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Kris and Shelli Effinger win big!
The Uncle Sam Bass was caught and the team of Kris and Shelli Effinger are $1,000 richer. It happened Sunday at the Port Of Jasper Patoka Lake Regional #2. Their bass weighed 4.16lbs, which was the mystery weight needed to cash in on the bonus money.
Shelli recalls that they had no idea they had won until the awards ceremony, as the mystery weight was not revealed until then. "They called everyone to the stage who had a four pound or better fish, then had those with bass over 4.5lbs leave the stage. There were only two of us left and we were shocked when they said the Uncle Bass Challenge weight was 4.16lbs," said Effinger. The $1,000 fish did not want to get in the net at boatside, and at the time they did not know how valuable it was. They landed the bass and were awared the prize. The fish was caught using a Texas-rigged worm and was caught by Shelli's husband Kris.
The $1,000 is the base prize for catching the Uncle Sam Bass, but there are additional ways to increase the payout. Having Garmin electronics on a team's boat adds another $1,000 to the prize. Teams can also win an additional $250 for wearing U.S.A. Bassin jerseys, $250 for wearing a Hoo-Rag on stage, and an additional $250 for using a rod purchased through usabassin.com
The team has been fishing U.S.A. Bassin events for four years with great success, having qualified for the nationals every year. At the national event they finished in 9th in 2013 along with another good finish earlier this year. The Effingers are sponsored by American Legacy Fishing, Shimano, G Loomis and Sunline.
Click here to learn more about the Uncle Sam Bass Challenge.
