FLW ANNOUNCES 2018 T-H MARINE BFL SCHEDULE, RULES
MINNEAPOLIS (Oct. 5, 2017) – FLW announced Thursday the schedule, rules and payouts for the 2018 T-H Marine Bass Fishing League (BFL), which includes 128 tournaments in 24 divisions offering more than $8.1 million in awards, including as much as $120,000 to the winning boater and $60,000 to the winning co-angler in the nationally-televised BFL All-American, plus advancement to the Forrest Wood Cup for a shot at winning the world championship of bass fishing.
Among the key changes for the BFL in 2018 is the addition of all-new Angler and Co-Angler of the Year payouts, with cash awards for the top three boaters and co-anglers in each division. The Angler of the Year in each division now receives $3,000 with $2,000 going to second and $1,000 to third. The Co-angler of the Year in each division now receives $1,500 with $1,000 going to second and $500 to third.
Entry fees have increased slightly from $230 to $250 per qualifier for boaters and from $115 to $125 per qualifier for co-anglers. Super Tournament entry fees increased from $345 to $350 for boaters and will remain $175 for co-anglers.
After positive feedback from BFL anglers, last year’s implementation of the new “Win and You are In” format that automatically qualifies the winners of each of the 96 one-day qualifying tournaments and 24 two-day super tournaments to one of six no-entry-fee regional championships along with the top 45 boaters and co-anglers from each division based on point standings will remain.
Each regional championship features a guaranteed payout that includes $20,000 and a Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower outboard for the winning boater and a Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower outboard for the winning co-angler. Regional payouts include $10,000 for second and $5,000 for third on the boater side and $5,000 for second and $2,500 for third on the co-angler side.
"Participation in the BFL this season has been record-breaking, and we expect even more anglers to join the BFL ranks in 2017,” said T-H Marine BFL tournament director Daniel Fennel. " BFL anglers are the lifeblood of FLW and we take great pride in offering the very best opportunities for everyday working people to experience bass fishing in a professional tournament setting with a clear pathway for advancement to the sport’s highest levels.”
For the complete 2018 BFL schedule, rules and payouts, visit FLWFishing.com.
The BFL is the nation’s largest and most rewarding weekend bass-fishing circuit. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers from each division and tournament winners also receive priority entry into the 2019 Costa FLW Series while All-American champions may advance directly to the FLW Tour, the world’s top professional bass-fishing circuit.
Anglers can register for the 2018 season at FLWFishing.com or by calling 270.252.1000 on the dates listed below:
- November 13, 2017 – Hoosier, Michigan, Music City and Volunteer
- November 14, 2017 – Bulldog, Cowboy, Great Lakes, Illini and Mississippi
- November 15, 2017 – Bama, Buckeye, Choo Choo, Mountain and Ozark
- November 16, 2017 – Arkie, LBL, North Carolina, Northeast and Okie
- November 17, 2017 – Gator, Piedmont, Savannah River, Shenandoah and South Carolina
For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow us on Facebook at Facebook.com/FLWFishing and on Twitter at Twitter.com/FLWFishing.
Anderson Media Nets ‘Prize Catch,’ Becomes Majority Owner Of B.A.S.S.
Oct. 4, 2017
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Anderson Media Corp., a 100-year-old family business founded in Alabama, has acquired a majority interest in B.A.S.S., LLC, the world’s largest fishing organization, the company announced today.
Anderson Media has been an investor in B.A.S.S. for several years. It increased its share of the company Tuesday, and, in a statement released today, it promised “business as usual” for B.A.S.S., which celebrates its 50th anniversary next year.
The company will continue to operate with Bruce Akin as CEO and the current owners involved in the business.
Chase Anderson, a fourth generation shareholder of the Anderson Companies and director of Anderson Media and B.A.S.S., and an avid outdoorsman, will join B.A.S.S. fulltime.
“This will provide seamless continuity for B.A.S.S. and those connected with it,” said Anderson. “For the fishing professionals, the loyal sponsors and advertisers and, most importantly, the millions of people nationwide who love this sport, things will both remain as they are and continue to improve.”
B.A.S.S. headquarters will remain in Birmingham, and JM Outdoors, its television and video production arm, will continue to operate out of Little Rock, Ark.
“During the past several years as an investor in B.A.S.S., we have had a chance to get to know B.A.S.S. and the bass fishing industry, and we feel so strongly about B.A.S.S. and the industry that we decided to acquire a controlling interest in B.A.S.S.,” Anderson added. “We are excited about the long-term growth potential for the B.A.S.S. business.”
“The family-owned Anderson Companies share the same roots and principles as B.A.S.S. and will provide new opportunities for growth thanks to their internet marketing, consumer products brand representation and retail services experience,” Akin said. “They are dedicated to the same objectives that have guided the previous B.A.S.S. owners, Don Logan, Jerry McKinnis and Jim Copeland. When they bought B.A.S.S. in 2010, they were intent upon strengthening the company and growing the sport of bass fishing, and they’ve been successful. Anderson Media plans to continue to build upon those achievements.”
“The Anderson companies have a century of business expertise, particularly in marketing,” said Anderson. “We believe we can apply that expertise in ways that will help B.A.S.S. and the sport itself grow and prosper.”
Logan, who has been a friend and business associate of the Anderson family for more than 30 years, believes B.A.S.S. is in good hands. “They have a long-term strategy to help the companies they acquire achieve their full potential,” he said. “They do business like we do.”
Founded in 1917 in Florence, Ala., as a corner bookstore and newsstand, the Anderson Companies are now a diverse global organization. The largest Anderson Media owned company is Anderson Merchandisers which specializes in brand representation, marketing and retail services. It is one of only five designated in-store preferred service providers for Walmart. Other Anderson family-owned companies include internet sales and marketing companies naturalhealthyconcepts.com and magazines.com, marketing distributor TNT Fireworks, the nation’s largest consumer fireworks brand, and retailers Books A Million, 2nd & Charles, and Yogurt Mountain.
B.A.S.S. has industry-leading magazines (Bassmaster and B.A.S.S. Times), website Bassmaster.com and television programming (The Bassmasters on ESPN2). Its Bassmaster Elite Series is the premier bass tournament circuit in the world, and the annual Bassmaster Classic is widely considered the “Super Bowl of bass fishing.” B.A.S.S. was founded in 1968 by Ray Scott of Montgomery, Ala., regarded by many as the father of modern bass fishing.
About B.A.S.S.
B.A.S.S. is the worldwide authority on bass fishing and keeper of the culture of the sport, providing cutting edge content on bass fishing whenever, wherever and however bass fishing fans want to use it. Headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., the 500,000-member organization’s fully integrated media platforms include the industry’s leading magazines (Bassmaster and B.A.S.S. Times), website (Bassmaster.com), television show (The Bassmasters on ESPN2), radio show (Bassmaster Radio), social media programs and events. For more than 45 years, B.A.S.S. has been dedicated to access, conservation and youth fishing.
The Bassmaster Tournament Trail includes the most prestigious events at each level of competition, including the Bassmaster Elite Series, Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Open Series, Academy Sports + Outdoors B.A.S.S. Nation Series presented by Magellan Outdoors, Carhartt Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, Costa Bassmaster High School Series presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods, Toyota Bonus Bucks Bassmaster Team Championship and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods.
2018 American Bass Anglers Ram Truck Open Series Schedules Announced
October 2, 2017
Athens, AL. American Bass Anglers announced today the 2018 Ram Truck Open Series schedules with 81 tournaments in 18 divisions, in a Pro/Am style format. The series offers a guaranteed $5,000 minimum to the first place to Boaters at all one-day events and at the two-day Area Championships a guaranteed $10,000 minimum for first place Boater and $5,000 for first place Co-Anglers. At the end of the season, qualified anglers will advance to the 2019 Ray Scott Championship, named after the legend Ray Scott who started modern day bass tournaments.
One new division will be introduced in 2018, South Texas. Texas anglers can now compete on Lake Conroe in the same region as South-East Texas. These two divisions will compete on Toledo Bend in late September at the Area 6 Championship.
Each division will hold four one-day qualifying events and anglers who compete in three or more events in their home division will division will qualify to enter the two-day Area Championship.
Area Championships are held on a lake that both divisions compete on, a local but neutral lake, or in some cases the location will be flipped between the two divisions within their area annually. The locations are selected to level the playing field as much as possible for the anglers while reducing travel. At Area Championships the full field competes both days which gives all anglers a much better opportunity at qualifying for the Ray Scott Championship.
Entry fees for Divisional one-day events are $200 for Boaters and $100 for Co-Anglers. The two-day Area Championships entry fee is $300 for Boaters and $150 for Co-Anglers. The Ray Scott Championship has no entry fee.
To advance to the Area Championship anglers must have fished as either a Boater in three one-day events or a Co-Angler in three one-day events or a combination of four one-day events within their region.
Each division will advance anglers to the Ray Scott Championship. The top ten (10) Boaters and top ten (10) Co-Anglers from each division by points after the Area Championship will advance. The top five (5) Boaters and top five (5) Co-Anglers at the Area Championship by place of finish, who do not advance by divisional points, will also advance. Divisional points are awarded to each angler who competes in events within a division including the Area Championship.
The top angler (Boater and Co-Angler) by points from each division, after the Area Championship, will be awarded Divisional Angler of the Year. Divisional Anglers of the Year will have their 2019 entry fee (Boaters - $1,100, Co-Anglers $550) waived for the division of their choice. Total points accumulated from four one-day events within a division plus Area championship determines the Divisional Angler of the Year.
Boaters are always guaranteed use of their boats at all events. Co-Anglers registering as a package entry will receive priority entry into each event in that division. Co-Anglers can guarantee their spot in an event by “linking” with a registered Boater.
More information can be viewed on the RamOpenSeries.com website including payouts, schedules, and additional information.
Registration will open at 8 AM CST October 20, 2017, on the RamOpenSeries.com website or by calling 256-232-0406.
Boater and Co-Angler Package Registrations from October 20 through December 1, 2017, will each receive special incentives.
2018 Schedules
| Division | Dates | Lake | Launch Ramp |
| Area 1 | |||
| North Alabama | 02/03 | Guntersville | Goose Pond |
| 03/17 | Wheeler | Joe Wheeler State Park | |
| 04/28 | Neely Henry | Coosa Landing | |
| 06/09 | Weiss | Leesburg Landing | |
| Mississippi | 03/03 | Columbus Pool | Columbus Marina |
| 04/14 | Ross Barnett | Tommys Trading Post | |
| 05/05 | Ross Barnett | Tommys Trading Post | |
| 08/18 | Pickwick | JP Coleman State Park | |
| Championship | 09/08-09 | Pickwick | McFarland Park |
| Area 2 | |||
| Kentucky/TN | 03/10 | Kentucky | Moors Resort |
| 04/14 | Kentucky | Paris Landing State Park | |
| 06/23 | Kentucky | Kentucky Dam Marina | |
| 08/25 | Kentucky | Paris Landing State Park | |
| Central Tennessee | 02/24 | Center Hill | Ragland Bottom |
| 03/24 | Percy Priest | Fate Sanders | |
| 05/05 | Old Hickory | Sanders Ferry | |
| 06/16 | Old Hickory | Sanders Ferry | |
| Championship | 10/13-14 | Kentucky | Paris Landing State Park |
| Area 3 | |||
| South Alabama | 02/03 | Eufaula | Lakepoint Resort State Park |
| 04/21 | Martin | Wind Creek State Park | |
| 05/19 | Jordan | Bonners Landing | |
| 06/16 | Logan Martin | Lakeside Park | |
| Geogia | 02/10 | Eufaula | Lakepoint Resort State Park |
| 03/10 | Seminole | Reynolds Landing (Big Jims) | |
| 04/28 | Sinclair | Little River Park | |
| 06/09 | Oconee | Sugar Creek Marina | |
| Championship | 10/13-14 | Eufaula | Lakepoint Resort State Park |
| Area 4 | |||
| North Carolina | 02/10 | Norman | Pinnacle |
| 03/24 | Hickory | Wittenburg | |
| 04/28 | Kerr | Nutbush | |
| 05/19 | High Rock | Tamarac Marina | |
| South Carolina | 01/27 | Keowee | South Cove County Park |
| 02/17 | Murray | Dreher Island State Park | |
| 04/21 | Hartwell | Green Pond | |
| 06/09 | Clark's Hill | Dorn Facility | |
| Championship | 10/13-14 | Norman | Blythe Landing |
| Area 5 | |||
| Florida Central | 01/20 | Toho | Lakefront Park |
| 02/24 | Kissimmee Chain | Camp Mack | |
| 03/17 | Harris Chain | Hickory Point Recreation Facility | |
| 05/05 | Toho | Lakefront Park | |
| Florida South | 01/13 | Okeechobee | Roland Martin Marina & Resort |
| 02/17 | Okeechobee | Scott Driver | |
| 03/24 | Okeechobee | Scott Driver | |
| 05/12 | Okeechobee | Roland Martin Marina & Resort | |
| Championship | 09/29-30 | Kissimmee Chain | Camp Mack |
| Area 6 | |||
| Southeast Texas | 02/24 | Sam Rayburn | Umphrey Pavillion |
| 04/28 | Sam Rayburn | Umphrey Pavillion | |
| 06/09 | Sam Rayburn | Umphrey Pavillion | |
| 09/15 | Sam Rayburn | Umphrey Pavillion | |
| South Texas | 03/17 | Lake Conroe | Lakeview Marina |
| 05/19 | Lake Conroe | Lakeview Marina | |
| 06/23 | Lake Conroe | Lakeview Marina | |
| 08/25 | Lake Conroe | Lakeview Marina | |
| Championship | 10/20-21 | Toledo Bend | Cypress Bend Park |
| Area 7 | |||
| Texas Central | 02/03 | Cedar Creek | Log Cabin |
| 03/24 | Lake Palestine | Villages Marina | |
| 06/30 | Lake of the Pines | Johnson Creek | |
| 09/08 | Toledo Bend | Cypress Bend | |
| Oklahoma | 03/10 | Arkansas River | Three Forks Harbor |
| 04/21 | Eufaula | South Cove | |
| 05/12 | Grand Lake | Wolf Creek | |
| 06/16 | Ft Gibson | Taylor's Ferry North | |
| Championship | 10/06-07 | Lake Texoma | Highport Marina |
| Area 8 | |||
| Virginia | 02/24 | Kerr | Nutbush |
| 04/14 | Gaston | Holly Grove Marina | |
| 06/23 | Kerr | Nutbush | |
| 08/11 | Gaston | Holly Grove Marina | |
| Maryland | 03/31 | Potomac | Smallwood |
| 04/21 | Chesapeake Bay | Anchor Boats Marina | |
| 05/12 | Potomac | Smallwood | |
| 06/02 | Chesapeake Bay | Anchor Boats Marina | |
| Championship | 09/22-23 | Kerr | Nutbush |
| Area 9 | |||
| Ohio | 05/12 | Indian | Moundwood State Park |
| 06/02 | St. Mary's | West Bank | |
| 07/14 | Ohio River/ Tanner's Creek | Lawrenceburg City Ramp | |
| 08/04 | Ohio River/Maysville | Maysville River Park | |
| New York | 06/16 | Lake Champlain | Ticonderoga |
| 07/07 | Cayuga | Union Springs | |
| 07/21 | 1000 Islands | French Creek Marina | |
| 08/18 | Lake Champlain | Plattsburgh | |
| Championship | 09/15-16 | Chautauqua | Mayville Park |
To learn more about the Ram Trucks Open Series, visit www.RamOpenSeries.com
About American Bass Anglers: American Bass Anglers is committed to providing low cost, close to home tournaments for the weekend angler and at the same time offer each competitor an upward path for individual angler progression. For more information about American Bass Anglers, the Ram Truck Open Series, the American Fishing Tour or the American Couples Series, visit www.americanbassanglers.com
KENTUCKY LAKE TO HOST T-H MARINE FLW BFL REGIONAL TOURNAMENT
GILBERTSVILLE, Ky. (Sept. 26, 2017) – The T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) is heading to Kentucky Lake Oct. 5-7 for the first of six BFL Regional Tournaments. The three-day event, presented by Evinrude, will feature the top 50 boaters and 50 co-anglers from each of the Hoosier, Illini, Mountain, and Ozark BFL divisions.
The winning boater will receive a new Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard and a check for $20,000, while the winning co-angler will receive a new Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard. The top six boaters and co-anglers at each regional will advance to one of the longest-running championships in bass fishing – the 2018 BFL All-American, which will be held May 31-June 2 on Cross Lake in Shreveport, Louisiana.
Kentucky Lake last hosted a BFL Regional Tournament in 2016 when Chris Aswegan of Tiffin, Iowa, took top honors with a three-day total of 15 bass weighing 47 pounds, 4 ounces. Aswegan targeted bass on a shallow flat 50 miles south of Gilbertsville, and cited a shad-colored Heddon Zara Spook topwater as his most productive bait.
Anglers in this year’s event can expect another excellent weekend of bass fishing. Local fishing reports indicate water temperatures still being found in the low 80s and a strong topwater bite, especially targeting schooling fish near main-lake bars and shallow cover. Throwing spinnerbaits and crankbaits near wood will likely be a good bet. For others, flipping jigs and worms to brush piles will be the deal.
Anglers will take off from Moors Resort & Marina, located at 570 Moors Road in Gilbertsville at 7 a.m. CDT each day. Weigh-ins will be held at the marina beginning at 3 p.m. each day. Takeoffs and weigh-ins are free and open to the public.
The T-H Marine BFL Regional Tournament on Kentucky Lake is hosted by the Kentucky Lake Convention & Visitors Bureau.
The 2017 BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American. The 2018 All-American will be held on Cross Lake in Shreveport, Louisiana, May 31-June 2 and is hosted by the Shreveport-Bossier City Sports Commission and the Red River Waterway Commission. Top performers in the BFL can move up to the Costa FLW Series or even the FLW Tour.
For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the BFL on Facebook at Facebook.com/FLWFishing and on Twitter at Twitter.com/FLWFishing.
FLW ANNOUNCES RULES, ENTRY DATES FOR 2018 COSTA FLW SERIES
MINNEAPOLIS (Oct. 3, 2017) – FLW announced Tuesday the Costa FLW Series rules, entry fees and payouts for the 2018 season. The season will again consist of three events in each of the five divisions – Central, Northern, Southeastern, Southwestern and Western – along with the no-entry-fee Costa FLW Series Championship to be held on Lake Guntersville in Guntersville, Alabama.
The changes to the 2018 Costa FLW Series are highlighted by the addition of all-new Strike King Angler and Co-Angler of the Year payouts, with cash awards for the top five pros and co-anglers in each division. The Angler of the Year in each division now receives $5,000 with $4,000 going to second, $3,000 to third, $2,500 to fourth and $2,000 to fifth. The Co-angler of the Year now receives $2,000 with $1,500 going to second, $1,250 to third, $1,000 to fourth and $800 to fifth. Entry fees for the Costa FLW Series will slightly increase – $100 per event at $1,700 per tournament for pros and $25 per event at $575 per tournament for co-anglers.
Costa FLW Series payouts will remain the same for 2018. Each qualifying tournament pays as much as $85,000, including a Ranger Z518C with a 200 HP outboard, to the winning pro and $32,000, including a Ranger Z175 with a 90 HP outboard, to the winning co-angler based on a 150-boat field. As the number of participants increases, so do the awards. At the maximum field size of 250 boats, the payout jumps to $105,000, including a Ranger Z518C with a 200 HP outboard, for the winning pro and $34,500, including a Ranger Z175 with a 90 HP outboard, for the winning co-angler. The depth of the payout also grows with participation, from 40 places paid at 150 boats to 67 places paid at 250 boats.
