon Rods, Mustad Hooks, Plano Tackle Systems, Charger Boats, Yamaha Motors, MinnKota and Maui Jim Sunglasses.