CLEWISTON, FL – Winter in Florida is nothing like the rest of the country. While other states are dreaming about a white Christmas (or swearing it as they shovel the driveway), we’re making sure we have enough sunscreen and watching football being played on the frozen tundra — laughing all the way. To add that it’s the hottest time of the year for bass fishing down here would just being rubbing it in. Spoiler alert — rub-a-dub-dub. We have some Champions to crown.
December means it’s time for the Roland Martin Marine Center Series Championship presented by HUK on the legendary Lake Okeechobee. And this year we pulled out all the stops. Not only was the $35,000 Champion’s check up for grabs along with the crystal trophies, but we turned up the bling with a Championship Ring that would make a Kardashian envious.
Dangling that on stage, the team of Matt Burch and Kyle Powers stepped up and dropped over 50 pounds of Lake Okeechobee bass on the scales to claim the winning check for $35K and slipped on the Championship Rings.
“This is a dream come true,” Kyle Powers admitted. “And to win against this kind of competition, it’s unbelievable.”
Their two-day total of 50.97 pounds bested the best to become the 2023 RMMC Series Champions.
“We were running open water and throwing chatterbaits,” Matt Burch explained. “We were looking for clean water and there were lines of dirty water next to clean water. We’d find that line and that’s where we found the fish.”
With heavy pressure on the lake, the competition and crowd didn’t bother them one bit.
“We ran north to the Harney Pond area,” said Powers. “We ignored the pressure and were right in the middle of the crowd, fishing hard.”
That confidence and determination added up to $35,000 for the win, 2 one-of-a-kind Championship Rings, the first place crystal trophies, $250 as the highest finishing team to cross the stage in HUK Gear and another $100 as the Bruiser Baits Mega Bag Winners. Happy Holidays? Oh yeah!
Coming up just a little over 2 pounds behind was the father and son team of Ron and Ronnie Buck. Their two-day total of 48.71 pounds netted them $10,000 and the second place crystal trophies. Rounding out the top three was the team of Rich Tate and Scott Kroll with 46.39 pounds earning $3,000 and the 3rd place crystal trophies.
As the highest paying team tournament trail in Florida, the payouts continued deep into the 128 team field for the final event of the 2023 season.
The U.S. Sugar Big Bass awarded Steve Burke $500 for his 9.75 pound giant. The 2nd Big Bass of 9.00 pounds earned Jett Dexter $100 Gambler Bucks. Melinda Markley received $100 from Mary Ann Martin as the highest finishing female angler. Marshall Tommie earned $500 as the highest finishing Gilbert Chevrolet owner. And last for bringing in the least, the team of Mark Linn and Bill Barrett turned two limits weighing just 14.90 pounds into $500 from AV Inspection as the smallest limits weighed.
That brings an end to the 2023 Roland Martin Marine Center Series Season. What a finish. And our new year’s resolution for 2024? More, more, more!
Until then, we wish you all a safe and Happy Holidays and a wonderful New Year.