“A Costa FLW Series win is one of the most sought-after titles in bass fishing,” said FLW Series tournament director Ron Lappin. “No other circuit offers anglers from coast to coast better payouts for a lower entry fee. Add FLW’s extensive media coverage to the mix along with advancement to the FLW Tour, and it’s easy to see why the FLW Series continues to set participation records.”
The top 40 pros and co-anglers who fished all three qualifiers in each U.S. division advance to the no-entry-fee FLW Series Championship for a shot at winning $95,000, including a Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower outboard in the pro division. The second-place championship pro earns $25,000 followed by $20,000 for third and $15,000 for fourth. The winning co-angler at the championship earns as much as $32,000, including a Ranger Z175, while the second-place championship co-angler earns $12,500 followed by $10,000 for third and $7,500 for fourth.
The highest finishing pro from each of the five U.S. FLW Series divisions and the FLW Series International division based on final results at the 2018 FLW Series Championship will qualify for the 2019 Forrest Wood Cup. Six FLW Series pros will advance to the 2019 Forrest Wood Cup, the world championship of bass fishing. The top 15 pros and co-anglers from each division receive priority entry into the 2019 FLW Tour, the world’s top professional bass-fishing circuit.
Complete rules can be found online at FLWFishing.com.
Registration for the 2018 Costa FLW Series season is open for the top 40 pros and co-anglers from each division of the 2017 FLW Series, the top 45 boaters and co-anglers from each division of the 2017 Bass Fishing League (BFL), plus the winner of each 2017 BFL tournament. These anglers have until Nov. 6, 2017, to secure their priority entry. Ranger boat owners and sponsor entries may register beginning Nov. 7, 2017. Anglers who fished a full division of the 2017 FLW Series or 2017 BFL can register Nov. 8, 2017, followed by TBF members Nov. 9, 2017. All other entries will be accepted beginning Nov. 10, 2017. Qualified anglers can register by calling 270.252.1000 or online at FLWFishing.com.
2018 Costa FLW Series Payouts:
Qualifying Event Payout:
Place Pro Ranger Cup Co-angler Ranger Cup
1 $40,000 Ranger Z518C Ranger Z175 $5,000
with 200 HP outboard with 90 HP outboard
2 15,500 5,000
3 12,000 4,000
4 10,000 3,500
5 9,000 3,000
6 8,000 2,500
7 7,000 2,000
8 6,000 1,750
9 5,000 1,500
10 4,000 1,250
11 3,750 1,000
12 3,500 1,000
13 3,000 1,000
14 3,000 1,000
15 3,000 1,000
16-20 3,000 800
21-25 2,750 700
26-30 2,500 600
31-40 2,000 500
Big Bass: Day 1 300 200
Big Bass: Day 2 300 200
Entry Fee $1,700 $575
*Payback is based on the number of paid entries for each tournament.
Costa FLW Series Championship:
Place Pro Ranger Cup Co-angler Ranger Cup
1 $50,000 Ranger Z518C Ranger Z175 $5,000
with 200 HP outboard with 90 HP outboard
2 25,000 $5,000 12,500
3 20,000 3,500 10,000
4 15,000 2,000 7,500
5 10,000 1,000 5,000
6 8,000 4,000
7 7,000 3,500
8 6,000 3,000
9 5,000 2,500
10 4,500 2,000
11-15 4,000 1,500
16-20 3,500 1,000
21-25 3,000 900
26-30 2,500 800
31-40 2,000 700
*Payback is based on the number of paid entries in qualifying tournaments.
Strike King Angler of the Year and Co-angler of the Year
Place Pro Co-angler
1 $5,000 $2,000
2 4,000 1,500
3 3,000 1,250
4 2,500 1,000
5 2,000 800
For details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow us on Facebook at Facebook.com/FLWFishing and on Twitter at Twitter.com/FLWFishing.
Bassmaster Central Open On Grand Lake O’ The Cherokees Will Decide Season Points Title
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2017 CUP CHAMP ATKINS WINS T-H MARINE FLW BFL MISSISSIPPI DIVISION FINALE ON ROSS BARNETT RESERVOIR
Tennessee’s Utley Wins Co-angler Title
BRANDON, Miss. (Oct. 2, 2017) – Reigning Forrest Wood Cup Champion Justin Atkins of Florence, Alabama, added to his stellar 2017 campaign Sunday, winning the T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Mississippi Division tournament on Ross Barnett Reservoir with a two-day cumulative total of 10 bass weighing 24 pounds, 6 ounces. Atkins was awarded $7,646 for his victory.
Atkins said he spent the tournament on the lower end of the lake targeting offshore fish. He said he caught the majority of his fish throughout the weekend using a 10-inch black Berkley Power Worm.
“I had one big school that was 10- to 14-feet deep,” said Atkins, who had seven prior top-10 finishes in BFL competition. “That’s where’d I’d start each morning to get a limit.”
Atkins said he moved to shallower brush piles around 10:30 a.m. each day.
“My Humminbird electronics helped me locate the brush piles and which of them were holding fish,” said Atkins. “I could also see the subtle changes on the bottom. I’ve never owned a unit that you could see fish that shallow.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
1st: Justin Atkins, Florence, Ala., 10 bass, 24-6, $5,646 + $2,000 Ranger Cup Bonus
2nd: Teddy Cranford, Seminary, Miss., 10 bass, 24-5, $2,823
3rd: Dan Love, Pearl, Miss., seven bass, 20-0, $1,816
4th: Shannon Denson, Brandon, Miss., 10 bass, 19-10, $1,271
5th: Marty Torrence, Crystal Springs, Miss., nine bass, 19-6, $1,089
6th: Mitch Crane, Columbus, Miss., seven bass, 18-10, $998
7th: Darrell Hunter, Lena, Miss., seven bass, 18-8, $908
8th: Bobby McDill, Raleigh, Miss., seven bass, 18-3, $817
9th: Chris Wooten, West Point, Miss., seven bass, 17-4, $1,074
10th: Timmy Smith, Petal, Miss., eight bass, 17-4, $635
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Larry Savell of Brandon, Mississippi, caught a 6-pound, 8-ounce bass – the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division – and earned the Boater Big Bass award of $348.
Hunter Utley of Cordova, Tennessee, caught a two-day total of eight bass weighing 19 pounds even to win the Co-angler Division and $3,272.
The top 10 co-anglers were:
1st: Hunter Utley, Cordova, Tenn., eight bass, 19-0, $3,272
2nd: Mike Allen, Crystal Springs, Miss., eight bass , 16-15, $1,411
3rd: Jason Mitchell, Hamilton, Miss., six bass, 13-5, $908
4th: Ray Higginbotham, Brooksville, Miss., six bass, 10-12, $635
5th: Kevin Culpepper, Seminary, Miss., four bass, 10-8, $545
6th: Charles Conn, Pearl, Miss., six bass, 10-0, $499
7th: Mike Hall, Purvis, Miss., four bass, 9-13, $454
8th: Bobby Murphy, Florence, Miss., five bass, 9-13, $408
9th: Jimmy Tisdale, Ellisville, Miss., five bass, 9-4, $363
10th: Lance Jackson, Starkville, Miss., three bass, 9-2, $318
Utley also caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division – a fish weighing 5 pounds, 1 ounce – and earned the Co-angler Big Bass award of $349.
The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the region based on point standings, along with the five winners in each qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 19-21 BFL Regional Championship on the Red River in Bossier City, Louisiana. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard and $20,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard.
The 2017 BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American. The 2018 All-American will be held on Cross Lake in Shreveport, Louisiana, May 31-June 2 and is hosted by the Shreveport-Bossier City Sports Commission and the Red River Waterway Commission. Top performers in the BFL can move up to the Costa FLW Series or even the FLW Tour.
For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the BFL on Facebook at Facebook.com/FLWFishing and on Twitter at Twitter.com/FLWFishing.
Kevin VanDam’s Three Favorite Lures for Fall
Kevin VanDam loves football, archery season for whitetail deer, and thoughts of bass binging on baitfish. And those are just three good reasons the 7-time Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year calls autumn his favorite time of year.
“Oh yea, there’s no doubt life is good this time of year,” says VanDam. And football is a large part of October’s goodness for he and his treasured family.
“Of course I love my home state Detroit Lions, but I maintain a friendship with Willie Young, an avid angler and pass rush specialist for the Chicago Bears, who used to play for Detroit,” he says.
“Plus, my twin sons Jackson and Nicholas are in college at Grand Valley State University. Their football team owns the highest winning percentage in college football history, and we were recently on campus for Family Weekend when the Lakers won 49 to 0,” says the ever-competitive VanDam.
But fall is certainly not only about football for the VanDams. They have long had a healthy appetite for whitetail deer hunting, and October 1st kicks off the start of Michigan’s archery season that they treasure in much the same way bass covet baitfish during the calendar’s fourth quarter.
“Fall is all about the bait, and in a lot of reservoirs that’s going to involve bass keying on shad in major creek arms of the reservoir,” says VanDam. “That pattern is talked about constantly, and it’s true, but not every quality bass follows bait to the back of a creek -- there’s still plenty of good fish eating bait on flat, shallow, points along the main lake too.”
No surprise then, all three lures pro bass fishing’s greatest angler chose as his favorites for fall are shad imitators.
His starting line-up includes a squarebill crankbait, a topwater walking bait, and a jerkbait. And just as importantly as what lures he specified … is knowing where and when to use them … and what equipment he matches them to.
Squarebill crankbait – He chooses his namesake KVD 1.5 from Strike King and says, “It’s just such an efficient bait because the bass are moving shallow, and they’ll bite it in just about any color of water,” says VanDam.
“The dream scenario for a squarebill at this time of year is a rocky creek channel swing in the back of a major tributary, with shad active near the surface of the water,” he adds.
While some pros speed up to faster gear ratio reels in autumn, VanDam remains faithful to the same 5.3:1 ratio from Quantum that he cranked up Bassmaster Classic and Angler of the Year titles with during his illustrious career.
“With the larger spool and line capacity on the new Smoke HD reel, I’m still picking up plenty of line to maintain a good speed,” explains VanDam, who pairs it with a forgiving 7’ 0” TourKVD cranking rod.
Topwater Walking Lure – If ever there was a prime time for topwater lures – it’s now, and VanDam says lures like Strike King’s Sexy Dawg have magnetic qualities.
“A topwater like the 4.5” Sexy Dawg has incredible drawing power. You can attract bass from far away to come bite it in clear to stained water, as long as there’s not too much wave action on the surface,” says VanDam.
VanDam uses a higher speed 7.3:1 reel for this lure, and prefers 50-pound braided line. “Braid is so much easier to get the lure to walk, plus you get better hook-ups when they bite,” he explains.
Jerkbait – Kevin VanDam and jerkbaits go together like October and falling leaves, and he says that few lures search-out bass on shallow, flat, main lake, secondary points like this one.
“Again, not every bass in the lake swims to the back of a creek in search of shad at this time of year,” emphasizes the 4-time Bassmaster Classic Champion. “There are plenty of quality fish to be caught on the shallower flat points on the main lake too. And by keeping your boat in about 10-feet of water, and casting up there to four or five feet of water on those types of points, can be an awesome way to catch ‘em at this time of the year,” emphasizes the 4-time Bassmaster Classic Champion.
VanDam emphasizes the need for a quality reel capable of making long smooth casts for jerkbaits, and currently relies on Quantum’s new Smoke S3 in a 6.1:1 spooled with 12-pound fluorocarbon.
From first downs to falling leaves, autumn is indeed an awesome time of the year to catch bass chomping on baitfish, especially with three lures chosen by Kevin VanDam arrowed squarely into your bass fishing knowledge base.
KEITH ESTES WINS T-H MARINE FLW BFL SHENANDOAH DIVISION FINALE ON JAMES RIVER
Wytheville’s Sayers Claims Co-angler Title
HENRICO, Va. (Oct. 2, 2017) – Boater Keith Estes of Spring Grove, Virginia, weighed a two-day cumulative total of 10 bass weighing 28 pounds even to win the T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Shenandoah Division tournament on the James River. For his efforts, Estes received $4,101.
Estes said he concentrated on an array of creeks at the mouth of the Chickahominy River, near Jamestown. He targeted bass near trees and submerged wood in the 3- to 5-foot range.
“The main thing with tidal fisheries is that you have to pick whether you’re going to run the incoming or outgoing tide,” said Estes, who clinched his first career win in FLW competition. “Normally I like to fish the outgoing tide, but it was a very small window later in the day so I decided to run the incoming tide.”
Estes said a Blue Fleck-colored Berkley Power Worm caught the most fish, while crankbaits produced the big bites.
“I was fortunate to find fish in practice that I could save for Sunday,” said Estes.
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
1st: Keith Estes, Spring Grove, Va., 10 bass, 28-0, $4,101
2nd: Brian LaClair, Denton, Md., 10 bass, 26-14, $1,951
3rd: Ben Reynolds, Callands, Va., 10 bass, 26-13, $1,301
4th: Wayne Dorman, Louisa, Va., 10 bass, 26-4, $910
5th: Mike Morris, Dover, Del., 10 bass, 25-12, $780
6th: Steven Wiseman, Bryans Road, Md., 10 bass, 25-6, $815
7th: Zachary Whitt, Newport News, Va., 10 bass, 24-7, $650
8th: Donald Estes, Richmond, Va., 10 bass, 21-7, $585
9th: Shaun Hunter, Mount Airy, N.C., nine bass, 18-2, $520
10th: Derek Brown, Charlottesville, Va., eight bass, 17-1, $455
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Dennis Middleton of Madison Heights, Virginia, caught a bass weighing 6 pounds even – the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division – and earned the Boater Big Bass award of $420.
Jonathan Sayers of Wytheville, Virginia, caught a two-day total of 10 bass weighing 19 pounds, 10 ounces, to win the Co-angler Division and $2,151.
The top 10 co-anglers were:
1st: Jonathan Sayers, Wytheville, Va., 10 bass, 19-10, $2,151
2nd: Ronald Fulwider, Moneta, Va., eight bass, 17-10, $975
3rd: Chad Poteat, Mount Airy, N.C., nine bass, 15-15, $699
4th: David Kennedy, Woodbridge, Va., nine bass, 15-14, $455
5th: Kenny Main, Colonial Heights, Va., eight bass, 13-15, $390
6th: Lenny Baird, Stafford, Va., seven bass, 13-9, $358
7th: Travis Garrett, Charlottesville, Va., seven bass, 11-3, $325
8th: William Lane, Midlothian, Va., five bass, 10-6, $293
9th: Chris Whittaker, Waverly, Va., six bass, 10-1, $260
10th: Nelson Bailey, Virginia Beach, Va., five bass, 9-6, $228
Dick Allen of Sumerduck, Virginia, caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division – a fish weighing 4 pounds, 9 ounces – and earned the Co-angler Big Bass award of $210.
The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the region based on point standings, along with the five winners in each qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 19-21 BFL Regional Championship on Lake Lanier in Gainesville, Georgia. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard and $20,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard.
The 2017 BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American. The 2018 All-American will be held on Cross Lake in Shreveport, Louisiana, May 31-June 2 and is hosted by the Shreveport-Bossier City Sports Commission and the Red River Waterway Commission. Top performers in the BFL can move up to the Costa FLW Series or even the FLW Tour.
For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the BFL on Facebook at Facebook.com/FLWFishing and on Twitter at Twitter.com/FLWFishing.
UNIVERSITY OF OREGON WINS YETI FLW COLLEGE FISHING TOURNAMENT AT CLEAR LAKE
LAKEPORT, Calif. (Oct. 3, 2017) – The University of Oregon duo of Ryan Habenicht and Daniel Marshall, both of Eugene, Oregon, won the YETI FLW College Fishing Western Conference tournament at Clear Lake Saturday with a five-bass limit weighing 18 pounds, 15 ounces. The victory earned the Ducks bass club $2,000 and the team will now advance to compete at the 2018 FLW College Fishing National Championship, scheduled for May 30-June 2 on the Red River in Shreveport, Louisiana.
It was the second Western Conference victory of the season for Habenicht, who won the Lake Havasu tournament in February despite fishing the two-man team event solo. Marshall was registered to compete alongside Habenicht in that event but was unable to join his partner in Arizona due to travel issues. It was also the second-consecutive year that the duo from Oregon has won the annual FLW College Fishing event on Clear Lake, joining Chico State as the only two-time winners on the fishery.
“I grew up fishing this lake and I feel like I’m usually in tune with what’s going on here,” said Habenicht, a senior business major. “We had an unbelievable practice and I thought we were going to crush them. Then the tournament rolls around and three hours into the day, we’ve got no bites. We had to scramble.”
Around 11 a.m. the duo finally got their first bite of the day off of a point – a 7-pounder – on a (bluegill) Z-Man Custom ChatterBait.
“Every fish that we caught in the tournament was not a spot that we practiced in and was on a different lure,” Habenicht said. “We ended up catching about 15 to 20 fish between 11 and 1:30. The 7-pounder was our biggest, but the best lure for us was a (Frenzy Baits) Wack-A-Sack jig with a 3-inch shad-colored (Reaction Innovations) Smallie Beaver.
“The key for us was figuring out that we needed to slow way down. Traditionally, we like to fish extremely fast. But the lake was fishing tough and we had to make multiple casts sometimes. At one point it took 11 casts to catch a fish off of a dock.”
The top 10 teams that advanced to the 2018 College Fishing National Championship are:
1st: University of Oregon – Ryan Habenicht and Daniel Marshall, both of Eugene, Oregon, five bass, 18-15, $2,000
2nd: California State University-East Bay – Yuan Liu, Hayward, Calif., and Herbert Rounds, Oakley, Calif., five bass, 16-4, $1,000
3rd: California Polytechnic State University – Johan Eide, San Luis Obispo, Calif., and Colton Farquer, Oakdale, Calif., five bass, 15-2, $500
4th: California Polytechnic State University – Patrick Ellis, San Diego, Calif., and Sam Morita, Sebastopol, Calif., five bass, 14-6, $500
5th: California State University-Chico – Travis Gonsalves, Modesto, Calif., and Thoma Avilla, Escalon, Calif., five bass, 13-3, $900
6th: Oregon State University – Biagio Capp, Discovery Bay, Calif., and Joseph Billmaier, San Jose, Calif., five bass, 13-1
7th: California State University-Chico – Cole Lauchland, Chico, Calif., and Logan Schwab, Davis, Calif., five bass, 12-13, $200
8th: California State University-Chico – Nicolas Fortino, Chico, Calif., and Mason Van Wagoner, San Jose, Calif., five bass, 11-15
9th: California State University-Chico – Austin Crane and David Griswold, both of Oroville, Calif., five bass, 11-13, $200
10th: California State University-Chico – Tyler Firebaugh, Danville, Calif., and Chad Sweitzer, Chico, Calif., five bass, 11-9
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
This YETI FLW College Fishing Western Conference event at Clear Lake was hosted by the Konocti Vista Casino Resort & Marina and was the third and final regular-season qualifying tournament for Western Conference anglers in 2017. The next YETI FLW College Fishing event will be a Central Conference tournament, scheduled for Oct. 7 on the Mississippi River in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin.
FLW College Fishing teams compete in three regular-season qualifying tournaments in one of five conferences – Central, Northern, Southern, Southeastern and Western. The top ten teams from each division’s three regular-season tournaments and the top 20 teams from the annual FLW College Fishing Open will advance to the 2018 FLW College Fishing National Championship on the Red River, hosted by the Shreveport-Bossier Sports Commission & Red River Waterway Commission. Additional teams will qualify for the National Championship if the field size in regular-season events exceeds 100 boats.
College Fishing is free to enter. All participants must be registered, full-time students at a college, university or community college and members of a college fishing club that is recognized by their school.
