Using a Bagley Small Fry Bream crankbait that resembled a lure his dad used to win a tournament last year at Lake Meredith, Kansas angler Bobby Beer cranked his way to victory at Ute Lake last weekend. "Dad used a deep diver Small Fry, but I was fishing some rocky banks that were very shallow and the medium diver was a better lure," said the happy angler from Liberal, Kansas as he counted his $410 prize money and paid tribute to his dad, Billy.

"Despite the cool nights, both the smallmouths and largemouth were in the shallow water right next to the bank. I weighed in two largemouths and one smallmouth bass, but I must have caught just as many bronze backs as I did blacks," revealed Beer as the scales showed his official weight at 6.17 lbs.

Second place and $205 went to Canyon's TY PRUETT with a three-bass limit that was caught on a spinnerbait and a watermelon/black pepper Senko. Pruett also weighed in two largemouths and one smallmouth, but his fish tipped the scales at 6.08 lbs. "I love Ute Lake and appreciate all the support that the local businesses give to the anglers," said Pruett.

Third place went to a local New Mexican angler, Chad Black owner of the Sweet Stop in Tucumcari, with two largemouths and one smallie that weighed 5.72 lbs. Black, who has won numerous tournaments on his home lake used a chartreuse spinnerbait, and caught all his keepers bass after Noon. "If the weigh-in had been at 3 o'clock instead of at 2, everyone would have caught more bass," said Black as he noted that less than a pound separated first from firth place.

Other anglers in the top ten (and their lures) included the following: Canyon's Kris Bosley (watermelon flip'n Tube) with two smallies and a largemouth at 5.38 lbs.; Borger's Brent Breznik (pink Mepps in-line spinnerbait) with two smallies and a largemouth at 5.30 lbs.; Dumas' Richard Beilue (black/blue jig) with two smallies and a largemouth at 5.03 lbs.; Amarillo's Joseph Gutierrez (white Hilderbrand spinnerbait) with one nice largemouth at 4.66 lbs.; Canyons' Jay Friemel (1/4 oz. Flip'n tube) with three largemouths at 4.02 lbs.; Borger's Mike Harber (watermelon Fluke) with two largemouths at 3.98 lbs.; and Claude's Cory Hales (watermelon tube) with three smallies at 3.98 lbs.

Local businesses who donated nine special prizes for the visiting anglers included, the Marina, Ute Lake Motor Lodge, Fireside Cafe, and Cherish's. It is great to see a lake and town that appreciates anglers who visit them.

Overall, forty-one anglers caught 51 keeper bass; 33 were smallmouths and 18 were largemouths. The best color was watermelon, and the most popular lures were tubes and spinnerbaits. Only the winner used a crankbait, but if your plans include a trip to Ute Lake I suggest the purchase of a few Small Fry Bream lures by Bagley and bang them on the rocks.