MANY, La. — As they met backstage, Dean Rojas and Gerald Swindle shook hands, then gave each other a man hug. Both smiled graciously, both teared up a little.
It was hard to tell who had just beat who, but it was Rojas who had bested Swindle by 1 ounce in the Battle on the Bayou bass fishing tournament. Rojas secured a wire-to-wire win, his second Bassmaster Elite Series victory. It was his fourth Bassmaster career win, one of which, like Sunday’s win, was on Toledo Bend Reservoir.
Rojas collected a $100,000 check and an automatic entry into the 2012 Bassmaster Classic. He also jumped 23 spots in the all-important Bassmaster Angler of the Year points race, also the road to the postseason.
“I’m going to the Classic; this is so huge,” he said. “Everything about the win I love — the trophy, the check, the points, the Classic, and winning a tournament in 2011.”
At the same time, Rojas said, he felt for Swindle, who was philosophical and gracious.
“I wasn’t out to beat Dean, I was out to compete against Toledo Bend and fish to the best of my ability,” said Swindle, who already secured a 2012 Classic seat by winning a Bassmaster Southern Open earlier in the season. “The competition is the fish … and most of the time yourself is the enemy if you beat yourself up, get too bent out of shape.
“I could sit here and write a book about all the big ones that jumped off during this tournament,” he added. “You have to say, ‘It was meant for Dean Rojas to win’ because I put 110 percent heart and soul into this and I didn’t make any stupid mistakes.”
Rojas led for three days, putting together a margin of almost 4 pounds against David Walker going into the final day. But in the end, it was Swindle who challenged Rojas, charging from third place with Sunday’s big bag of 18-14. The final tally was Rojas with 70 pounds, 15 ounces, and Swindle with 70-14.
Walker finished third with 70-2, Chris Lane was fourth with 67-3, and Fred Roumbanis was fifth with 67-1.
Rojas had a routine he followed throughout the tournament, and a two-pattern plan that produced all his fish over four days.
“All week, I kept it simple: sight fishing and topwater,” Rojas said, with his topwater bite producing his larger fish by working one lure, a natural-shad SPRO Hydro-Pop topwater on Sunline monofilament line, slowly on the edges of grass.
Rojas said his final day started slowly, as every day of the tournament had. He caught one keeper on the popper, and then a 5-pounder about 45 minutes into the day. But after the 5-pounder, he didn’t boat another fish in the area, so he left and went to his sight fish at 10 a.m.
“That’s been my normal routine to get out of there and go for my sight fish. I filled out my limit with my sight fish, and then went back to that area. I thought, ‘Well, there was one big one there, there’s got to be more,’ so I went back.”
He stayed for a few more hours, and culled once to gain a pound of weight.
“Thank God I culled, or I would have lost today,” Rojas said — but noted that he also lost a fish or two that could have made the difference.
Rojas said he caught all of his sight fish on a WarMouth, a plastic bait he designed for Big Bite Baits. He rigged the bluegill imitator on a 3/16-ounce Eco Pro Tungsten bullet weight and on 22-pound Sunline Shooter line.
“That bait was pivotal all four days,” he said. “That bait triggers them to bite. I don’t think there’s a finer sight-fishing bait on the market right now, nothing to compete with it.”
Rojas, known for frogging, said he tried a frog bait in practice, but it produced smaller bass than did the popper in the grass pockets he was fishing.
“Shad were spawning in the grass, and fish were blowing up on the shad in the pockets, and I was working the bait through there, and they’d come up and eat it,” Rojas said.
While Rojas moved up in the points standings, Alton Jones kept his lead. The points standings determine Classic qualifications and eight entries into the $100,000 All-Star Week postseason competition.
The Big Bass of the Tournament award and $500 bonus went to Ish Monroe for his Day Two 10-15.
Next up for the Bassmaster Elite Series is the fifth regular-season event, the May 5-8 Pride of Georgia on West Point Lake out of LaGrange, Ga.
FINAL STANDINGS- TROKAR BATTLE ON THE BAYOU
2011 TroKar Battle On The Bayou - Many, LA PRO 04/14-04/17
Toledo Bend Reservoir, Many La.