For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow College Fishing on Facebook at Facebook.com/FLWFishing and on Twitter at Twitter.com/FLWFishing. Visit FLWFishing.com to sign up or to start a club at your school.
MCMULLEN WINS T-H MARINE FLW BFL SOUTH CAROLINA DIVISION FINALE ON LAKE WYLIE
Gaston’s Wingate Nabs Co-angler Title
ROCK HILL, S.C. (Oct. 2, 2017) – Boater Willie McMullen of Oxford, Georgia, won the T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) South Carolina Division tournament on Lake Wylie with a two-day total of 10 bass weighing 26 pounds, 3 ounces. For his win, McMullen pocketed $5,082.
“I caught everything fairly shallow from isolated wood and docks,” said McMullen, who earned his first career-win in FLW competition. “I spent the tournament in the South Fork Catawba River arm and was able to catch seven keepers on Saturday and nine on Sunday.”
McMullen estimated that 12 of his bass bit a white Z-Man ChatterBait while the other four preferred a black Picasso Din R Bel Buzzbait or a June Bug-colored Zoom Dead Ringer Worm.
“I had a little milk run and hit the same stuff each day,” said McMullen. “Everything came from less than 3 feet of water. The water level actually dropped throughout the weekend, which both helped and hurt me. It isolated targets to where I could pick apart areas without fan casting, but it also dried out some spots by Sunday.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
1st: Willie McMullen, Oxford, Ga., 10 bass, 26-3, $5,082
2nd: Scott Hamrick, Denver, N.C., 10 bass, 23-8, $2,541
3rd: Timmy Thompkins, Myrtle Beach, S.C., nine bass, 22-8, $1,925
4th: Mel Long, Hampton, S.C., 10 bass, 21-11, $1,139
5th: Chuck Howard, Elloree, S.C., 10 bass, 20-15, $976
6th: Ron Brown, Santee, S.C., 10 bass, 20-13, $895
7th: Nathan Webber, Lake Wylie, S.C., 10 bass, 20-6, $814
8th: Shane Lineberger , Lincolnton, N.C., nine bass, 20-3, $732
9th: Bryan New, Belmont, N.C., nine bass, 19-9, $651
10th: Cole Huskins, Mount Holly, N.C., 10 bass, 18-15, $570
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
John Haas of Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, caught a 4-pound, 12-ounce bass – the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division – and earned the Boater Big Bass award of $600.
Mark Wingate of Gaston, South Carolina, caught a two-day total of seven bass weighing 16 pounds, 4 ounces, to win the Co-angler Division and $2,634.
The top 10 co-anglers were:
1st: Mark Wingate, Gaston, S.C., seven bass, 16-4, $2,634
2nd: Jared Upchurch, Lugoff, S.C., seven bass, 14-6, $1,217
3rd: Tommy Floyd, Coward, S.C., seven bass, 14-1, $813
4th: Marcus Leech, Gastonia, N.C., seven bass, 13-7, $568
5th: Thomas Robbins, Jackson, S.C., eight bass, 13-2, $537
6th: Brandon Jeffcoat, Columbia, S.C., seven bass, 11-14, $446
7th: Terry Carteret, Charlotte, N.C., four bass, 10-13, $406
8th: Charles Wood, Thomasville, N.C., four bass, 10-12, $657
9th: Tristen Trull, Mount Holly, N.C., six bass, 10-8, $325
10th: Terry Coleman, Sumter, S.C., four bass, 9-5, $284
Wood caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division – a fish weighing 4 pounds, 12 ounces – and earned the Co-angler Big Bass award of $292.
The T-H Marine FLW BFL South Carolina Division tournament on Lake Wylie was hosted by the Rock Hill/York County Convention & Visitors Bureau.
The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the region based on point standings, along with the five winners in each qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 19-21 BFL Regional Championship on Lake Lanier in Gainesville, Georgia. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard and $20,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard.
The 2017 BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American. The 2018 All-American will be held on Cross Lake in Shreveport, Louisiana, May 31-June 2 and is hosted by the Shreveport-Bossier City Sports Commission and the Red River Waterway Commission. Top performers in the BFL can move up to the Costa FLW Series or even the FLW Tour.
For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the BFL on Facebook at Facebook.com/FLWFishing and on Twitter at Twitter.com/FLWFishing.
FREEMAN WINS T-H MARINE FLW BFL COWBOY DIVISION FINALE ON TOLEDO BEND LAKE
Texas’ Shelton Takes Co-angler Title
MANY, La. (Oct. 2, 2017) – Boater Glen Freeman of Zwolle, Louisiana, won the T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Cowboy Division tournament on Toledo Bend Lake Sunday with a two-day cumulative total of 10 bass weighing 37 pounds, 11 ounces. For his efforts, Freeman took home $8,074.
“I fished offshore ridges, just above the Pendleton Bridge, in 15 to 20 feet of water,” said Freeman, who notched his ninth career win on Toledo Bend in BFL competition. “The main thing for me this weekend was timing. They’d bite early in some spots one day, and the next day they’d bite late in those spots. You had to be in the right place at the right time.”
Freeman said he rotated between two lures to catch his fish – a Red Bug-colored Texas-rigged Double Z Lures Magnum-T Worm and a Mister Twister worm. He said he caught seven keepers Saturday and around 10 on Sunday.
“It was a lot of basic, offshore, old-fashioned Texas-rig worm fishing out there,” said Freeman.
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
1st: Glen Freeman, Zwolle, La., 10 bass, 37-11, $6,074 + $2,000 Ranger Cup Bonus
2nd: Albert Collins, Nacogdoches, Texas, 10 bass, 36-7, $3,037
3rd: Nick Lebrun, Bossier City, La., 10 bass, 32-7, $1,957
4th: Randy Deaver, Blanchard, La., 10 bass, 30-13, $1,371
5th: Charles DuBroc, Hessmer, La., nine bass, 29-4, $1,865
6th: Darold Gleason, Many, La., 10 bass, 28-3, $1,077
7th: Kyle Guidry, Opelousas, La., nine bass, 25-10, $979
8th: Kevin Jeane, Natchitoches, La., 10 bass, 25-7, $881
9th: Brian Martin, Hemphill, Texas, 10 bass, 24-15, $783
10th: Philip Crelia, Center, Texas, 10 bass, 24-10, $685
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Stephen Reitzell of Colfax, Louisiana, caught an 8-pound, 9-ounce bass – the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division – and earned the Boater Big Bass award of $390.
Justin Shelton of Kemp, Texas, caught a two-day total of eight bass weighing 27 pounds, 7 ounces, to win the Co-angler Division and $3,037.
The top 10 co-anglers were:
1st: Justin Shelton, Kemp, Texas, eight bass, 27-7, $3,037
2nd: David Kayda, Huffman, Texas, five bass, 21-12, $1,518
3rd: Charles Dellard, Burleson, Texas, nine bass, 21-0, $979
4th: Russell Lewis, Pineville, La., 10 bass, 20-8, $685
5th: Cedric Jackson, Sicily Island, La., five bass, 17-9, $587
6th: Doug Estep, Baton Rouge, La., eight bass, 14-4, $538
7th: Gary Medley, Vidor, Texas, six bass, 14-0, $489
8th: Logan Slaughter, Dallas, Texas, seven bass, 13-15, $441
9th: Dwayne Dennis, Colmesneil, Texas, five bass, 13-15, $392
10th: Alexander Phillips, Bossier, La., seven bass, 13-0, $343
Tim Woodard of Rosepine, Louisiana, caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division – a fish weighing 7 pounds, 1 ounces – and earned the Co-angler Big Bass award of $390.
The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the region based on point standings, along with the five winners in each qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 19-21 BFL Regional Championship on the Red River in Bossier City, Louisiana. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard and $20,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard.
The 2017 BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American. The 2018 All-American will be held on Cross Lake in Shreveport, Louisiana, May 31-June 2 and is hosted by the Shreveport-Bossier City Sports Commission and the Red River Waterway Commission. Top performers in the BFL can move up to the Costa FLW Series or even the FLW Tour.
For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the BFL on Facebook at Facebook.com/FLWFishing and on Twitter at Twitter.com/FLWFishing.
DAVIS WINS T-H MARINE FLW BASS FISHING LEAGUE CHOO CHOO DIVISION FINALE ON LAKE GUNTERSVILLE PRESENTED BY MUD HOLE CUSTOM TACKLE
Dawson’s Harcrow Nabs Co-angler Title
SCOTTSBORO, Ala. (Oct. 2, 2017) – FLW Tour pro Alex Davis of Albertville, Alabama, weighed a two-day cumulative of 10 bass totaling 34 pounds, 9 ounces to win the T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Choo Choo Division tournament on Lake Guntersville presented by Mud Hole Custom Tackle. For his win, Davis pocketed $7,704.
“On Saturday I caught 20 keepers – it was a great day,” said Davis, who earned his third career-victory in BFL competition. “My heaviest came from a 20-yard stretch that had hollow milfoil surrounded by hydrilla. It was near shore and ended up being the area that carried me through the tournament.”
Davis said 8 of 10 fish that he weighed in were caught on a black Jackall Kaera Frog.
“I started out at the stretch Sunday, but wasn’t able to put anything in the boat,” said Davis. “After letting the area rest, I returned and caught two keepers including a 5-pounder using a (black and blue) Jackall Archelon.”
Following those fish, Davis said he was forced to leave his area due to large waves.
“I went to a spot where I had gotten couple of bites in practice, but when I got there, my trolling motor cable broke,” said Davis. “I spent the rest of the day putting my Power-Poles down, fishing and then moving the boat with my outboard. Luckily, I was in an area that didn’t really need a trolling motor to be productive.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
1st: Alex Davis, Albertville, Ala., 10 bass, 34-9, $5,704 + $2,000 Ranger Cup Bonus
2nd: Blake Hall, Hartselle, Ala., 10 bass, 34-2, $2,752
3rd: Douglas Webster, Pinson, Ala., 10 bass, 33-9, $1,935
4th: Lealand Johnson, Arab, Ala., 10 bass, 32-6, $1,584
5th: Triston Crowder, Lawrenceburg, Tenn., 10 bass, 30-1, $1,101
6th: Dennis Barnes, Boaz, Ala., nine bass, 28-5, $1,009
7th: John Davenport, Huntsville, Ala., 10 bass, 27-14, $917
8th: James Smith, Huntsville, Ala., nine bass, 27-10, $826
9th: James Stoler, Decatur, Ala., seven bass, 22-11, $734
10th: Ryan Salzman, Huntsville, Ala., nine bass, 21-15, $642
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Pat Kelly of Guntersville, Alabama, caught a bass weighing 7 pounds even – the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division – and earned the Boater Big Bass award of $705.
Chris Harcrow of Dawson, Alabama, caught a two-day total of eight bass weighing 22 pounds, 5 ounces, to win the Co-angler Division and $2,635.
The top 10 co-anglers were:
1st: Chris Harcrow, Dawson, Al a., eight bass, 22-5, $2,635
2nd: Stephen Barday, Acworth, Ga., eight bass, 21-0, $1,317
3rd: Danny Moss, Glencoe, Ala., six bass, 20-7, $1,217
4th: Corey Williams, Lenoir City, Tenn., six bass, 19-4, $715
5th: Lee Graves, Southside, Ala., eight bass, 18-15, $527
6th: Dan Basham, Taylorsville, Ky., six bass, 16-7, $533
7th: Dennis Sandoval, Decatur, Ala., five bass, 13-10, $439
8th: Randy Hill, Athens, Ala., five bass, 11-10, $395
9th: David Perron, Dayton, Tenn., four bass, 11-0, $351
10th: Chris Walters, Dayton, Tenn., four bass, 10-15, $307
Moss caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division – a fish weighing 5 pounds, 12 ounces – and earned the Co-angler Big Bass award of $337.
The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the region based on point standings, along with the five winners in each qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 12-14 BFL Regional Championship on Wheeler Lake in Decatur, Alabama. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard and $20,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard.
The 2017 BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American. The 2018 All-American will be held on Cross Lake in Shreveport, Louisiana, May 31-June 2 and is hosted by the Shreveport-Bossier City Sports Commission and the Red River Waterway Commission. Top performers in the BFL can move up to the Costa FLW Series or even the FLW Tour.
For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the BFL on Facebook at Facebook.com/FLWFishing and on Twitter at Twitter.com/FLWFishing.
FLW ANNOUNCES KENTUCKY/BARKLEY LAKES AS 2017 T-H MARINE BFL WILD CARD VENUE
MINNEAPOLIS (Oct. 2, 2017) – FLW announced today that the 2017 T-H Marine BFL Wild Card tournament will take place on Kentucky and Barkley lakes, Nov. 10-11. The previously reported date of Oct. 27-28 was changed due to a scheduling conflict. The event will launch from the Kentucky Dam Marina, located at 466 Marina Drive in Gilbertsville, Kentucky.
In order to be eligible to fish the no-entry-fee BFL Wild Card tournament, anglers must have entered all five events within a BFL division during the 2017 season and fished at least two of them. In addition, anglers who have already qualified for a BFL regional are ineligible.
During the BFL Wild Card tournament, the full field competes both days, with winners determined by the heaviest two-day catch. The top six boaters and top six co-anglers will advance to the 2018 T-H Marine BFL All-American, held on Cross Lake in Shreveport, Louisiana, May 31-June 2, hosted by the Shreveport-Bossier City Sports Commission and the Red River Waterway Commission.
An optional pot is available to anglers who elect to participate at the BFL Wild Card tournament. Entry fees for the optional pot will be $230 for boaters and $115 for co-anglers, with the top 20 percent of anglers who elect to participate in the optional pot receiving checks. There will be no official practice period or off-limits period prior to the pretournament meeting for the Wild Card. No contestant may be on tournament waters for the purpose of locating bass or potential fishing waters after the start of the pretournament meeting except during tournament hours.
Entry for the BFL Wild Card is now open and runs through Thursday, November 9, 2017, at 6 p.m. Central time. You may enter by phone on or before Wednesday, November 8, at 270.252.1000. Entries on November 9 will be taken onsite at the pretournament meeting at the Kentucky Dam Marina. The 2017 T-H Marine BFL Wild Card tournament is being hosted by the Kentucky Lake Convention & Visitors Bureau.
The 2017 BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American. Top performers in the BFL can move up to the Costa FLW Series or even the FLW Tour.
Browning & Wagoner Win Bradly Roy's 5th Annual High School Open on Herrington Lake!
Lancaster, KY – Bradley Roy’s 5th Annual High School Open was held on Saturday, September 30th on Herrington Lake. A record field of 94 teams from 29 different schools competed for two spots in the 2018 Bassmaster High School National Championship.
The team of Steven Browning and Noah Wagoner of Garrard County won the event with 5 bass weighing 12.83. They were followed closely by the team of Jordan Smallwood and Evan Fields of Collins/Shelby with 12.78. The runner-up team also had the Big Bass of the event with a 4.87 largemouth.
The team of Browning & Wagoner caught their fish on jigs in deep brush piles while Smallwood and Fields caught over 50 fish on topwaters and crankbaits.
The winning team received plaques, custom rod building kits from Mud Hole Custom Tackle, rod blanks from MHX Rods, and baits from Cabin Creek Bait Co. and D&L Tackle. The two top teams also received entry into the aforementioned Bassmaster High School National Championship.
Registration was held Friday night at Angler’s Outpost & Marine in Lancaster, KY with First Southern National Bank feeding the crowd. The teams were addressed by Hank Patton with USA Cares, Stacie Walker of Prym1, Nick Sosby of Snap Fundraising, and Tommy Hall of Campbellsville College. Tournament information was provided to the teams and coaches by Anthony and Bradley Roy.
The event was held out of Chimney Rock Marina on Herrington Lake, a 2,335-acre lake situated in Mercer, Garrard, and Boyle Counties. It was the fourth year the event was held on the fishery. Roy announced the fishery would be the site of the 2018 event as well with a probable date of October 6th.
Event supporters included; Angler’s Outpost & Marine, Mud Hole Custom Tackle, MHX Rods, First Southern National Bank, Cabin Creek Bait Co., D&L Tackle, USA Cares, Whitetail Heaven Outfitters, Prym1, Shimano, The Leash, Triton Boats, and Mercury Marine.
Andy Lake Wins AFT D-96 Clarks Hill Event with over 13 Pounds!!
The day started out at 55 degrees and was at 75 degrees by the 3 pm weigh-in. Sunny bluebird skies with the wind out of the NE at 15 to 25 mph. Clarks Hill Lake is at 8 feet below full pool and falling with surface temp in the mid to high 70s.
There were 26 anglers fishing this Division 96 1-day qualifier tournament out of the Dorn Facility near McCormick, SC.
First place, Andy Lake had 5 fish weighing 13.80 pounds that was anchored by the tournament big fish of 5.91 pounds. That fish puts Andy in the lead for the 2018 Season ALX Rod Big Fish. Andy caught all his fish on soft plastics fishing brush piles on the middle part of the lake. His big fish came on a plastic worm in 12 feet of water. The combined payback for first place and big fish gave Andy $770.
Tracy Webb was second with 5 fish weighing 11.45 pounds. Tracy took home $539 for second place and first place in the option pot.
Jonathon Webb took third place with 4 fish weighing 10.88 pounds. He had a kicker fish of 5.23 pounds and won $237 for third place and second place in the option pot.
Fourth place was Steve Christie of Gray Court, SC. Steve had 5 fish weighing 10.70 pounds. Steve fished the middle part of the lake and caught his fish on crankbaits. Steve won $108 for his fourth place finish.
The next D-96 tournament for the 2018 season is November 12, 2017 on Lake Murray out of Dreher Island State Park near Prosperity, SC.
Here’s how we finished:
| Angler |
# Fish |
Big Bass |
Penalty |
Total Wt. |
Points |
Payout |
|
1 |
Andy Lake |
5 |
5.91 |
13.8 |
200 |
$770 |
|
2 |
Tracy Webb |
5 |
11.45 |
199 |
$539 |
|
|
3 |
Jonathon Webb |
4 |
5.23 |
10.88 |
198 |
$237 |
|
4 |
Steve Christie |
5 |
10.7 |
197 |
$108 |
|
|
5 |
Bill Cain |
5 |
4 |
10.45 |
196 |
ALX Hat |
|
6 |
Joey Miller |
5 |
10.29 |
195 |
Level Hat |
|
|
7 |
Mark Abbott |
5 |
9.77 |
194 |
$0 |
|
|
8 |
George Berry |
5 |
0.5 |
9.45 |
193 |
$0 |
|
9 |
Kevin Bragg |
5 |
9.15 |
192 |
$0 |
|
|
10 |
Paul Smith |
4 |
3.95 |
8.83 |
191 |
$0 |
|
11 |
Jay Treon |
5 |
7.9 |
190 |
$0 |
|
|
12 |
Don Kneece |
5 |
0.5 |
7.29 |
189 |
$0 |
|
13 |
Eddie Temples |
5 |
7.22 |
188 |
$0 |
|
|
14 |
Kirk Fowler |
3 |
7.14 |
187 |
$0 |
|
|
15 |
Russell Clark |
3 |
3.25 |
6.95 |
186 |
$0 |
|
16 |
Daniel Howell |
5 |
6.82 |
185 |
$0 |
|
|
17 |
Randy Ables |
5 |
0.5 |
5.9 |
184 |
$0 |
|
18 |
Allen Murray |
4 |
0.5 |
5.79 |
183 |
$0 |
|
19 |
Paul Tickerhoof |
5 |
5.69 |
182 |
$0 |
|
|
20 |
Phil Morris |
4 |
5.26 |
181 |
$0 |
|
|
21 |
James Satterwhite |
2 |
4.8 |
180 |
$0 |
|
|
22 |
Roger Farr |
4 |
3.85 |
179 |
$0 |
|
|
23 |
Kevin Fulmer |
2 |
2.6 |
178 |
$0 |
|
|
24 |
Wesley Bray |
2 |
2.19 |
177 |
$0 |
|
|
25 |
Patrick Hobson |
0 |
0 |
$50 |
$0 |
|
|
25 |
James Pinson |
0 |
0 |
$50 |
$0 |
D-96 Angler of the Year Leaders for 2018 Season:
Joey Miller – 769 points
Jay Treon – 757 points
Don Kneece – 755 points
ALX Rod Big Fish Leader for 2018 Season:
Kevin Fulmer – 5.13 pounds Clarks Hill Lake, October 1, 2017
ALX Rods Big Fish Award for the 2018 Season (New ALX IKOS Series Rod for Season Big Fish Winner www.alxrods.com)
Level Performance Rods Big Sack Leader for 2018 Season:
Kevin Fulmer – 19.50 pounds Lake Murray, August 20, 2017
Andy Lake won a Level Rod at the drawing at the August 20th Murray weigh-in.
