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Waking up to a vandalized truck, including a stolen catalytic converter, is about the last thing any angler wants to encounter on the road, but that’s exactly what Bassmaster Elite Series pro Brandon Lester experienced before day two of competition on the Sabine River last week.

The felony offense of stealing catalytic converters is on the rise all throughout the country right now due to demands on precious metals. Lester, John Cox, and a few others that travel with the tournament crew can now say they’ve experienced this crime first hand.

Sadly, theft and the occasional run in with criminals is a very real part of traveling with expensive equipment. It’s something professional anglers must think about when booking lodging arrangements no matter where they are in the country. There is no sugar coating it… there are some bad people in this world and dealing with a situation like Lester was forced to is less than ideal to put it lightly.

Thankfully there are good people in this world, too. Just when it would have been easy for those affected to simmer in the bad, the good ones showed up to stand in contrast to the evil.

First Andy Stallings and the ever-reliable service crew came calling. They drove to the hotel and helped Lester get his boat to the launch on time so he could try to focus on making a top 50 cut. Once Lester was on the water, they drove back to the hotel and changed his damaged tire. The local police officers were extremely accommodating and quick on the scene to file reports and do their best to catch the criminals.

Then came phone calls and Facebook messages from Cecil Atkission Toyota, the local Toyota dealership here in Orange who went absolutely above and beyond for Lester and others affected by the thieves. The dealership is pictured in the photo above over Lester’s right shoulder.

Members of the service department were immediately on the phone helping to source parts to repair the damaged vehicles. The Service Manager, Daryl Tucker, offered a loner Toyota Camry to Lester so he could get around town while his truck was being worked on.

Brady Williams, the owner of a local muffler shop (AA Muffler) graciously opened the doors to his business over the weekend so he could lend a helping hand. The local host and the surrounding Sabine River community all sprang into action to help remedy the situation as quick as possible.

Williams and several employees of Cecil Atkission Toyota stayed late, opened early, and worked tirelessly to get everyone’s vehicles back on the road.

“It’d be easy for me to dwell on the negative but it’s hard not to feel thankful when so many people jumped in to help out,” Lester said. “What happened is a sad reality of traveling sometimes, but at the end of the day folks at the local Toyota dealership and many others pitched in and helped get me back on the road to see my girls as quickly as possible. For that I’m grateful.”

Bad things happen. It’s a fact of life and something we will all be affected by. Most times we can’t control the bad things that happen, but we can control how we respond to them. It’s not easy to stay positive when dealing with a tough situation, but being surrounded by people who are quick to offer support makes all the difference in the world. Always look for the good, even in the bad times.

Thank you to all the great people of Orange, Texas and the Sabine River community for showing up when Lester and others needed you.

The post Sabine River Community Lends Helping Hands appeared first on Bass365.com.

Bassmaster Elite Series pro Brock Mosley kept his bank teller busy the past month after adding $5,000 of Toyota Bonus Bucks thanks to two consecutive second-place finishes at Pickwick Lake and the Sabine River.
While Mosley is happy to leave the Dovetail Games Bassmaster Elite on the Sabine River with another great finish, he’d be lying if he didn’t say coming so close to becoming an Elite Series champion burned a little bit.

“I’m happy with another second place but man… it’s so hard to put yourself in a position to win one of these events,” Mosley admitted. “My time is going to come one of these days and I’ll get my hands on one of those blue trophies.”

The Dakota Lithium Batteries pro was making a long run nearly all the way to Houston the first three days of competition on the Sabine River.

But after struggling to connect with the better than average bass he had been catching on day three, Mosley called an audible. Staying close to takeoff to try and rundown day three leader, and eventual champion Jason Christie. Mosley nearly did just that using a two-pronged approach of fishing a ½-ounce Z-man Jack Hammer with a Yamamota Zako trailer in his primary area and junk fishing “swamp cover” on the final day.

This was Mosley’s third top ten finish in a row and his second consecutive tournament finishing as the runner-up. Instead of dwelling on the near misses, Mosley draws from the positive momentum he has right now and the extra contingency money he’s earned by towing with a 2019 Toyota Tundra.

“This is my third Toyota Tundra, and this truck alone has made me at least $9,000,” Mosley said. “No other truck brand supports the fishing industry like Toyota and you certainly can’t win Bonus Bucks with any other tow vehicle. I’m proud to support a company that gives so much back to us anglers.”

Mosley was the second-highest Toyota Bonus Bucks finisher at the Sabine River behind Jason Christie, which earned him a $2,000 check from the popular contingency program. The additional $3,000 came from being the highest placing program participant at Pickwick Lake a few weeks ago.

Highlighting one of the best facets of Bonus Bucks, you don’t need to win an event to get paid, you just have to place higher than other anglers signed up for the program.

Bonus Bucks supports hundreds of bass and walleye tournaments for anglers of all levels. Follow this link https://www.toyotatrucksbonusbucks.com/ to learn more about the program, to find a full list of eligible tournaments and payouts, or to get registered. If you’d rather call than click, dial (918) 742-6424 and ask for Chip or Kendell – they’ll get you signed up.

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