(PRO Division) Standings Day 4
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Dean Rojas Lake Havasu City, Ariz 20 70-15 320 $100,000.00
Day 1: 5 23-01 Day 2: 5 19-13 Day 3: 5 14-09 Day 4: 5 13-08
2. Gerald Swindle Warrior, Ala. 20 70-14 295 $25,000.00
Day 1: 5 19-09 Day 2: 5 16-12 Day 3: 5 15-11 Day 4: 5 18-14
3. David Walker Sevierville, Tenn. 20 70-02 290 $20,000.00
Day 1: 5 13-06 Day 2: 5 24-00 Day 3: 5 16-00 Day 4: 5 16-12
4. Chris Lane Guntersville, Ala. 20 67-03 285 $15,000.00
Day 1: 5 17-02 Day 2: 5 18-03 Day 3: 5 16-01 Day 4: 5 15-13
5. Fred Roumbanis Bixby, Okla. 20 67-01 280 $14,000.00
Day 1: 5 21-03 Day 2: 5 11-11 Day 3: 5 17-10 Day 4: 5 16-09
6. Andy Montgomery Blacksburg, S.C. 20 66-00 276 $13,500.00
Day 1: 5 16-10 Day 2: 5 15-01 Day 3: 5 18-07 Day 4: 5 15-14
7. Randy Howell Springville, Ala. 20 63-09 272 $13,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-11 Day 2: 5 19-00 Day 3: 5 9-03 Day 4: 5 16-11
8. Steve Kennedy Auburn, Ala. 20 63-06 268 $12,500.00
Day 1: 5 20-00 Day 2: 5 9-00 Day 3: 5 21-07 Day 4: 5 12-15
9. Aaron Martens Leeds, Ala. 20 62-15 264 $12,000.00
Day 1: 5 18-07 Day 2: 5 21-13 Day 3: 5 11-06 Day 4: 5 11-05
10. James Stricklin Texarkania, Texas 20 58-12 260 $11,500.00
Day 1: 5 16-06 Day 2: 5 17-10 Day 3: 5 13-15 Day 4: 5 10-13
11. Greg Vinson Wetumpka, Ala. 19 55-15 257 $11,000.00
Day 1: 5 15-02 Day 2: 5 18-14 Day 3: 5 13-06 Day 4: 4 8-09
12. Ish Monroe Hughson, Calif. 16 51-01 254 $11,000.00
Day 1: 5 11-13 Day 2: 4 18-14 Day 3: 5 15-09 Day 4: 2 4-13
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Berkley Big Bass of the Tournament
Ish Monroe Hughson, Calif. 10-15 $500.00
Toyota Tundra Angler of the Year Leader
Alton Jones Waco, Texas $1,000.00
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Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 96 491 1365-07
2 91 479 1261-12
3 44 239 608-14
4 10 56 162-08
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241 1265 3398-09
TOYOTA TUNDRA BASSMASTER ANGLER OF THE YEAR POINTS
2011 TroKar Battle On The Bayou - Many, LA - TroKar Battle On The Bayou - Many, LA Pro Points
After Toledo Bend Reservoir, Many, La. Ending 04-17-2011, Day 4
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Place Name St Pts
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1 Alton Jones Texas 1096
2 Terry Scroggins Fla. 1040
3 Kevin VanDam Mich. 982
4 Chris Lane Ala. 947
5 Jeff Kriet Okla. 934
6 Steve Kennedy Ala. 932
7 Fred Roumbanis Okla. 925
8 Dean Rojas Ariz. 915
9 Ott DeFoe Tenn. 900
10 Shaw Grigsby Fla. 889
11 Pat Golden N.C. 886
12 Gerald Swindle Ala. 878
13 Davy Hite S.C. 870
14 Edwin Evers Okla. 864
15 Stephen Browning Ark. 863
16 Michael Iaconelli N.J. 858
17 Dustin Wilks N.C. 857
18 Aaron Martens Ala. 853
19 Todd Faircloth Texas 850
20 Andy Montgomery S.C. 845
21 Jason Williamson S.C. 844
22 Keith Poche Ala. 842
23 Casey Ashley S.C. 837
24 Randy Howell Ala. 827
25 John Crews Va. 820
26 Kelly Jordon Texas 816
27 Jared Lintner Calif. 815
28 Kevin Wirth Ky. 811
29 Peter Thliveros Fla. 802
30 Greg Vinson Ala. 800
31 Bobby Lane Fla. 790
32 Cliff Crochet La. 785
33 Brent Chapman Kan. 784
34 Cliff Pace Miss. 782
35 David Walker Tenn. 769
36 Bill Lowen Ind. 768
37 Matt Reed Texas 767
38 J Todd Tucker Ga. 765
39 Brandon Palaniuk Idaho 762
40 Greg Hackney La. 759
41 Matt Greenblatt Fla. 755
42 Rick Morris Va. 752
43 Keith Combs Texas 749
44 Jason Quinn S.C. 742
45 Denny Brauer Mo. 740
46 Matt Herren Ala. 736
47 Gary Klein Texas 732
48 Dave Wolak N.C. 730
49 Timmy Horton Ala. 728
50 Paul Elias Miss. 726
51 Billy McCaghren Ark. 715
52 Marty Robinson S.C. 702
53 James Niggemeyer Texas 697
54 Zell Rowland Texas 676
54 Brian Snowden Mo. 676
56 Mark Davis Ark. 674
56 Jeff Connella La. 674
58 Craig Schuff Texas 672
59 Ish Monroe Calif. 665
60 Clark Reehm Texas 658
61 Jonathon VanDam Mich. 647
62 Grant Goldbeck Texas 644
63 Takahiro Omori Texas 640
64 John Murray Ariz. 638
64 Boyd Duckett Ala. 638
66 James Stricklin Texas 637
67 Skeet Reese Calif. 632
68 Rick Clunn Mo. 626
69 Mike McClelland Ark. 624
69 Jami Fralick S.D. 624
71 Charlie Hartley Ohio 619
71 Nate Wellman Mich. 619
73 Mark Menendez Ky. 600
74 Yusuke Miyazaki Texas 598
74 Russ Lane Ala. 598
76 Dean Alexander Texas 594
77 Kenyon Hill Okla. 590
77 Ben Parker Tenn. 590
79 Kevin Short Ark. 584
80 Travis Manson Wisc. 570
81 Britt Myers S.C. 564
81 Scott Rook Ark. 564
83 Chad Griffin Texas 562
84 Tommy Biffle Okla. 546
85 Lee Sisson Fla. 544
86 Russell Parrish Texas 540
87 Bradley Roy Ky. 534
88 Bernie Schultz Fla. 506
89 Kotaro Kiriyama Ala. 502
90 Dennis Tietje La. 498
91 Scott Ashmore Okla. 496
91 Ryan Said Mich. 496
93 Morizo Shimizu Japan 492
94 Bradley Hallman Okla. 468
95 Pete Ponds Miss. 460
96 Terry Butcher Okla. 452
97 Derek Remitz Ala. 375
98 David Smith Okla. 366
99 Brent Broderick Ohio 338