Up Coming Tournaments:
Open Series Oct. 7-8, 2017 Hartwell Green Pond
D-26 Oct. 15, 2017 Clarks Hill Wildwood Park (2018 Season)
D-25 Oct. 22, 2017 Hartwell Green Pond
SC Couples Nov. 4, 2017 Clarks Hill Dorn Facility
D-96 Nov. 12, 2017 Murray Dreher Island State Park
D-25 Nov. 19, 2017 Russell Hwy 72 Ramp
D-26 Nov. 19, 2017 Clarks Hill Wildwood Park
D-96 Dec. 3, 2017 Greenwood Greenwood State Park
D-26 Dec. 10, 2017 Clarks Hill Wildwood Park
D-25 Dec. 17, 2017 Clarks Hill Dorn Facility
AFT 2017 National Championship was announced to be on the Ouachita River in Monroe La. for October 2017
(AFT 2018 National Championship location and date are to be announced in October.)
Bryant Smith goes Wire-to-Wire for Clear Lake Costa Win!
September 30, 2017
by David A. Brown - FLW Outdoors
Bryant Smith had finally had his fill of getting beat because of the way he likes to fish and decided to do something about it. That “something” was a key bait change that led the Castro Valley, Calif., resident to his first pro victory with a three-day total of 53 pounds, 15 ounces in the Costa FLW Series Western Division event presented by Evinrude.
First, the relevant background: The Clear Lake we saw this week was a far cry from the Clear Lake of years past. Aggressive herbicide efforts have left this gem of Northern California nearly devoid of the hydrilla that would normally flourish throughout the lake. Without the water filtration and oxygen emissions that subaquatic vegetation provides, Clear Lake is presently in a slump.
There’s plenty of bait and several quality fish were caught; however, the massive sacks that fall tournaments usually produce were largely absent. Smith knew this would be the case, and while he’s stubbornly endured tough events unwilling to let go of his aggressive preference, he wisely shifted gears and played a different game this time; one that left him with an 8-6 margin of victory.
“I’m usually the guy who throws reaction baits a lot — I’ll throw squarebills, I’ll throw ChatterBaits, I’ll flip,” Smith says. “I’ve gotten my butt kicked so many times by guys slowing down and throwing Senkos. I put that one rod in my hand and pitched to every dock piling that was in front of me.”
Indeed, Smith wacky rigged a 5-inch green pumpkin/watermelon Yamamoto Senko on a 3/0 Decoy Big Bite Finesse Worm20 hook, stuck a 3/32-ounce nail weight in the tail and spent the entire tournament flinging that Neko rig around docks of every size.
“It was very specific; you had to hit the pilings with the bait,” Smith says.
Smith spent at least half of each day in the Redbud arm on the lake’s lower end. Later in the day, he’d transition to docks in the Lakeport area at the upper end. In both regions, he worked areas where massive bait aggregations typically prompt the bass’ fall transitions.
Inconsistent weather has that autumn move delayed, but Smith says he felt confident he could pick off enough fish if he kept moving and fished each dock efficiently. The plan paid off with a day-one limit of 20-15 to have him leading the pack. Smith followed with 20-8 and retained the top spot on day two. A slim final round yielded only 12-8, but those first two days provided a numeric advantage more than sufficient to seal the deal.
“That was crucial; having that lead helped me relax and just fish today,” Smith says.
Statistics often help paint the picture, so here are a few that help frame Smith’s accomplishment:
- He was the only angler in the tournament to break 20 pounds.
- He weighed over 20 pounds twice.
- His day-two lead of 6-3 was equal to the gap between second and 10th place.
- His day-three margin of victory was more than 2 pounds greater than the gap between second and 10th place.
This is Smith’s second FLW win (his first came when he topped the co-angler division in the 2011 Western Division event on Lake Shasta) and seventh top-10 finish. His career winnings have now been bumped to over $137,000 thanks to his combined winnings of over $76,000 this week.
Smith now looks to carry this momentum into the Costa FLW Series Championship in a month on Kentucky Lake where he will be making his third appearance to the big show.
Top 10 pros:
1. Bryant Smith – Castro Valley, Calif. – 53-15 - $31,471 and a Ranger Z518 with 200 hp Evinrude
2. Clayton Eslick – Gilroy, Calif. – 45-9 - $12,140
3. Jimmy Reese – Witter Springs, Calif. – 44-7 - $9,321
4. Kyle Grover – Trabuco Canyon, Calif. – 43-11 - $7,768
5. Ken Mah – Elk Grove, Calif. – 43-9 - $6,991
6. Wayne Breazeale – Kelseyville, Calif. – 43-9 - $6,214
7. Clayton Meyer – Henderson, Nev. – 41-13 - $5,437
8. Travis Huckaby – Modesto, Calif. – 41-4 - $4,661
9. Richard Dobyns – Marysville, Calif. – 41-1 - $3,884
10. Gerry Johnson – Modesto, Calif. – 39-5 - $3,107
Jesse Wiggins Wins Bassmaster Open On Smith Lake, His Second Of The Season
Jesse Wiggins of Cullman, Ala., won the 2017 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Southern Open No. 3 held on Smith Lake out of Jasper, Ala., with a three-day total weight of 39 pounds, 15 ounces.
Photo by Thomas Allen/B.A.S.S.
Sept. 30, 2017
LEEDS, Ala. — When Jesse Wiggins moved to the top of the leaderboard on Friday after Day 2 of the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Southern Open No. 3, he told the crowd that “two-thirds of the work is done.”
Today in the final round of the tournament, Wiggins finished the job.
Wiggins slammed the door on the 11 other competitors who survived the cut to 12 on Smith Lake here in north-central Alabama. He weighed a five-bass limit of 13 pounds, 8 ounces today to give him a three-day total of 39-15.
That was more than enough to earn the 27-year-old Wiggins his second win in three Southern Open tournaments of the season (the first Southern Open on Florida’s Harris Chain of Lakes in January marked his earlier win).
But this victory was especially sweet because it earned the Cullman, Ala., native the rare honor of “triple qualifying” for the 2018 GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods, which will be held on South Carolina’s Lake Hartwell in March.
Technically, he qualified for the next Classic by winning Opens on both the Harris Chain and on Smith Lake. But Wiggins also finished 37th in the Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings during his rookie season on the Elite Series, which alone would have been good enough to punch his ticket to the 2018 Classic.
“This is what I dream about every time I go bass fishing,” Wiggins said to a weigh-in crowd that included dozens of family members and friends. “I wanted to win so bad, and now that it’s here, I’m speechless. I just love bass fishing.
“But I really want to hold that trophy,” he said, as he hoisted the Southern Open championship hardware.
Wiggins has fished on Smith since his childhood. He has a deep knowledge of the sometimes-fickle 21,000-acre reservoir and he put it to good use this week.
While many of the 175 pros in the field struggled to even catch a fish during the first two days of competition, Wiggins was steady. He boated a five-bass limit on Thursday that weighed 15-2 and put him only 2 ounces out of first place. Wiggins caught another limit of 11-5 on Friday, and that gave him a 2 1/2-pound edge on the field heading into the final day of competition.
Wiggins’ local smarts were really on display today, as he was one of only four anglers to catch a limit. The others (Justin Lucas, Kyle Monti and Brandon Lester) didn’t have enough weight to vault into the pole position, though Lester did make a move from 12th on Friday to third overall.
Wiggins still won the tournament by more than 5 pounds.
Unseasonably warm temperatures in the low 90s on Thursday and mid to upper 80s on both Friday and today, had some anglers fishing offshore ledges for suspended bass. Wiggins, however, pounded Smith’s shorelines with buzzbaits and worms and looked like a seasoned veteran doing so.
“I started with a black and white Horny Toad first thing in the morning going down the banks and would catch a couple key fish on that,” Wiggins said. “And then in the evenings I would throw a worm; a Shaky Head (green pumpkin) with a Zoom Fluke stick on it around docks. I also threw a Jenko CD Squared some on rocky banks and another unnamed 1.5 crankbait on rocky banks.”
Wiggins said that would have been his usual game plan given the weather conditions on Smith this week. Being on familiar water allowed him to fish more relaxed this week and let instinct guide him.
Still, anytime he competes, Wiggins pushes himself.
“I don’t ever relax because I always want to win,” Wiggins said. “But it was great to have this tournament on Smith. I know the place. I’ve been fortunate.”
The win netted him more than $7,000 in prize money, plus a Skeeter ZX200 and Yamaha SHO 200 boat/motor package for total winnings of more than $50,000.
He also claimed Saturday’s Livingston Lures Day 2 Leader Award of $250 for being the top finishing pro Friday. Finishing as the Day 2 leader on the co-angler side, Todd Lee of Jasper received a Livingston Lures gift pack worth $250.
Brent Crow of Hartselle, Ala., won the $750 Phoenix Boats Big Bass Award on the pro side with a 5-6 largemouth he caught on Thursday. Charles Fochtman of Moneta, Va., weighed in a 4-13 spotted bass to earn the $250 Phoenix Boats Big Bass award on the co-angler side.
Rick Morris of Gaston, Va., won the Power-Pole Captain’s Cash Award of $500 for being the highest-placing angler who is registered and eligible and uses a client-approved product on his boat.
Five anglers qualified for 2018 Elite Series by virtue of their point totals in the 2017 Southern Opens. They are Kyle Monti, Hunter Shryock, Bill Weidler, Morris and Shin Fukae. Justin Lucas and Marty Robinson were among the Top 5 in Southern Opens points, but are already qualified for the Elite Series.
Benjie Seaborn of Guin, Ala., won the co-angler division. He boated a three-bass limit that weighed 10-10 (the heaviest co-angler bag of the week) and that gave him a three-day total of 20-15. Seaborn, who fished with Morris today, earned a Triton 179 TrX boat and Mercury 115 ELPT 4-stroke motor with the win.
The tournament was hosted by the Walker County Chamber of Commerce
2017 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Southern Open Smith Lake 9/28-9/30
Smith Lake, Jasper AL.
(BOATER) Standings Day 3
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Jesse Wiggins Cullman, AL 15 39-15 200 $52,717.00
Day 1: 5 15-02 Day 2: 5 11-05 Day 3: 5 13-08
2. Rick Morris Lake Gaston, VA 14 34-14 199 $18,233.00
Day 1: 5 12-08 Day 2: 5 11-08 Day 3: 4 10-14
3. Brandon Lester Fayetteville, TN 14 33-07 198 $13,300.00
Day 1: 4 09-11 Day 2: 5 11-04 Day 3: 5 12-08
4. Justin Lucas Guntersville, AL 15 31-15 197 $11,900.00
Day 1: 5 09-14 Day 2: 5 12-15 Day 3: 5 09-02
5. Kyle Monti Okeechobee, FL 15 30-07 196 $10,383.00
Day 1: 5 11-01 Day 2: 5 10-09 Day 3: 5 08-13
6. Todd Auten Lake Wylie, SC 13 29-12 195 $8,867.00
Day 1: 4 07-15 Day 2: 5 13-08 Day 3: 4 08-05
7. Shin Fukae Palestine TX JAPAN 12 29-04 194 $7,467.00
Day 1: 5 15-04 Day 2: 4 08-01 Day 3: 3 05-15
8. Jordan Lee Grant, AL 12 29-01 193 $5,950.00
Day 1: 5 13-11 Day 2: 3 07-09 Day 3: 4 07-13
9. Will Davis Jr Sylacauga, AL 11 28-15 192 $4,433.00
Day 1: 3 10-00 Day 2: 5 13-07 Day 3: 3 05-08
10. David Kilgore Jasper, AL 12 28-08 191 $4,083.00
Day 1: 5 12-12 Day 2: 5 09-06 Day 3: 2 06-06
11. John Hunter Jr Shelbyville, KY 13 27-14 190 $3,733.00
Day 1: 5 10-14 Day 2: 5 10-02 Day 3: 3 06-14
12. Greg Pugh Cullman, AL 11 24-10 189 $3,500.00
Day 1: 5 09-10 Day 2: 5 13-08 Day 3: 1 01-08
PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS
Brent Crow Hartselle, AL 05-06 $750.00
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 28 400 843-06
2 21 347 774-10
3 4 44 97-02
----------------------------------
53 791 1715-02
2017 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Southern Open Smith Lake 9/28-9/30
Smith Lake, Jasper AL.
(NON_BOATER) Standings Day 3
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Benjie Seaborn Guin, AL 7 20-15 200 $30,000.00
Day 1: 3 08-03 Day 2: 1 02-02 Day 3: 3 10-10
2. Kent Biggs Morristown, TN 8 15-06 199 $5,717.00
Day 1: 3 05-06 Day 2: 2 04-07 Day 3: 3 05-09
3. Chris Farmer Mathews, AL 7 14-08 198 $4,317.00
Day 1: 3 05-06 Day 2: 3 05-15 Day 3: 1 03-03
4. Todd Lee Jasper, AL 5 13-04 197 $2,917.00
Day 1: 2 05-09 Day 2: 3 07-11 Day 3: 0 00-00
5. Michael Vice Rossville, IL 6 12-13 196 $2,683.00
Day 1: 2 04-00 Day 2: 3 06-09 Day 3: 1 02-04
6. Carlton Tipp Grand Bay, AL 6 12-11 195 $2,567.00
Day 1: 3 06-10 Day 2: 2 04-06 Day 3: 1 01-11
7. Mark Wethington Liberty, KY 6 11-01 194 $2,450.00
Day 1: 2 03-12 Day 2: 3 05-06 Day 3: 1 01-15
8. Mark Bartosch Clarksville, TN 4 10-08 193 $2,333.00
Day 1: 1 02-15 Day 2: 2 05-10 Day 3: 1 01-15
9. Curtis Hall II Battle Creek, MI 4 10-06 192 $2,217.00
Day 1: 1 03-08 Day 2: 3 06-14 Day 3: 0 00-00
10. Chuck Thurlow Auburn, AL 3 09-06 191 $1,983.00
Day 1: 1 02-10 Day 2: 2 06-12 Day 3: 0 00-00
11. Ricky Congero Windermere, FL 4 08-15 190 $1,750.00
Day 1: 3 06-04 Day 2: 1 02-11 Day 3: 0 00-00
12. Chad Viator Wilsonville, AL 4 08-09 189 $1,633.00
Day 1: 2 04-11 Day 2: 2 03-14 Day 3: 0 00-00
PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS
Charles Fochtman Moneta, VA 04-15 $250.00
---------------------------------------------
Elite Series Pro Wiggins Takes Lead At Bassmaster Southern Open On Smith Lake
Jesse Wiggins of Cullman, Ala., takes the lead on the second day of the 2017 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Southern Open No. 3 held on Smith Lake out of Jasper, Ala., with a two-day total weight of 26 pounds, 7 ounces.
Photo by Thomas Allen/B.A.S.S.
Sept. 29, 2017
JASPER, Ala. — “Two-thirds of the work is done.”
That’s what Jesse Wiggins told the crowd Friday during the second round of competition at the final Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Southern Open on Smith Lake.
Now the 27-year-old pro of Cullman, Ala., needs to finish strong to win yet another Opens tournament — and this one is on his home lake, to boot.
Wiggins, who just finished his rookie season on the Bassmaster Elite Series, jumped to the top of the leaderboard Friday with a five-bass limit that weighed 11 pounds, 5 ounces. His two-day total of 26-7 gave him almost a 2 1/2-pound lead over Rick Morris, who is second among the 12 anglers who survived the cut to fish Saturday.
The winner of the tournament will clinch a berth in the 2018 GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods, but Wiggins has already secured a spot in next year’s “Super Bowl of professional bass fishing.” He won the first Southern Open of the season on Florida’s Harris Chain of Lakes, which he admitted took the pressure off him this week.
“It really did make things easier for me,” said Wiggins. “I’ve already qualified for the Classic, but I’m greedy. I always want to win, especially if there’s money on the line.”
And there is. Not only will the Southern Open winner earn a generous cash prize, but there’s also a Skeeter boat/Yamaha motor package up for grabs. The grand total in cash and prizes is valued at more than $50,000.
“Hopefully I’m in position to win,” Wiggins said. “It’s going to be close, but I’ve got a chance.”
While some other leading anglers are fishing suspended bass offshore, Wiggins said he’s fishing structure along shorelines. He said he’s labored for every catch he’s had, as unseasonably warm temperatures have made getting bites difficult.
Wiggins said he had only four bass with an hour left to fish, but he changed locations and hooked two keepers in the final minutes of Friday’s competition. He likely would have survived the Top 12 cut without those catches, but the extra weight propelled him into the top spot.
Wiggins is used to winning on Smith. He’s been a force in local tournaments here for years, and he proved his mettle against other pros last year when he won a Southern Open on the lake to qualify for the 2017 Bassmaster Classic. His knowledge here, despite his youth, is practically unprecedented.
“We had a cool snap in August and the water temperature dropped about five degrees then,” Wiggins said. “They started biting, but then it warmed up again and they stopped. But I tell people the main reason they stop biting on Smith Lake is because of all of this boat pressure. That’s why I fish for fish that people can’t buzz over.”
When the tournament wraps Saturday, the Top 5 anglers in the Southern Open points standings will earn invitations to compete in next year’s Bassmaster Elite Series.
On the co-angler side, Todd Lee of Jasper takes the lead with a two-day total of 13-4.
Brent Crow of Hartselle, Ala., maintains the lead in the pro division for the Phoenix Big Bass Award with a 5-6 largemouth. Leading the nonboater division for the Phoenix Boats Big Bass Award is Charles Fochtman of Moneta, Va., with a 4-15 spotted bass.
The event will conclude Saturday with a 6:30 a.m. takeoff at Smith Lake Dam Access . The final weigh-in will take place at the Bass Pro Shops location in Leeds, Ala., beginning at 3:45 p.m.
The tournament is being hosted by the Walker County Chamber of Commerce.
2017 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Opens Series Title Sponsor: Bass Pro Shops
2017 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Opens Series Platinum Sponsor: Toyota
2017 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Opens Series Premier Sponsors: Huk, Humminbird, Mercury, Power-Pole, Shell Rotella, Minn Kota, Nitro Boats, Skeeter Boats, Triton Boats, Yamaha, Berkley
2017 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Opens Series Supporting Sponsors: T-H Marine, Advance Auto Parts, Carhartt, Dick Cepek Tires & Wheels, Livingston Lures, Lowrance, Phoenix Boats, Shimano
About B.A.S.S.
