YOUNG SAM
ON BIG SAM
O
ne fish can make all the differ-
ence between winning and losing,
elation and agony, a lost season
and a springboard to bigger things. FLW
Tour rookie Sam George, who learned
what one big fish can do to kickstart a
season on day one at Sam Rayburn
Reservoir, is well on his way to finding
out how it feels to win on professional
bass fishing’s biggest stage.
The 23-year-old Alabama native had
never fished a four-day tournament prior
to the season opener on Sam Rayburn.
Perhaps Young Sam and Big Sam were
simpatico those four days, as the latter
gave George one “magic little place”
devoid of grass but full of big bass, pro-
viding him with a good portion of his 28
pounds, 5 ounces of fish on day one and
67-10 for the tournament.
George finished the season opener
tied with Tour veterans Jordan Osborne
(seventh) and Tom Redington (eighth) at
67-10, though the tiebreaker pushed the
young gun to ninth and a $15,000 pay-
day – not a bad start to a career, espe-
cially when it comes with the sheer exhil-
aration of a behemoth 9-pound, 3-ounce
bucketmouth and a giant smile.
PHOTO BY JODY WHITE
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