KILGORE, TX. – Skeeter Pro, Sean Hoernke, is no stranger to the Red River given that he won an FLW Outdoors EverStart event there in 2003. However, a win of any kind has been a long time coming, and after the B.A.S.S.Tour season he experienced in 2005, it was welcomed if not deserved.

"2005 is a year that I learned a lot, but I also suffered through what I would consider as sub-par," he said. "If it weren’t for the Texas Tournament Trail, where I made the championship, and the Bassmaster Opens, it would have really been disastrous." The Magnolia, Texas, angler started day three of the Red River event in third place – up from 26th on the first day – in route to winning his first CITGO Bassmaster Central Open. With the win, Hoernke took home a fully rigged bass boat and nearly $10,000 cash. "Most river tournaments are won by either making a real long run, or they’re won real close, so that’s how I structured my practice," he said. "I practiced the first day up in Pool 5, and the rest from there down to about 10 miles from the ramp. Between those three days I was able to narrow my options to some really good backwater in Pool 4." On the final day, Hoernke edged out 2006 CITGO Bassmaster Elite Series anglers Takahiro Omori and Gary Klein with a total weight of 36-02. "This win means a lot beyond just the finances," he said. "It’s huge for my confidence as I had to totally switch gears the third day because the wind changed around from the south and destroyed the stretch of bank I was fishing in my little oxbow." The area Hoernke focused on in his oxbow was "clutch" as it gave up a 15-08 sack of Red River bass. "Those fish had seen 15,000 spinnerbaits by the time I found them in practice – actually on a spinnerbait," he said. "I changed up to a flat-sided crankbait that I make which runs about four-feet deep – that was the deal. "I caught some really quality fish out of this area, so it’s hard to say what might have been if I could have gotten back in there and fished it on the final day." The change in wind direction messed up the 50-foot stretch of bank he was keying on by pushing wads of alligator grass in the clear water he was fishing. "With the grass that got pushed in overnight, there was no way to run a crankbait through the area, so I decided to fish some rock I had found on the main river," he said. "I caught about 15 keepers the final day and was able to cull up to almost 12 pounds." Hoernke admits that, although he’s not 100 percent committed to anything other than the FLW Series in 2006, the boost in confidence and the money he’s earned through a successful season in the Texas Tournament Trail and his BASS win make things a little easier to digest. "I’m the type of guy who likes to fish a lot of tournaments each year," he said. "So with the extra money and the confidence I’ve gained, which is huge for a young angler, I might try and fish one of the Tours (Elites or FLW)."

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