B.A.S.S. is the worldwide authority on bass fishing and keeper of the culture of the sport, providing cutting edge content on bass fishing whenever, wherever and however bass fishing fans want to use it. Headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., the 500,000-member organization’s fully integrated media platforms include the industry’s leading magazines (Bassmaster and B.A.S.S. Times), website (Bassmaster.com), television show (The Bassmasters on ESPN2), radio show (Bassmaster Radio), social media programs and events. For more than 45 years, B.A.S.S. has been dedicated to access, conservation and youth fishing.
The Bassmaster Tournament Trail includes the most prestigious events at each level of competition, including the Bassmaster Elite Series, Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Open Series, Academy Sports + Outdoors B.A.S.S. Nation presented by Magellan Outdoors, Carhartt Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, Costa Bassmaster High School Series presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods, Toyota Bonus Bucks Bassmaster Team Championship and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods.
-30-
Media Contact: JamieDay Matthews, 205-313-0945, [email protected] or Dave Precht, 205-313-0931, [email protected]
2017 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Southern Open Smith Lake 9/28-9/30
Smith Lake, Jasper AL.
(BOATER) Standings Day 2
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Jesse Wiggins Cullman, AL 10 26-07 200 $250.00
Day 1: 5 15-02 Day 2: 5 11-05
2. Rick Morris Lake Gaston, VA 10 24-00 199
Day 1: 5 12-08 Day 2: 5 11-08
3. Will Davis Jr Sylacauga, AL 8 23-07 198
Day 1: 3 10-00 Day 2: 5 13-07
4. Shin Fukae Palestine TX JAPAN 9 23-05 197
Day 1: 5 15-04 Day 2: 4 08-01
5. Greg Pugh Cullman, AL 10 23-02 196
Day 1: 5 09-10 Day 2: 5 13-08
6. Justin Lucas Guntersville, AL 10 22-13 195
Day 1: 5 09-14 Day 2: 5 12-15
7. David Kilgore Jasper, AL 10 22-02 194
Day 1: 5 12-12 Day 2: 5 09-06
8. Kyle Monti Okeechobee, FL 10 21-10 193
Day 1: 5 11-01 Day 2: 5 10-09
9. Todd Auten Lake Wylie, SC 9 21-07 192
Day 1: 4 07-15 Day 2: 5 13-08
10. Jordan Lee Grant, AL 8 21-04 191
Day 1: 5 13-11 Day 2: 3 07-09
11. John Hunter Jr Shelbyville, KY 10 21-00 190
Day 1: 5 10-14 Day 2: 5 10-02
12. Brandon Lester Fayetteville, TN 9 20-15 189
Day 1: 4 09-11 Day 2: 5 11-04
13. Wesley Strader Spring City, TN 9 20-10 188 $2,917.00
Day 1: 5 08-05 Day 2: 4 12-05
14. Jordan Wiggins Cullman, AL 9 20-04 187 $2,917.00
Day 1: 4 08-10 Day 2: 5 11-10
15. Josh Douglas Mound, MN 9 20-03 186 $2,917.00
Day 1: 5 09-08 Day 2: 4 10-11
16. Freddy Palmer Estill Springs, TN 9 20-03 185 $2,917.00
Day 1: 5 10-10 Day 2: 4 09-09
17. Gerald Swindle Guntersville, AL 8 19-09 184 $2,917.00
Day 1: 3 05-08 Day 2: 5 14-01
18. Wes Logan Springville, AL 8 19-09 183 $2,917.00
Day 1: 3 06-08 Day 2: 5 13-01
19. Gary Isgrigg Mt Washington, KY 9 19-09 182 $2,917.00
Day 1: 5 10-00 Day 2: 4 09-09
20. Stetson Blaylock Benton, AR 8 18-14 181 $2,917.00
Day 1: 3 05-04 Day 2: 5 13-10
21. Jamie Butler Jasper, AL 9 18-11 180 $2,917.00
Day 1: 5 10-08 Day 2: 4 08-03
22. Ken Iyobe Tokoname-Shi JAPAN 10 18-04 179 $2,917.00
Day 1: 5 09-10 Day 2: 5 08-10
23. Brent Long Iron Station, NC 8 18-02 178 $2,917.00
Day 1: 4 10-11 Day 2: 4 07-07
24. Steven Priest New Lexington, OH 8 17-15 177 $2,917.00
Day 1: 3 05-10 Day 2: 5 12-05
25. Brian Morris Cullman, AL 7 17-09 176 $2,917.00
Day 1: 5 12-07 Day 2: 2 05-02
26. Kyle Fox Lakeland, FL 8 17-08 175 $2,567.00
Day 1: 4 07-09 Day 2: 4 09-15
27. Neil Davis Clermont, FL 7 17-02 174 $2,567.00
Day 1: 3 07-15 Day 2: 4 09-03
28. Jeff Holland Winter Springs, FL 8 17-00 173 $2,567.00
Day 1: 5 09-14 Day 2: 3 07-02
29. Michael Reid Brookville, OH 7 16-14 172 $2,567.00
Day 1: 2 04-15 Day 2: 5 11-15
30. Al Farace Jr Hunt Valley, MD 9 16-13 171 $2,567.00
Day 1: 5 08-01 Day 2: 4 08-12
31. Greg Vinson Wetumpka, AL 7 16-12 170 $2,217.00
Day 1: 4 07-15 Day 2: 3 08-13
32. Jason Williamson Wagener, SC 7 16-04 169 $2,217.00
Day 1: 3 06-06 Day 2: 4 09-14
33. Bill Weidler Helena, AL 7 16-01 168 $2,217.00
Day 1: 5 12-12 Day 2: 2 03-05
34. Jennings Earnest Guin, AL 7 15-15 167 $2,217.00
Day 1: 2 04-04 Day 2: 5 11-11
35. Brandon Cobb Greenwood, SC 8 15-12 166 $2,217.00
Day 1: 3 06-07 Day 2: 5 09-05
36. Deron Patrick Cullman, AL 6 15-08 165 $1,867.00
Day 1: 3 07-10 Day 2: 3 07-14
37. Michael Murphy Lexington, SC 7 15-07 164 $1,867.00
Day 1: 5 12-06 Day 2: 2 03-01
38. Cody Harrison Tuscumbia, AL 8 15-05 163 $1,867.00
Day 1: 4 06-12 Day 2: 4 08-09
39. Miles Burghoff Santa Cruz, CA 6 15-02 162 $1,867.00
Day 1: 4 08-10 Day 2: 2 06-08
40. Marty Robinson Lyman, SC 6 14-08 161 $1,867.00
Day 1: 3 07-05 Day 2: 3 07-03
41. Garrett Riles Potts Camp, MS 7 14-07 160
Day 1: 5 10-13 Day 2: 2 03-10
42. Johnny McCombs Morris, AL 7 14-04 0
Day 1: 3 06-06 Day 2: 4 07-14
43. Kenny Johnson Moreland, GA 6 14-01 158
Day 1: 5 10-10 Day 2: 1 03-07
44. Michael Johnson Talking Rock, GA 6 14-01 157
Day 1: 3 06-15 Day 2: 3 07-02
45. Blake Nick Trussville, AL 8 14-00 156
Day 1: 5 08-05 Day 2: 3 05-11
46. Lucas Ragusa Gonzales, LA 5 13-14 155
Day 1: 5 13-14 Day 2: 0 00-00
47. Kameron Harbin Abbeville, SC 7 13-10 154
Day 1: 4 06-14 Day 2: 3 06-12
48. Jim Dillard West Monroe, LA 6 13-06 153
Day 1: 3 06-01 Day 2: 3 07-05
49. Eric Conant Lakeland, FL 6 12-15 152
Day 1: 3 05-15 Day 2: 3 07-00
50. Charlie Hartley Grove City, OH 6 12-14 151
Day 1: 2 04-02 Day 2: 4 08-12
51. Arnie Lane Lakeland, FL 6 12-14 150
Day 1: 4 07-11 Day 2: 2 05-03
52. Cody Detweiler Orlando, FL 7 12-13 149
Day 1: 3 05-03 Day 2: 4 07-10
53. Brent Crow Hartselle, AL 5 12-13 148
Day 1: 2 07-01 Day 2: 3 05-12
54. Jimmy Johnson Holmen, WI 6 12-06 147
Day 1: 1 02-08 Day 2: 5 09-14
55. Darrell Pons Gainesville, FL 6 11-14 146
Day 1: 4 08-13 Day 2: 2 03-01
56. Josh Aaron Dora, AL 5 11-14 145
Day 1: 2 04-02 Day 2: 3 07-12
57. Rex Chambers Baileyton, AL 6 11-13 144
Day 1: 4 07-10 Day 2: 2 04-03
58. Hunter Shryock Newcomerstown, OH 5 11-12 143
Day 1: 5 11-12 Day 2: 0 00-00
59. Brad Webb Hampton, VA 6 11-12 142
Day 1: 1 01-13 Day 2: 5 09-15
60. David Fritts Lexington, NC 4 11-11 141
Day 1: 4 11-11 Day 2: 0 00-00
61. Hensley Powell Whitwell, TN 6 11-10 140
Day 1: 5 09-13 Day 2: 1 01-13
62. Brandon Card Knoxville, TN 6 11-08 139
Day 1: 5 09-08 Day 2: 1 02-00
63. William Smith Birmingham, AL 5 11-07 138
Day 1: 5 11-07 Day 2: 0 00-00
64. Jon Canada Pelham, AL 6 11-04 137
Day 1: 2 03-11 Day 2: 4 07-09
65. David Perdue Wirtz, VA 7 11-02 136
Day 1: 4 06-14 Day 2: 3 04-04
66. Jayme Rampey Liberty, SC 4 10-15 135
Day 1: 4 10-15 Day 2: 0 00-00
67. Roland Martin Naples, FL 5 10-08 134
Day 1: 4 07-06 Day 2: 1 03-02
68. Rick Harris San Angelo, TX 5 10-08 133
Day 1: 2 03-09 Day 2: 3 06-15
69. Clayton Batts Lizella, GA 4 10-05 132
Day 1: 3 05-13 Day 2: 1 04-08
70. Kazuki Kitajima Orlando, FL 5 10-04 131
Day 1: 3 06-05 Day 2: 2 03-15
71. Stephen Mui Bartlett, IL 6 10-02 130
Day 1: 4 06-13 Day 2: 2 03-05
72. Buddy Gross Chickamauga, GA 5 10-00 129
Day 1: 2 03-11 Day 2: 3 06-05
73. Terry Scroggins San Mateo, FL 5 09-15 128
Day 1: 2 04-01 Day 2: 3 05-14
74. Joey Spradley Gloverville, SC 5 09-12 127
Day 1: 2 03-06 Day 2: 3 06-06
75. Tim Frederick Leesburg, FL 5 09-11 126
Day 1: 4 06-08 Day 2: 1 03-03
76. Jade Keeton Killen, AL 5 09-10 125
Day 1: 4 07-12 Day 2: 1 01-14
77. Terry Segraves Kissimmee, FL 4 09-09 124
Day 1: 2 05-01 Day 2: 2 04-08
78. Matt Lee Guntersville, AL 5 09-04 123
Day 1: 3 05-02 Day 2: 2 04-02
79. Joshua Stracner Vandiver, AL 4 09-04 122
Day 1: 2 04-13 Day 2: 2 04-07
80. Brian Elder Locust Grove, GA 4 09-00 121
Day 1: 2 03-08 Day 2: 2 05-08
81. David Hudson Jasper, AL 4 08-14 120
Day 1: 3 07-00 Day 2: 1 01-14
82. Brian Rufty Berea, KY 4 08-13 119
Day 1: 1 02-01 Day 2: 3 06-12
83. Allen Brooks Canton, GA 3 08-13 118
Day 1: 2 05-14 Day 2: 1 02-15
84. Paul Elias Laurel, MS 4 08-12 117
Day 1: 1 01-14 Day 2: 3 06-14
85. Chad Morgenthaler Reeds Spring, MO 4 08-10 116
Day 1: 1 01-15 Day 2: 3 06-11
86. Scott Mcgehee Madison, MS 3 08-10 115
Day 1: 2 05-07 Day 2: 1 03-03
87. Todd Murray Prarrieville, LA 4 08-09 114
Day 1: 2 04-03 Day 2: 2 04-06
88. Tim Arnold Cullman, AL 3 08-06 113
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 3 08-06
89. Charlie Evans Berea, KY 5 08-00 112
Day 1: 4 06-04 Day 2: 1 01-12
90. Derek Hudnall Baton Rouge, LA 4 07-14 111
Day 1: 2 04-09 Day 2: 2 03-05
91. Brian Hatfield Spring City, TN 4 07-13 110
Day 1: 1 01-09 Day 2: 3 06-04
92. Chaz Carrington Virginia Beach, VA 3 07-12 109
Day 1: 2 05-02 Day 2: 1 02-10
93. Kyle Schutta Forest Lake, MN 4 07-07 108
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 4 07-07
94. Carl Svebek III Orange, TX 3 07-07 107
Day 1: 2 05-12 Day 2: 1 01-11
95. Preston Johnson Rice Lake, WI 4 07-06 106
Day 1: 1 02-02 Day 2: 3 05-04
96. Johnny Patterson Grant, AL 4 07-05 105
Day 1: 4 07-05 Day 2: 0 00-00
97. Jeff Fellows Orlando, FL 3 07-05 104
Day 1: 3 07-05 Day 2: 0 00-00
98. Larry Giamanco Pierre Part, LA 3 07-05 103
Day 1: 1 01-11 Day 2: 2 05-10
99. Allen Mcreath Cullman, AL 4 07-03 102
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 4 07-03
100. Ronald Ryals Jr Live Oak, FL 3 06-14 101
Day 1: 1 02-05 Day 2: 2 04-09
101. Hunter Eubanks Inman, SC 4 06-12 100
Day 1: 3 04-14 Day 2: 1 01-14
102. Sam George Athens, AL 3 06-11 99
Day 1: 2 03-15 Day 2: 1 02-12
103. B.J. Usie Houma, LA 4 06-11 98
Day 1: 2 03-03 Day 2: 2 03-08
104. Tyler Ellis Battlefield, MO 3 06-10 97
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 3 06-10
105. Yoan Alvarez Miami, FL 3 06-10 96
Day 1: 2 04-15 Day 2: 1 01-11
106. Ryan Davidson Branchland, WV 3 06-06 95
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 3 06-06
107. Jimmy Mason Rogersville, AL 3 06-05 94
Day 1: 3 06-05 Day 2: 0 00-00
108. Brad Knight Lancing, TN 3 06-01 93
Day 1: 1 02-06 Day 2: 2 03-11
109. Kelley Jaye Dadeville, AL 3 06-00 92
Day 1: 3 06-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
110. Mitch Liss Saint Cloud, FL 3 05-15 91
Day 1: 1 01-09 Day 2: 2 04-06
111. Seiji Kato Shiga JAPAN 3 05-13 90
Day 1: 2 03-14 Day 2: 1 01-15
111. William Shipes II Williston, SC 3 05-13 90
Day 1: 2 03-14 Day 2: 1 01-15
113. Dustin Neat Dunnville, KY 3 05-12 88
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 3 05-12
114. Teb Jones Hattiesburg, MS 3 05-11 87
Day 1: 1 01-10 Day 2: 2 04-01
115. Jeff Bunch Nacogdoches, TX 2 05-11 86
Day 1: 1 02-03 Day 2: 1 03-08
116. Wayne Hauser Jr Mooresville, NC 3 05-09 85
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 3 05-09
117. Chris Blanchette Irmo, SC 3 05-01 84
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 3 05-01
118. MJ Vihnanek Jr Walnut Hill, FL 3 05-01 83
Day 1: 1 01-06 Day 2: 2 03-11
119. Jeff Mathews Maitland, FL 2 04-14 82
Day 1: 2 04-14 Day 2: 0 00-00
120. James Swindle Parrish, AL 3 04-14 81
Day 1: 2 03-03 Day 2: 1 01-11
121. Larry Gaines Valparaiso, FL 3 04-12 80
Day 1: 2 03-02 Day 2: 1 01-10
122. Chris Hensley Marbury, AL 3 04-06 79
Day 1: 1 00-09 Day 2: 2 03-13
123. Joey Nania Cropwell, AL 2 04-05 78
Day 1: 1 01-05 Day 2: 1 03-00
124. Bill Cooper Ashland City, TN 2 04-04 77
Day 1: 1 01-13 Day 2: 1 02-07
125. Stan Gunter Saluda, SC 2 04-04 76
Day 1: 1 01-15 Day 2: 1 02-05
126. Garrett Rocamora Lithia, FL 2 04-04 75
Day 1: 1 02-00 Day 2: 1 02-04
127. Jimmy Charbonnet Saint Amant, LA 2 04-03 74
Day 1: 1 01-13 Day 2: 1 02-06
128. Rich Howes Oviedo, FL 2 04-00 73
Day 1: 2 04-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
129. John Cox Debary, FL 2 03-14 72
Day 1: 2 03-14 Day 2: 0 00-00
129. Eric Gilchrist Plaquemine, LA 2 03-14 72
Day 1: 2 03-14 Day 2: 0 00-00
131. Griffin Phillips Mount Olive, AL 2 03-13 70
Day 1: 2 03-13 Day 2: 0 00-00
132. Darrell Davis Dover, FL 2 03-11 69
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 2 03-11
133. Steven Kellam Dry Ridge, KY 2 03-10 68
Day 1: 1 01-13 Day 2: 1 01-13
134. Michael Neal Dayton, TN 2 03-09 67
Day 1: 2 03-09 Day 2: 0 00-00
135. Ed Stiefel Jr. Lake Worth, FL 1 03-08 66
Day 1: 1 03-08 Day 2: 0 00-00
136. Ryan Hoover Valrico, FL 2 03-08 65
Day 1: 1 01-15 Day 2: 1 01-09
137. Grant Galloway Houlka, MS 2 03-05 64
Day 1: 1 01-13 Day 2: 1 01-08
138. Guy Eaker Cherryville, NC 2 03-03 63
Day 1: 2 03-03 Day 2: 0 00-00
139. Sandy Melvin Boca Grande, FL 2 03-03 62
Day 1: 1 01-06 Day 2: 1 01-13
140. Steve Barnes Harrison, TN 2 03-02 61
Day 1: 2 03-02 Day 2: 0 00-00
141. Eric Panzironi Longwood, FL 1 03-01 60
Day 1: 1 03-01 Day 2: 0 00-00
142. Jerome Baird Williamsburg, KY 1 02-12 59
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 1 02-12
142. Clay Dyer Fayetteville, TN 1 02-12 59
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 1 02-12
144. Blaine Partee Oviedo, FL 2 02-11 57
Day 1: 2 02-11 Day 2: 0 00-00
145. Ed Stiefel Mahwah, NJ 2 02-08 56
Day 1: 0 -01-00 Day 2: 2 03-08
146. Brent Bonadona Port Allen, LA 1 02-06 55
Day 1: 1 02-06 Day 2: 0 00-00
146. Richard Burgreen Athens, AL 1 02-06 55
Day 1: 1 02-06 Day 2: 0 00-00
148. Marty Nester Mount Airy, NC 1 02-01 53
Day 1: 1 02-01 Day 2: 0 00-00
149. Shaw Grigsby Jr. Gainesville, FL 1 02-00 52
Day 1: 1 02-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
150. Jeffrey Clark Hoover, AL 1 01-12 51
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 1 01-12
150. Cliff Prince Palatka, FL 1 01-12 51
Day 1: 1 01-12 Day 2: 0 00-00
152. David Cornelius Apison, TN 1 01-11 49
Day 1: 1 01-11 Day 2: 0 00-00
152. Joseph Sancho New Windsor, NY 1 01-11 49
Day 1: 1 01-11 Day 2: 0 00-00
154. John Brazzell Winter Garden, FL 1 01-10 47
Day 1: 1 01-10 Day 2: 0 00-00
155. Jon Englund Farwell, MN 1 01-08 46
Day 1: 1 01-08 Day 2: 0 00-00
155. Luke Estel Murphysboro, IL 1 01-08 46
Day 1: 1 01-08 Day 2: 0 00-00
155. Hunter Parra Houma, LA 1 01-08 46
Day 1: 1 01-08 Day 2: 0 00-00
158. Destin DeMarion Grove City, PA 1 00-14 43
Day 1: 0 -01-00 Day 2: 1 01-14
159. Scott Bonvillain Dequincy, LA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
159. Christiana Bradley Goldvein, VA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
159. Jeffrey Brooks Boca Raton, FL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
159. Erik Crawford Hayden, AL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
159. David Gaston Sylacauga, AL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
159. Kyle Glasgow Guin, AL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
159. Chad Hazel Quinton, AL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
159. Bill Hutchison Jr. Bessemer, AL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
159. Eric Johnson Millis, MA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
159. Vernon Kemp Umatilla, FL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
159. Scott Luster Prattville, AL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
159. John Paulk Counce, TN 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
159. John Pollard Eclectic, AL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
159. Kenny Sammons Pinetta, FL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
159. Johnathon Seaborn Guin, AL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
159. Rick Shannon Woodlawn, TN 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
159. Tom Stark III Angola, IN 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 28 400 843-06
2 21 347 774-10
----------------------------------
49 747 1618-00
2017 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Southern Open Smith Lake 9/28-9/30
Smith Lake, Jasper AL.
(NON_BOATER) Standings Day 2
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Todd Lee Jasper, AL 5 13-04 200
Day 1: 2 05-09 Day 2: 3 07-11
2. Chris Farmer Mathews, AL 6 11-05 199
Day 1: 3 05-06 Day 2: 3 05-15
3. Carlton Tipp Grand Bay, AL 5 11-00 198
Day 1: 3 06-10 Day 2: 2 04-06
4. Michael Vice Rossville, IL 5 10-09 197
Day 1: 2 04-00 Day 2: 3 06-09
5. Curtis Hall II Battle Creek, MI 4 10-06 196
Day 1: 1 03-08 Day 2: 3 06-14
6. Benjie Seaborn Guin, AL 4 10-05 195
Day 1: 3 08-03 Day 2: 1 02-02
7. Kent Biggs Morristown, TN 5 09-13 194
Day 1: 3 05-06 Day 2: 2 04-07
8. Chuck Thurlow Auburn, AL 3 09-06 193
Day 1: 1 02-10 Day 2: 2 06-12
9. Mark Wethington Liberty, KY 5 09-02 192
Day 1: 2 03-12 Day 2: 3 05-06
10. Ricky Congero Windermere, FL 4 08-15 191
Day 1: 3 06-04 Day 2: 1 02-11
11. Mark Bartosch Clarksville, TN 3 08-09 190
Day 1: 1 02-15 Day 2: 2 05-10
12. Chad Viator Wilsonville, AL 4 08-09 189
Day 1: 2 04-11 Day 2: 2 03-14
13. Beecher Strunk Somerset, KY 4 08-05 188 $1,400.00
Day 1: 3 06-00 Day 2: 1 02-05
14. Fred Rigdon Belleview, FL 3 08-04 187 $1,283.00
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 3 08-04
15. Sawyer Adams Richmond, KY 4 08-03 186 $1,167.00
Day 1: 3 06-02 Day 2: 1 02-01
16. Phillip Lovett Florence, AL 4 07-15 185 $1,050.00
Day 1: 1 03-02 Day 2: 3 04-13
17. Jerrod Albright Kissimmee, FL 5 07-14 184 $817.00
Day 1: 3 04-13 Day 2: 2 03-01
18. Daniel Kendrick Chatsworth, GA 2 07-14 183 $700.00
Day 1: 1 04-11 Day 2: 1 03-03
19. Jason Fontenot Lake Charles, LA 3 07-11 182 $700.00
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 3 07-11
20. Shane Douglas Albany, GA 4 07-09 181 $583.00
Day 1: 3 05-06 Day 2: 1 02-03
21. Don Harvey Franklin, TN 4 07-08 180 $496.00
Day 1: 2 04-08 Day 2: 2 03-00
22. Ronald Young Lake Wales, FL 4 07-07 179 $496.00
Day 1: 1 01-14 Day 2: 3 05-09
23. John Goul Philadelphia, MS 3 07-04 178 $496.00
Day 1: 2 04-00 Day 2: 1 03-04
24. Michael Norris Mountain Brk, AL 2 06-12 177 $496.00
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 2 06-12
25. Gary Hall Delbarton, WV 2 06-11 176 $496.00
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 2 06-11
26. Buck Hilliard Peachtree City, GA 3 06-11 175 $496.00
Day 1: 1 02-07 Day 2: 2 04-04
27. Bradley Sterner Manchester, PA 3 06-10 174 $496.00
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 3 06-10
28. Steven Roosen Charlotte, NC 3 06-10 173 $496.00
Day 1: 1 01-14 Day 2: 2 04-12
29. Luke Patterson Middleburg, KY 3 06-07 172 $496.00
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 3 06-07
30. Mike Spears Jasper, AL 2 06-06 171 $496.00
Day 1: 2 06-06 Day 2: 0 00-00
31. Bill Hunter Murfreesboro, TN 3 06-02 170 $496.00
Day 1: 2 04-10 Day 2: 1 01-08
32. Johnathan Crossland Chapin, SC 3 06-02 169 $496.00
Day 1: 1 01-14 Day 2: 2 04-04
33. Hermilo Salgado Artemus, KY 3 06-01 168 $496.00
Day 1: 3 06-01 Day 2: 0 00-00
34. Scott Saucer Frisco City, AL 3 05-15 167 $496.00
Day 1: 3 05-15 Day 2: 0 00-00
35. Slaton Jemison Mathews, AL 4 05-12 166 $496.00
Day 1: 2 02-13 Day 2: 2 02-15
36. Terry Proctor Pensacola, FL 3 05-11 165 $496.00
Day 1: 2 03-13 Day 2: 1 01-14
37. Tony Sears Dahlonega, GA 3 05-10 164 $496.00
Day 1: 2 03-07 Day 2: 1 02-03
38. Chad Smith Holly Pond, AL 2 05-08 163 $496.00
Day 1: 2 05-08 Day 2: 0 00-00
39. Rodrigo Cruz Clermont, FL 2 05-07 162 $496.00
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 2 05-07
40. Curtis King Plaquemine, LA 3 05-03 161 $496.00
Day 1: 3 05-03 Day 2: 0 00-00
41. Barry Stalcup Marble, NC 3 05-02 160
Day 1: 2 03-11 Day 2: 1 01-07
42. Charles Fochtman Moneta, VA 1 04-15 159
Day 1: 1 04-15 Day 2: 0 00-00
43. James Simmons Houma, LA 2 04-09 158
Day 1: 1 01-08 Day 2: 1 03-01
44. Scap Cicero Wetumpka, AL 2 04-06 157
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 2 04-06
44. Michael Scalise Port Allen, LA 2 04-06 157
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 2 04-06
46. Jody White Gilbertsville, KY 2 04-06 155
Day 1: 1 02-10 Day 2: 1 01-12
47. Jim Sulcer Jr Athens, AL 2 04-05 154
Day 1: 1 02-11 Day 2: 1 01-10
48. Radney Atchison Prattville, AL 2 04-04 153
Day 1: 1 01-15 Day 2: 1 02-05
49. Bert Cooper Huntsville, TN 2 04-03 152
Day 1: 2 04-03 Day 2: 0 00-00
50. Thomas Brewbaker Nashville, TN 2 04-03 151
Day 1: 1 02-02 Day 2: 1 02-01
51. Steven Dyer Louisville, TN 2 04-02 150
Day 1: 1 02-05 Day 2: 1 01-13
52. Carl Hunter Snellville, GA 2 04-01 149
Day 1: 1 02-03 Day 2: 1 01-14
53. Greg Neal Arley, AL 2 04-00 148
Day 1: 2 04-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
53. Alan Woodford Winslow, IN 2 04-00 148
Day 1: 2 04-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
55. Blaine Freeman Dadeville, AL 2 04-00 146
Day 1: 1 01-08 Day 2: 1 02-08
56. Stephen Griffing Port Charlotte, FL 2 03-15 145
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 2 03-15
57. Greg O'Neal Winchester, TN 2 03-12 144
Day 1: 2 03-12 Day 2: 0 00-00
57. Geoff Percival Lincoln, AL 2 03-12 144
Day 1: 2 03-12 Day 2: 0 00-00
59. Brett Hobson Clermont, FL 2 03-09 142
Day 1: 1 01-15 Day 2: 1 01-10
60. Evan Rice Shalimar, FL 2 03-06 141
Day 1: 1 01-07 Day 2: 1 01-15
61. Chad Smith Minnetonka, MN 2 03-05 140
Day 1: 1 01-06 Day 2: 1 01-15
62. Brandon Bolton West Point, MS 2 03-04 139
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 2 03-04
63. Caleb Keith Beaufort, SC 2 03-04 138
Day 1: 1 01-07 Day 2: 1 01-13
64. Jon Oliver Russellville, AL 2 03-04 137
Day 1: 1 01-08 Day 2: 1 01-12
65. Billy Watson III Murfreesboro, TN 2 03-04 136
Day 1: 1 01-09 Day 2: 1 01-11
66. Travis Warthen Saint Gabriel, LA 2 03-01 135
Day 1: 2 03-01 Day 2: 0 00-00
67. Jeff Keever Decatur, GA 1 02-13 134
Day 1: 1 02-13 Day 2: 0 00-00
68. Travis Dehart Greenville, SC 1 02-10 133
Day 1: 1 02-10 Day 2: 0 00-00
68. Mike Duke Summerville, GA 1 02-10 133
Day 1: 1 02-10 Day 2: 0 00-00
70. Blake Barrett Logan, AL 1 02-09 131
Day 1: 1 02-09 Day 2: 0 00-00
70. Johnny Bigger II Spring Hill, FL 1 02-09 131
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 1 02-09
72. John Goebel Lumberton, TX 1 02-06 129
Day 1: 1 02-06 Day 2: 0 00-00
72. Chandler Sickafoose Dora, AL 1 02-06 129
Day 1: 1 02-06 Day 2: 0 00-00
74. Jonathan Barnette Jasper, AL 1 02-05 127
Day 1: 1 02-05 Day 2: 0 00-00
75. Kraig Carmickle Orlando, FL 1 02-04 126
Day 1: 1 02-04 Day 2: 0 00-00
75. Roy Hurst Jr Birmingham, AL 1 02-04 126
Day 1: 1 02-04 Day 2: 0 00-00
75. Kenneth Shumate Elkin, NC 1 02-04 126
Day 1: 1 02-04 Day 2: 0 00-00
75. David Welch Birmingham, AL 1 02-04 126
Day 1: 1 02-04 Day 2: 0 00-00
79. Colby Harrison Brilliant, AL 1 02-03 122
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 1 02-03
79. Doug Logan Springville, AL 1 02-03 122
Day 1: 1 02-03 Day 2: 0 00-00
81. Scott Byrd Ocklawaha, FL 1 02-02 120
Day 1: 1 02-02 Day 2: 0 00-00
81. Zach Clark Newnan, GA 1 02-02 120
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 1 02-02
83. William Gaston Sylacauga, AL 1 02-01 118
Day 1: 1 02-01 Day 2: 0 00-00
83. Bruce Griffin Jasper, AL 1 02-01 118
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 1 02-01
83. Benny Widerman Deltona, FL 1 02-01 118
Day 1: 1 02-01 Day 2: 0 00-00
86. Greg Mauldin Archdale, NC 1 02-01 115
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 1 02-01
87. Jimmy Lee Jasper, AL 1 02-00 114
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 1 02-00
87. Drew Osborn Maryville, TN 1 02-00 114
Day 1: 1 02-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
89. Cale Beck Petersburg, IN 1 01-15 112
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 1 01-15
89. Tim Patterson Chattanooga, TN 1 01-15 112
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 1 01-15
89. Ross Spina Vestavia, AL 1 01-15 112
Day 1: 1 01-15 Day 2: 0 00-00
92. Michael Benson Cullman, AL 1 01-14 109
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 1 01-14
92. Phillip Lee Eustis, FL 1 01-14 109
Day 1: 1 01-14 Day 2: 0 00-00
92. Jordan McDonald Jackson, GA 1 01-14 109
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 1 01-14
95. Mitchell Gowen Decatur, AL 1 01-13 106
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 1 01-13
95. Jennifer Nevans Dayton, TN 1 01-13 106
Day 1: 1 01-13 Day 2: 0 00-00
95. Jesse Windsor Orlando, FL 1 01-13 106
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 1 01-13
98. David Earnest Oakman, AL 1 01-12 103
Day 1: 1 01-12 Day 2: 0 00-00
98. Chris Kingree Inverness, FL 1 01-12 103
Day 1: 1 01-12 Day 2: 0 00-00
98. Edward Ruth Jasper, AL 1 01-12 103
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 1 01-12
101. Richard Arnold Owens Cross Roads, AL 1 01-11 100
Day 1: 1 01-11 Day 2: 0 00-00
101. William Holley Addis, LA 1 01-11 100
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 1 01-11
101. Eulon Lee Jr. Eclectic, AL 1 01-11 100
Day 1: 1 01-11 Day 2: 0 00-00
101. Jeremy Maye Windsor, VA 1 01-11 100
Day 1: 1 01-11 Day 2: 0 00-00
101. Trevor Prichard Knoxville, TN 1 01-11 100
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 1 01-11
101. Don Ramsey Orlando, FL 1 01-11 100
Day 1: 1 01-11 Day 2: 0 00-00
101. Marvin Stith Jr. Piscataway, NJ 1 01-11 100
Day 1: 1 01-11 Day 2: 0 00-00
108. Eric Simpson Lakeland, GA 1 01-10 93
Day 1: 0 -01-00 Day 2: 1 02-10
109. Mike Entile Aurora, IL 1 01-10 92
Day 1: 1 01-10 Day 2: 0 00-00
109. Marc Melancon Livingston, LA 1 01-10 92
Day 1: 1 01-10 Day 2: 0 00-00
109. Roger Shiflett Hayden, AL 1 01-10 92
Day 1: 1 01-10 Day 2: 0 00-00
109. Tucker Weidler Helena, AL 1 01-10 92
Day 1: 1 01-10 Day 2: 0 00-00
109. Jay West Canton, GA 1 01-10 92
Day 1: 1 01-10 Day 2: 0 00-00
114. David Chamberlain Keasbey, NJ 1 01-09 87
Day 1: 1 01-09 Day 2: 0 00-00
114. Joe Moore Kissimmee, FL 1 01-09 87
Day 1: 1 01-09 Day 2: 0 00-00
114. Jenny Sander Byron, GA 1 01-09 87
Day 1: 1 01-09 Day 2: 0 00-00
114. Thomas Warren Bolingbrook, IL 1 01-09 87
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 1 01-09
118. George Beville Jr Apex, NC 1 01-09 83
Day 1: 1 01-09 Day 2: 0 00-00
119. David Booth Erin, TN 1 01-08 82
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 1 01-08
119. David Ottman Terry, MS 1 01-08 82
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 1 01-08
121. Luke Glasgow Guin, AL 1 01-07 80
Day 1: 1 01-07 Day 2: 0 00-00
121. Keith Raney Tullahoma, TN 1 01-07 80
Day 1: 1 01-07 Day 2: 0 00-00
123. Miriam Donohoo San Mateo, FL 1 01-07 78
Day 1: 1 01-07 Day 2: 0 00-00
124. Donnie Aderholt Haleyville, AL 1 00-11 77
Day 1: 1 00-11 Day 2: 0 00-00
125. Douglas Vierling Gulfport, MS 1 00-09 76
Day 1: 0 -01-00 Day 2: 1 01-09
126. Rodney Anderson Young Harris, GA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
126. Charles Anderson Rocky Face, GA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
126. Glenn Bailey Temple Terrace, FL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
126. Clayton Barnes Milton, FL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
126. Joshua Bauer Random Lake, WI 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
126. Lee Black Moulton, AL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
126. Justin Braswell Winter Haven, FL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
126. Bill Bruce Hendersonville, TN 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
126. Curt Clark Bentonville, AR 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
126. Wesley Dennis Anniston, AL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
126. Charlie Eisert Pomona, IL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
126. Michael Florio Cartersville, GA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
126. Garrett Geouge Lanexa, VA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
126. Meredith Havird Chappells, SC 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
126. Robert Holcomb Longwood, FL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
126. Kyle Jenkins Groton, CT 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
126. Brian Jones Fayetteville, TN 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
126. Zach Kirby Shelbyville, TN 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
126. Tim Lollar Cullman, AL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
126. Bill Mandikas Tampa, FL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
126. Barry Maner Trinity, AL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
126. Larry Maring Minneola, FL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
126. Marc Marsh Prosperity, SC 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
126. Lee McClendon Jr Trussville, AL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
126. Steve Moeller Waterloo, SC 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
126. Bill Mogan Mobile, AL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
126. Blake Oswalt Jasper, AL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
126. Jason Patterson Markle, IN 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
126. Pete Patterson Kingsport, TN 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
126. Tyler Pendergrass Cullman, AL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
126. Daniel Phillips Lawrenceville, GA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
126. Anthony Plescia III Pearl River, LA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
126. JJ Polak Covington, GA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
126. Charles Poland Denham Springs, LA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
126. Jeff Prisza Camden, MI 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
126. Michael Rench Armuchee, GA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
126. Scott Rice Cobden, IL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
126. Landon Rich Owens Cross Roads, AL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
126. Rodger Riddle Moulton, AL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
126. Ken Sharkey Spring Lake, MI 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
126. Gregory Spitzer Jr Pensacola, FL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
126. Bobby Stalcup Murphy, NC 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
126. Clayton Stoering Waterville, MN 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
126. Rick Surguine Mount Juliet, TN 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
126. Rodney Tapp Inman, SC 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
126. Derek Taylor Montgomery, TX 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
126. Christian Thompson Lake City, FL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
126. Ronald Wiggins II Palatka, FL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
126. Tom Wilkins Alexandria, MN 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
126. Tyler Woolcott Port Orange, FL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 0 00-00
Ryan Ingram Takes Home $10K in American Bass Anglers Area 3 Championship on Eufaula!
Ryan Ingram won the American Bass Anglers Ram Truck Open Series Area 3 Championship tournament, held September 23RD & 24TH, 2017 on Lake Eufaula. Running out of Lakepoint Resort State Park in Eufaula, Ryan caught five bass on day one weighing 23.10 pounds including a 6.90-poind kicker. On day two, Ingram weighed in another five-bass limit that weighed 17.12 pounds and that sealed the deal for his victory by almost a five-pound margin with a total weight of 40.22 pounds. For the Boater Division victory, Ingram took home a check for $10,000 for his win and an additional $750 for Big Bass.
“On day one, I thought I could catch about 15 to 16 pounds but I had two big bites, just random bites. I caught most of my fish on a crankbait and the 6.90-pound big bass on a one-ounce StrikeZone Lure Ledgebuster spinnerbait. I caught most of my fish mid-lake on day one and on day two, I fished all the way to the dam on the lower end of the lake.” Ingram said.
In second for the boaters, Dustin Wood of Eufaula, AL landed two five-bass tournament limits totaling 35.52 pounds. He collected $1300 for his catch.
“I caught my fish on day one also on a StrikeZone Lure Ledgebuster spinnerbait and a StrikeZone Lure Ledgebuster Sling Blade spinnerbait with a few modifications I made to it. I caught a few cranking on day one. On day two, I had to slow down and I caught my fish dragging a football jig and scraped by with what I got. Just got lucky.” Wood said.
Anthony Goggins of Clanton, AL placed third for the boaters with two five-bass tournament limits totaling 32.99 pounds. He earned $900 for his catch.
“I caught my fish shallow early and then went off-shore later in the day trying to catch a big one. I lost two good fish on day one and one-really good fish on day two that would have helped me.” Goggins said.
In fourth place among the boaters, Chandler Ray of Arlington, GA brought in two five-bass limits totaling 29.75 pounds. Ken Greene of Lumpkin, GA finished in fifth place with two five-bass limits totaling 27.16 pounds.
In the Co-Angler Division, Richard Hudson of Ramer, AL won with a total of five bass that weighed 15.54 pounds with a 5.94-pound kicker that was caught on day two. He pocketed a check for $5,000 for his win and $210 for the big bass.
“I was fishing a frog from daylight until weigh-in both days, and I’m tired of looking at one. I want to thank my day one boater for giving me that frog and I caught every fish I weighed in on that frog. We fished around mid-lake both days fishing Lilly pads in the morning and grass in the afternoon.” Hudson said.
Taking second for the co-anglers, Robert Enke of Columbus, GA brought in two three-bass limits totaling 13.34 pounds. He collected $350 for the effort.
“I fished clean both days and I caught my fish on a shaky-head and a jig.” Enke said. “
Sam Fish of Alexander City, AL placed third among the co-anglers with two three-bass limits totaling 13.12 pounds. He earned $300 for his catch.
“I caught my fish on day one Carolina-rigging shallow points backed off the Lilly pads. We probably caught 75 fish but they just weren’t the quality fish that we needed for this event. On day two, I drew out with a boater that was fishing Lilly pads with frogs and buzz baits. I had five bites today and caught every fish that bit. I had one fish that was deceased, so Robert (Enke) got a little more money than I did. I do want to thank Boyd Duckett and Duckett Fishing, they sponsor me and I recommend them for anyone that wants a good rod to go frog fishing.” Fish said.
In fourth place among the co-anglers, Barry Jones of Verbena, AL brought in two three- bass limits totaling 11.31 pounds. Hunter DuBose of Andalusia, AL finished in fifth place with two three-bass limits totaling 10.99 pounds.
The next tournament will be the Ray Scott Championship. At the end of the season, the best anglers from across the nation advance the 2018 Ray Scott Championship to be held on the Red River near Shreveport, Louisiana.
For more information on this tournament, call Billy Benedetti, tournament manager, at 256-230-5632 or ABA at 256-232-0406. On line, see www.ramopenseries.com .
About American Bass Anglers: American Bass Anglers is committed to providing low cost, close to home tournaments for the weekend angler and at the same time offer each competitor an upward path for individual angler progression. For more information about American Bass Anglers, the Ram Truck Open Series, the American Fishing Tour or the American Couples Series, visit www.americanbassanglers.com.
American Bass Anglers, Inc. is supported by Ram Trucks, Triton Boats, Mercury Outboards, Carlisle Tires, GEICO, Berkley, Abu Garcia, T-H Marine, Livingston Lures, Best Western Hotels, Maui Jim, Power Pole, Simms, Garmin, Divide-It, and SiriusXM Marine Weather. American Bass Anglers, Inc. can be contacted at (256) 232-0406 or by visiting americanbassanglers.com
Bryant Smith Drops 20 pounds on the Scales to Lead Day 1 of FLW Costa Series Western Event
September 28, 2017 by David A. Brown
With all the head nodding and shaking from anglers in disbelief of the bite, you’d think Konocti Vista Casino Resort & Marina was hosting a bobble head convention. But despite Clear Lake’s supremely challenging conditions, Bryant Smith of Castro Valley, Calif., caught a limit of 20 pounds, 15 ounces and took the early lead at the final Costa FLW Series Western Division event presented by Evinrude.
Indeed, the weigh-in saw plenty of long faces; but despite the limitations of widespread aquatic weed eradication, funky water clarity and a recent fish kill, this western rock star still holds good numbers of bass and a high percentage of quality fish. For Smith, the key was a blend of presentation patience and area ambition.
“I fished slow; as fast as I could,” Smith says. “I made as many casts as I could, but I was still fishing a slow bait. I was covering water and hoping I drop one on a fish’s head.”
Noting a day-long bout with inconsistency, Smith says he caught his fish in a variety of depths and habitat features.
“I’d catch one out of 2 feet, I’d catch one out of 10 feet, I’d catch one out of 12,” he says.
Smith didn’t divulge specifics on his bait selection, but he did note that it was, essentially, a finesse technique. Much of his fishing took place around shallow cover, so he fished with 15-pound fluorocarbon.
“When I get bites around the docks, I need to get them out,” Smith says of his beefed-up finesse technique. “I’ve never fished like that. I’ve fished here a lot, but I’ve never fished the way I had to fish today. It’s really tough for me, but I know the quality is there.”
Smith points to efficiency as a key element of his performance. The fish showed little aggression today and even those that fed were not chasing baits.
“You had to make so many casts and the bait literally has to drop on their head,” Smith says.
Running the entire lake today, Smith says he did his best to hit as many of his familiar spots as possible.
“I was just hitting the key areas that I know hold fish and making as many casts as possible,” Smith says. “I kinda just went down the bank. I have a lot of history on this lake and I know where they should be this time of year; I just had to slow down to catch them.”
In terms of when he caught his fish, Smith says he saw periods of quality and periods of quantity.
“In the morning, I got all my better bites,” he says. “I got more bites in the afternoon, but my quality was better in the morning. I’d been catching a couple of good ones in the afternoon. That’s when I went by them and that’s when they ate.”
Top 10 pros:
1. Bryant Smith – Castro Valley, Calif. – 20-15 (5)
2. Clayton Eslick – Gilroy, Calif. – 19-12 (5)
3. Kyle Grover – Trabuco Canyon, Calif. – 19-1 (5)
4. Richard Dobyns – Marysvillle, Calif. – 18-1 (5)
5. Jimmy Reese – Witter Springs, Calif. – 16-7 (5)
6. Carl Limbrick Jr. – Bonita, Calif. – 15-12 (5)
6. Rusty Salewske – Alpine, Calif. – 15-12 (5)
8. Billy Hines – Vacaville, Calif. – 15-11 (5)
9. Greg Huey – McMinnville, Ore. – 14-15 (5)
9. Brett Leber – Dixon, Calif. – 14-15 (5)
Prepared Farage tops co-anglers
He practiced north, he practiced south and the diverse range of scenarios and presentations with which Jack Farage of Discovery Bay, Calif., became familiar proved indispensable in his taking the co-angler lead with a limit of 18-9.
“I only had one day of practice, so I fished both ends (of Clear Lake) from daylight ’til dark,” he says. “It took me so long to figure out how to catch them on the north end and it took me so long to figure out how to catch them on the south end. But once I did, I could catch them pretty good.”
Noting that his north and south end tactics varied significantly, Farage says he mixed up his presentations with drop-shots, squarebill crankbaits and vibrating jigs.
“I could get bit in the tules with a ChatterBait,” Farage says. “On the rocks, it was the squarebill and when we stopped moving, I’d pull out the drop-shot and a jig.”
Positioning, Farage says, is critical right now. While he observed a lot of anglers fishing close to the tules, he found his better bites away from the cover in deeper adjacent water.
Fukae Grabs Lead In Warm Conditions At Bassmaster Southern Open On Smith Lake
Shin Fukae of Palestine, Texas, takes the lead on the first day of the 2017 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Southern Open No. 3 held on Smith Lake out of Jasper, Ala., with 15 pounds, 4 ounces.
Photo by James Overstreet/B.A.S.S.
Sept. 28, 2017
JASPER, Ala. — Many anglers predicted the bass would be tightlipped in temperatures that climbed into the low 90s during Thursday’s first round of the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Southern Open on Smith Lake.
They were right.
But a handful of the 175 pros still managed to boat nice bags, including Shin Fukae who led the way with a five-bass limit that weighed 15 pounds, 4 ounces.
The Japanese-born pro, who now lives in Texas, said he didn’t fare well during practice on the 21,000-acre fishery, but that changed when competition began. His bag was anchored by a 4-15 bass that tied for the second largest of the day.
“(Practice was) bad, bad, bad,” Fukae said. “But I found two good spots, and I went to one spot the last two days. I don’t know if I’ll keep catching, but I was catching today.”
For Fukae, it was an important start to the final Southern Open of the season.
The angler who is victorious here this week will earn a spot in the 2018 GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods scheduled for March on South Carolina’s Lake Hartwell. Even if Fukae doesn’t win, a good showing could earn him a spot in the Top 5 of the overall Southern Opens standings.
The anglers who occupy those Top 5 spots will qualify to fish in the 2018 Bassmaster Elite Series.
Jesse Wiggins of Cullman, Ala., who fished his rookie season on the Elite Series this year, isn’t fighting for a Classic berth because he already won the season’s first Southern Open on Florida’s Harris Chain of Lakes to lock up his spot.
Instead, he’s fishing for a generous cash prize, as well as a Skeeter boat/Yamaha motor package that would accompany yet another Opens victory for the pro.
Wiggins is in second place after Thursday with a limit that weighed 15-2. He’s already proven he can win big tournaments on his home lake — he won the 2016 Southern Open on Smith Lake to gain a spot in the 2017 Bassmaster Classic — and another win here would further cement his bragging rights on the reservoir.
“I actually had more weight today than I thought I did,” Wiggins said. “This lake is awesome and we saw that last April. We’re waiting on the weather that would really turn this place on, but I’m happy with the start today. One-third of the work is done.”
Besides Fukae, Lucas Ragusa of Gonzales, La., was the only non-Alabama angler to crack the Top 5, and he too had a 4-15 bass in his bag. Ragusa’s Day 1 total of 13-14 put him in third place.
Defending Classic champion Jordan Lee lives in nearby Guntersville, Ala., and fishes Smith often. The experience paid off as he caught 13-11 to land in fourth place.
David Kilgore lives even closer to Smith Lake than Wiggins or Lee. The Jasper, Ala., resident is tied for fifth place with Helena, Ala., pro Bill Weidler. Both caught 12-12 limits.
Benjie Seaborn of Guin, Ala., is leading the co-angler division with a three-bass limit that weighed 8-3.
Brent Crow of Hartselle, Ala., leads the pro division for the Phoenix Big Bass Award after the first day of competition with a 5-6 largemouth. Leading the nonboater division for the Phoenix Boats Big Bass Award is Charles Fochtman of Moneta, Va., with a 4-15 spotted bass.
Friday’s takeoff is scheduled for 6:30 a.m. CT at Smith Lake Dam Access. The weigh-in will be held at the same location at 2:30 p.m.
The event is hosted by the Walker County Chamber of Commerce.
Smith Lake, Jasper AL.
(BOATER) Standings Day 1
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Shin Fukae Palestine TX JAPAN 5 15-04 200
Day 1: 5 15-04
2. Jesse Wiggins Cullman, AL 5 15-02 199
Day 1: 5 15-02
3. Lucas Ragusa Gonzales, LA 5 13-14 198
Day 1: 5 13-14
4. Jordan Lee Grant, AL 5 13-11 197
Day 1: 5 13-11
5. David Kilgore Jasper, AL 5 12-12 196
Day 1: 5 12-12
5. Bill Weidler Helena, AL 5 12-12 196
Day 1: 5 12-12
7. Rick Morris Lake Gaston, VA 5 12-08 194
Day 1: 5 12-08
8. Brian Morris Cullman, AL 5 12-07 193
Day 1: 5 12-07
9. Michael Murphy Lexington, SC 5 12-06 192
Day 1: 5 12-06
10. Hunter Shryock Newcomerstown, OH 5 11-12 191
Day 1: 5 11-12
11. David Fritts Lexington, NC 4 11-11 190
Day 1: 4 11-11
12. William Smith Birmingham, AL 5 11-07 189
Day 1: 5 11-07
13. Kyle Monti Okeechobee, FL 5 11-01 188
Day 1: 5 11-01
14. Jayme Rampey Liberty, SC 4 10-15 187
Day 1: 4 10-15
15. John Hunter Jr Shelbyville, KY 5 10-14 186
Day 1: 5 10-14
16. Garrett Riles Potts Camp, MS 5 10-13 185
Day 1: 5 10-13
17. Brent Long Iron Station, NC 4 10-11 184
Day 1: 4 10-11
18. Freddy Palmer Estill Springs, TN 5 10-10 183
Day 1: 5 10-10
19. Kenny Johnson Moreland, GA 5 10-10 182
Day 1: 5 10-10
20. Jamie Butler Jasper, AL 5 10-08 181
Day 1: 5 10-08
21. Gary Isgrigg Mt Washington, KY 5 10-00 180
Day 1: 5 10-00
22. Will Davis Jr Sylacauga, AL 3 10-00 179
Day 1: 3 10-00
23. Jeff Holland Winter Springs, FL 5 09-14 178
Day 1: 5 09-14
23. Justin Lucas Guntersville, AL 5 09-14 178
Day 1: 5 09-14
25. Hensley Powell Whitwell, TN 5 09-13 176
Day 1: 5 09-13
26. Brandon Lester Fayetteville, TN 4 09-11 175
Day 1: 4 09-11
27. Greg Pugh Cullman, AL 5 09-10 174
Day 1: 5 09-10
28. Ken Iyobe Tokoname-Shi JAPAN 5 09-10 173
Day 1: 5 09-10
29. Brandon Card Knoxville, TN 5 09-08 172
Day 1: 5 09-08
29. Josh Douglas Mound, MN 5 09-08 172
Day 1: 5 09-08
31. Darrell Pons Gainesville, FL 4 08-13 170
Day 1: 4 08-13
32. Miles Burghoff Santa Cruz, CA 4 08-10 169
Day 1: 4 08-10
32. Jordan Wiggins Cullman, AL 4 08-10 169
Day 1: 4 08-10
34. Blake Nick Trussville, AL 5 08-05 167
Day 1: 5 08-05
34. Wesley Strader Spring City, TN 5 08-05 167
Day 1: 5 08-05
36. Al Farace Jr Hunt Valley, MD 5 08-01 165
Day 1: 5 08-01
37. Todd Auten Lake Wylie, SC 4 07-15 164
Day 1: 4 07-15
37. Greg Vinson Wetumpka, AL 4 07-15 164
Day 1: 4 07-15
39. Neil Davis Clermont, FL 3 07-15 162
Day 1: 3 07-15
40. Jade Keeton Killen, AL 4 07-12 161
Day 1: 4 07-12
41. Arnie Lane Lakeland, FL 4 07-11 160
Day 1: 4 07-11
42. Rex Chambers Baileyton, AL 4 07-10 159
Day 1: 4 07-10
43. Deron Patrick Cullman, AL 3 07-10 158
Day 1: 3 07-10
44. Kyle Fox Lakeland, FL 4 07-09 157
Day 1: 4 07-09
45. Roland Martin Naples, FL 4 07-06 156
Day 1: 4 07-06
46. Johnny Patterson Grant, AL 4 07-05 155
Day 1: 4 07-05
47. Jeff Fellows Orlando, FL 3 07-05 154
Day 1: 3 07-05
47. Marty Robinson Lyman, SC 3 07-05 154
Day 1: 3 07-05
49. Brent Crow Hartselle, AL 2 07-01 152
Day 1: 2 07-01
50. David Hudson Jasper, AL 3 07-00 151
Day 1: 3 07-00
51. Michael Johnson Talking Rock, GA 3 06-15 150
Day 1: 3 06-15
52. Kameron Harbin Abbeville, SC 4 06-14 149
Day 1: 4 06-14
53. David Perdue Wirtz, VA 4 06-14 148
Day 1: 4 06-14
54. Stephen Mui Bartlett, IL 4 06-13 147
Day 1: 4 06-13
55. Cody Harrison Tuscumbia, AL 4 06-12 146
Day 1: 4 06-12
56. Tim Frederick Leesburg, FL 4 06-08 145
Day 1: 4 06-08
57. Wes Logan Springville, AL 3 06-08 144
Day 1: 3 06-08
58. Brandon Cobb Greenwood, SC 3 06-07 143
Day 1: 3 06-07
59. Johnny McCombs Morris, AL 3 06-06 0
Day 1: 3 06-06
59. Jason Williamson Wagener, SC 3 06-06 141
Day 1: 3 06-06
61. Kazuki Kitajima Orlando, FL 3 06-05 140
Day 1: 3 06-05
61. Jimmy Mason Rogersville, AL 3 06-05 140
Day 1: 3 06-05
63. Charlie Evans Berea, KY 4 06-04 138
Day 1: 4 06-04
64. Jim Dillard West Monroe, LA 3 06-01 137
Day 1: 3 06-01
65. Kelley Jaye Dadeville, AL 3 06-00 136
Day 1: 3 06-00
66. Eric Conant Lakeland, FL 3 05-15 135
Day 1: 3 05-15
67. Allen Brooks Canton, GA 2 05-14 134
Day 1: 2 05-14
68. Clayton Batts Lizella, GA 3 05-13 133
Day 1: 3 05-13
69. Carl Svebek III Orange, TX 2 05-12 132
Day 1: 2 05-12
70. Steven Priest New Lexington, OH 3 05-10 131
Day 1: 3 05-10
71. Gerald Swindle Guntersville, AL 3 05-08 130
Day 1: 3 05-08
72. Scott Mcgehee Madison, MS 2 05-07 129
Day 1: 2 05-07
73. Stetson Blaylock Benton, AR 3 05-04 128
Day 1: 3 05-04
74. Cody Detweiler Orlando, FL 3 05-03 127
Day 1: 3 05-03
75. Matt Lee Guntersville, AL 3 05-02 126
Day 1: 3 05-02
76. Chaz Carrington Virginia Beach, VA 2 05-02 125
Day 1: 2 05-02
77. Terry Segraves Kissimmee, FL 2 05-01 124
Day 1: 2 05-01
78. Yoan Alvarez Miami, FL 2 04-15 123
Day 1: 2 04-15
78. Michael Reid Brookville, OH 2 04-15 123
Day 1: 2 04-15
80. Hunter Eubanks Inman, SC 3 04-14 121
Day 1: 3 04-14
81. Jeff Mathews Maitland, FL 2 04-14 120
Day 1: 2 04-14
82. Joshua Stracner Vandiver, AL 2 04-13 119
Day 1: 2 04-13
83. Derek Hudnall Baton Rouge, LA 2 04-09 118
Day 1: 2 04-09
84. Jennings Earnest Guin, AL 2 04-04 117
Day 1: 2 04-04
85. Todd Murray Prarrieville, LA 2 04-03 116
Day 1: 2 04-03
86. Josh Aaron Dora, AL 2 04-02 115
Day 1: 2 04-02
86. Charlie Hartley Grove City, OH 2 04-02 115
Day 1: 2 04-02
88. Terry Scroggins San Mateo, FL 2 04-01 113
Day 1: 2 04-01
89. Rich Howes Oviedo, FL 2 04-00 112
Day 1: 2 04-00
90. Sam George Athens, AL 2 03-15 111
Day 1: 2 03-15
91. John Cox Debary, FL 2 03-14 110
Day 1: 2 03-14
91. Eric Gilchrist Plaquemine, LA 2 03-14 110
Day 1: 2 03-14
91. Seiji Kato Shiga JAPAN 2 03-14 110
Day 1: 2 03-14
91. William Shipes II Williston, SC 2 03-14 110
Day 1: 2 03-14
95. Griffin Phillips Mount Olive, AL 2 03-13 106
Day 1: 2 03-13
96. Jon Canada Pelham, AL 2 03-11 105
Day 1: 2 03-11
96. Buddy Gross Chickamauga, GA 2 03-11 105
Day 1: 2 03-11
98. Rick Harris San Angelo, TX 2 03-09 103
Day 1: 2 03-09
98. Michael Neal Dayton, TN 2 03-09 103
Day 1: 2 03-09
100. Brian Elder Locust Grove, GA 2 03-08 101
Day 1: 2 03-08
101. Ed Stiefel Jr. Lake Worth, FL 1 03-08 100
Day 1: 1 03-08
102. Joey Spradley Gloverville, SC 2 03-06 99
Day 1: 2 03-06
103. Guy Eaker Cherryville, NC 2 03-03 98
Day 1: 2 03-03
103. James Swindle Parrish, AL 2 03-03 98
Day 1: 2 03-03
103. B.J. Usie Houma, LA 2 03-03 98
Day 1: 2 03-03
106. Steve Barnes Harrison, TN 2 03-02 95
Day 1: 2 03-02
106. Larry Gaines Valparaiso, FL 2 03-02 95
Day 1: 2 03-02
108. Eric Panzironi Longwood, FL 1 03-01 93
Day 1: 1 03-01
109. Blaine Partee Oviedo, FL 2 02-11 92
Day 1: 2 02-11
110. Jimmy Johnson Holmen, WI 1 02-08 91
Day 1: 1 02-08
111. Brent Bonadona Port Allen, LA 1 02-06 90
Day 1: 1 02-06
111. Richard Burgreen Athens, AL 1 02-06 90
Day 1: 1 02-06
111. Brad Knight Lancing, TN 1 02-06 90
Day 1: 1 02-06
114. Ronald Ryals Jr Live Oak, FL 1 02-05 87
Day 1: 1 02-05
115. Jeff Bunch Nacogdoches, TX 1 02-03 86
Day 1: 1 02-03
116. Preston Johnson Rice Lake, WI 1 02-02 85
Day 1: 1 02-02
117. Marty Nester Mount Airy, NC 1 02-01 84
Day 1: 1 02-01
117. Brian Rufty Berea, KY 1 02-01 84
Day 1: 1 02-01
119. Shaw Grigsby Jr. Gainesville, FL 1 02-00 82
Day 1: 1 02-00
119. Garrett Rocamora Lithia, FL 1 02-00 82
Day 1: 1 02-00
121. Stan Gunter Saluda, SC 1 01-15 80
Day 1: 1 01-15
121. Ryan Hoover Valrico, FL 1 01-15 80
Day 1: 1 01-15
121. Chad Morgenthaler Reeds Spring, MO 1 01-15 80
Day 1: 1 01-15
124. Paul Elias Laurel, MS 1 01-14 77
Day 1: 1 01-14
125. Jimmy Charbonnet Saint Amant, LA 1 01-13 76
Day 1: 1 01-13
125. Bill Cooper Ashland City, TN 1 01-13 76
Day 1: 1 01-13
125. Grant Galloway Houlka, MS 1 01-13 76
Day 1: 1 01-13
125. Steven Kellam Dry Ridge, KY 1 01-13 76
Day 1: 1 01-13
125. Brad Webb Hampton, VA 1 01-13 76
Day 1: 1 01-13
130. Cliff Prince Palatka, FL 1 01-12 71
Day 1: 1 01-12
131. David Cornelius Apison, TN 1 01-11 70
Day 1: 1 01-11
131. Larry Giamanco Pierre Part, LA 1 01-11 70
Day 1: 1 01-11
131. Joseph Sancho New Windsor, NY 1 01-11 70
Day 1: 1 01-11
134. John Brazzell Winter Garden, FL 1 01-10 67
Day 1: 1 01-10
134. Teb Jones Hattiesburg, MS 1 01-10 67
Day 1: 1 01-10
136. Brian Hatfield Spring City, TN 1 01-09 65
Day 1: 1 01-09
136. Mitch Liss Saint Cloud, FL 1 01-09 65
Day 1: 1 01-09
138. Jon Englund Farwell, MN 1 01-08 63
Day 1: 1 01-08
138. Luke Estel Murphysboro, IL 1 01-08 63
Day 1: 1 01-08
138. Hunter Parra Houma, LA 1 01-08 63
Day 1: 1 01-08
141. Sandy Melvin Boca Grande, FL 1 01-06 60
Day 1: 1 01-06
141. MJ Vihnanek Jr Walnut Hill, FL 1 01-06 60
Day 1: 1 01-06
143. Joey Nania Cropwell, AL 1 01-05 58
Day 1: 1 01-05
144. Chris Hensley Marbury, AL 1 00-09 57
Day 1: 1 00-09
145. Tim Arnold Cullman, AL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
145. Jerome Baird Williamsburg, KY 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
145. Chris Blanchette Irmo, SC 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
145. Scott Bonvillain Dequincy, LA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
145. Christiana Bradley Goldvein, VA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
145. Jeffrey Brooks Boca Raton, FL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
145. Jeffrey Clark Hoover, AL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
145. Erik Crawford Hayden, AL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
145. Ryan Davidson Branchland, WV 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
145. Darrell Davis Dover, FL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
145. Clay Dyer Fayetteville, TN 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
145. Tyler Ellis Battlefield, MO 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
145. David Gaston Sylacauga, AL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
145. Kyle Glasgow Guin, AL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
145. Wayne Hauser Jr Mooresville, NC 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
145. Chad Hazel Quinton, AL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
145. Bill Hutchison Jr. Bessemer, AL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
145. Eric Johnson Millis, MA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
145. Vernon Kemp Umatilla, FL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
145. Scott Luster Prattville, AL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
145. Allen Mcreath Cullman, AL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
145. Dustin Neat Dunnville, KY 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
145. John Paulk Counce, TN 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
145. John Pollard Eclectic, AL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
145. Kenny Sammons Pinetta, FL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
145. Kyle Schutta Forest Lake, MN 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
145. Johnathon Seaborn Guin, AL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
145. Rick Shannon Woodlawn, TN 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
145. Tom Stark III Angola, IN 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
174. Destin DeMarion Grove City, PA 0 -1-00 0
Day 1: 0 -01-00
174. Ed Stiefel Mahwah, NJ 0 -1-00 0
Day 1: 0 -01-00
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 28 400 843-06
----------------------------------
28 400 843-06
2017 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Southern Open Smith Lake 9/28-9/30
Smith Lake, Jasper AL.
(NON_BOATER) Standings Day 1
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Benjie Seaborn Guin, AL 3 08-03 200
Day 1: 3 08-03
2. Carlton Tipp Grand Bay, AL 3 06-10 199
Day 1: 3 06-10
3. Mike Spears Jasper, AL 2 06-06 198
Day 1: 2 06-06
4. Ricky Congero Windermere, FL 3 06-04 197
Day 1: 3 06-04
5. Sawyer Adams Richmond, KY 3 06-02 196
Day 1: 3 06-02
6. Hermilo Salgado Artemus, KY 3 06-01 195
Day 1: 3 06-01
7. Beecher Strunk Somerset, KY 3 06-00 194
Day 1: 3 06-00
8. Scott Saucer Frisco City, AL 3 05-15 193
Day 1: 3 05-15
9. Todd Lee Jasper, AL 2 05-09 192
Day 1: 2 05-09
10. Chad Smith Holly Pond, AL 2 05-08 191
Day 1: 2 05-08
11. Kent Biggs Morristown, TN 3 05-06 190
Day 1: 3 05-06
11. Shane Douglas Albany, GA 3 05-06 190
Day 1: 3 05-06
11. Chris Farmer Mathews, AL 3 05-06 190
Day 1: 3 05-06
14. Curtis King Plaquemine, LA 3 05-03 187
Day 1: 3 05-03
15. Charles Fochtman Moneta, VA 1 04-15 186
Day 1: 1 04-15
16. Jerrod Albright Kissimmee, FL 3 04-13 185
Day 1: 3 04-13
17. Chad Viator Wilsonville, AL 2 04-11 184
Day 1: 2 04-11
18. Daniel Kendrick Chatsworth, GA 1 04-11 183
Day 1: 1 04-11
19. Bill Hunter Murfreesboro, TN 2 04-10 182
Day 1: 2 04-10
20. Don Harvey Franklin, TN 2 04-08 181
Day 1: 2 04-08
21. Bert Cooper Huntsville, TN 2 04-03 180
Day 1: 2 04-03
22. John Goul Philadelphia, MS 2 04-00 179
Day 1: 2 04-00
22. Greg Neal Arley, AL 2 04-00 179
Day 1: 2 04-00
22. Michael Vice Rossville, IL 2 04-00 179
Day 1: 2 04-00
22. Alan Woodford Winslow, IN 2 04-00 179
Day 1: 2 04-00
26. Terry Proctor Pensacola, FL 2 03-13 175
Day 1: 2 03-13
27. Greg O'Neal Winchester, TN 2 03-12 174
Day 1: 2 03-12
27. Geoff Percival Lincoln, AL 2 03-12 174
Day 1: 2 03-12
27. Mark Wethington Liberty, KY 2 03-12 174
Day 1: 2 03-12
30. Barry Stalcup Marble, NC 2 03-11 171
Day 1: 2 03-11
31. Curtis Hall II Battle Creek, MI 1 03-08 170
Day 1: 1 03-08
32. Tony Sears Dahlonega, GA 2 03-07 169
Day 1: 2 03-07
33. Phillip Lovett Florence, AL 1 03-02 168
Day 1: 1 03-02
34. Travis Warthen Saint Gabriel, LA 2 03-01 167
Day 1: 2 03-01
35. Mark Bartosch Clarksville, TN 1 02-15 166
Day 1: 1 02-15
36. Slaton Jemison Mathews, AL 2 02-13 165
Day 1: 2 02-13
37. Jeff Keever Decatur, GA 1 02-13 164
Day 1: 1 02-13
38. Jim Sulcer Jr Athens, AL 1 02-11 163
Day 1: 1 02-11
39. Travis Dehart Greenville, SC 1 02-10 162
Day 1: 1 02-10
39. Mike Duke Summerville, GA 1 02-10 162
Day 1: 1 02-10
39. Chuck Thurlow Auburn, AL 1 02-10 162
Day 1: 1 02-10
39. Jody White Gilbertsville, KY 1 02-10 162
Day 1: 1 02-10
43. Blake Barrett Logan, AL 1 02-09 158
Day 1: 1 02-09
44. Buck Hilliard Peachtree City, GA 1 02-07 157
Day 1: 1 02-07
45. John Goebel Lumberton, TX 1 02-06 156
Day 1: 1 02-06
45. Chandler Sickafoose Dora, AL 1 02-06 156
Day 1: 1 02-06
47. Jonathan Barnette Jasper, AL 1 02-05 154
Day 1: 1 02-05
47. Steven Dyer Louisville, TN 1 02-05 154
Day 1: 1 02-05
49. Kraig Carmickle Orlando, FL 1 02-04 152
Day 1: 1 02-04
49. Roy Hurst Jr Birmingham, AL 1 02-04 152
Day 1: 1 02-04
49. Kenneth Shumate Elkin, NC 1 02-04 152
Day 1: 1 02-04
49. David Welch Birmingham, AL 1 02-04 152
Day 1: 1 02-04
53. Carl Hunter Snellville, GA 1 02-03 148
Day 1: 1 02-03
53. Doug Logan Springville, AL 1 02-03 148
Day 1: 1 02-03
55. Thomas Brewbaker Nashville, TN 1 02-02 146
Day 1: 1 02-02
55. Scott Byrd Ocklawaha, FL 1 02-02 146
Day 1: 1 02-02
57. William Gaston Sylacauga, AL 1 02-01 144
Day 1: 1 02-01
57. Benny Widerman Deltona, FL 1 02-01 144
Day 1: 1 02-01
59. Drew Osborn Maryville, TN 1 02-00 142
Day 1: 1 02-00
60. Radney Atchison Prattville, AL 1 01-15 141
Day 1: 1 01-15
60. Brett Hobson Clermont, FL 1 01-15 141
Day 1: 1 01-15
60. Ross Spina Vestavia, AL 1 01-15 141
Day 1: 1 01-15
63. Johnathan Crossland Chapin, SC 1 01-14 138
Day 1: 1 01-14
63. Phillip Lee Eustis, FL 1 01-14 138
Day 1: 1 01-14
63. Steven Roosen Charlotte, NC 1 01-14 138
Day 1: 1 01-14
63. Ronald Young Lake Wales, FL 1 01-14 138
Day 1: 1 01-14
67. Jennifer Nevans Dayton, TN 1 01-13 134
Day 1: 1 01-13
68. David Earnest Oakman, AL 1 01-12 133
Day 1: 1 01-12
68. Chris Kingree Inverness, FL 1 01-12 133
Day 1: 1 01-12
70. Richard Arnold Owens Cross Roads, AL 1 01-11 131
Day 1: 1 01-11
70. Eulon Lee Jr. Eclectic, AL 1 01-11 131
Day 1: 1 01-11
70. Jeremy Maye Windsor, VA 1 01-11 131
Day 1: 1 01-11
70. Don Ramsey Orlando, FL 1 01-11 131
Day 1: 1 01-11
70. Marvin Stith Jr. Piscataway, NJ 1 01-11 131
Day 1: 1 01-11
75. Mike Entile Aurora, IL 1 01-10 126
Day 1: 1 01-10
75. Marc Melancon Livingston, LA 1 01-10 126
Day 1: 1 01-10
75. Roger Shiflett Hayden, AL 1 01-10 126
Day 1: 1 01-10
75. Tucker Weidler Helena, AL 1 01-10 126
Day 1: 1 01-10
75. Jay West Canton, GA 1 01-10 126
Day 1: 1 01-10
80. David Chamberlain Keasbey, NJ 1 01-09 121
Day 1: 1 01-09
80. Joe Moore Kissimmee, FL 1 01-09 121
Day 1: 1 01-09
80. Jenny Sander Byron, GA 1 01-09 121
Day 1: 1 01-09
80. Billy Watson III Murfreesboro, TN 1 01-09 121
Day 1: 1 01-09
84. George Beville Jr Apex, NC 1 01-09 117
Day 1: 1 01-09
85. Blaine Freeman Dadeville, AL 1 01-08 116
Day 1: 1 01-08
85. Jon Oliver Russellville, AL 1 01-08 116
Day 1: 1 01-08
85. James Simmons Houma, LA 1 01-08 116
Day 1: 1 01-08
88. Luke Glasgow Guin, AL 1 01-07 113
Day 1: 1 01-07
88. Caleb Keith Beaufort, SC 1 01-07 113
Day 1: 1 01-07
88. Keith Raney Tullahoma, TN 1 01-07 113
Day 1: 1 01-07
88. Evan Rice Shalimar, FL 1 01-07 113
Day 1: 1 01-07
92. Miriam Donohoo San Mateo, FL 1 01-07 109
Day 1: 1 01-07
93. Chad Smith Minnetonka, MN 1 01-06 108
Day 1: 1 01-06
94. Donnie Aderholt Haleyville, AL 1 00-11 107
Day 1: 1 00-11
95. Rodney Anderson Young Harris, GA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
95. Charles Anderson Rocky Face, GA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
95. Glenn Bailey Temple Terrace, FL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
95. Clayton Barnes Milton, FL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
95. Joshua Bauer Random Lake, WI 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
95. Cale Beck Petersburg, IN 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
95. Michael Benson Cullman, AL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
95. Johnny Bigger II Spring Hill, FL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
95. Lee Black Moulton, AL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
95. Brandon Bolton West Point, MS 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
95. David Booth Erin, TN 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
95. Justin Braswell Winter Haven, FL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
95. Bill Bruce Hendersonville, TN 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
95. Scap Cicero Wetumpka, AL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
95. Zach Clark Newnan, GA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
95. Curt Clark Bentonville, AR 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
95. Rodrigo Cruz Clermont, FL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
95. Wesley Dennis Anniston, AL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
95. Charlie Eisert Pomona, IL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
95. Michael Florio Cartersville, GA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
95. Jason Fontenot Lake Charles, LA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
95. Garrett Geouge Lanexa, VA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
95. Mitchell Gowen Decatur, AL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
95. Bruce Griffin Jasper, AL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
95. Stephen Griffing Port Charlotte, FL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
95. Gary Hall Delbarton, WV 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
95. Colby Harrison Brilliant, AL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
95. Meredith Havird Chappells, SC 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
95. Robert Holcomb Longwood, FL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
95. William Holley Addis, LA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
95. Kyle Jenkins Groton, CT 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
95. Brian Jones Fayetteville, TN 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
95. Zach Kirby Shelbyville, TN 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
95. Jimmy Lee Jasper, AL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
95. Tim Lollar Cullman, AL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
95. Bill Mandikas Tampa, FL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
95. Barry Maner Trinity, AL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
95. Larry Maring Minneola, FL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
95. Marc Marsh Prosperity, SC 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
95. Greg Mauldin Archdale, NC 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
95. Lee McClendon Jr Trussville, AL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
95. Jordan McDonald Jackson, GA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
95. Steve Moeller Waterloo, SC 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
95. Bill Mogan Mobile, AL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
95. Michael Norris Mountain Brk, AL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
95. Blake Oswalt Jasper, AL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
95. David Ottman Terry, MS 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
95. Luke Patterson Middleburg, KY 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
95. Tim Patterson Chattanooga, TN 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
95. Jason Patterson Markle, IN 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
95. Pete Patterson Kingsport, TN 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
95. Tyler Pendergrass Cullman, AL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
95. Daniel Phillips Lawrenceville, GA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
95. Anthony Plescia III Pearl River, LA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
95. JJ Polak Covington, GA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
95. Charles Poland Denham Springs, LA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
95. Trevor Prichard Knoxville, TN 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
95. Jeff Prisza Camden, MI 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
95. Michael Rench Armuchee, GA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
95. Scott Rice Cobden, IL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
95. Landon Rich Owens Cross Roads, AL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
95. Rodger Riddle Moulton, AL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
95. Fred Rigdon Belleview, FL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
95. Edward Ruth Jasper, AL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
95. Michael Scalise Port Allen, LA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
95. Ken Sharkey Spring Lake, MI 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
95. Gregory Spitzer Jr Pensacola, FL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
95. Bobby Stalcup Murphy, NC 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
95. Bradley Sterner Manchester, PA 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
95. Clayton Stoering Waterville, MN 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
95. Rick Surguine Mount Juliet, TN 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
95. Rodney Tapp Inman, SC 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
95. Derek Taylor Montgomery, TX 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
95. Christian Thompson Lake City, FL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
95. Thomas Warren Bolingbrook, IL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
95. Ronald Wiggins II Palatka, FL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
95. Tom Wilkins Alexandria, MN 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
95. Jesse Windsor Orlando, FL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
95. Tyler Woolcott Port Orange, FL 0 00-00 0
Day 1: 0 00-00
174. Eric Simpson Lakeland, GA 0 -1-00 0
Day 1: 0 -01-00
174. Douglas Vierling Gulfport, MS 0 -1-00 0
Day 1: 0 -01-00
Nick LeBrun Wins ABA Ram Truck Open Area 6 Championship!
ATHENS, Ala. – Nick LeBrun won the American Bass Anglers Ram Truck Open Series Area 6 Championship, held September 23rd and 24th at Toledo Bend Reservoir. Running out of Cypress Bend Park near Many, LA, Nick still fresh off his win from Sam Rayburn just a couple weeks earlier was able to put together 2 solid days and bring in 2 limits for a total of 34.37 lbs, taking home the guaranteed boater division prize of $10,000.00.
Day 1 brought a picture-perfect morning for the National Anthem and a very calm day. Not a ripple on the lake until 30 minutes before weigh in which for Toledo Bend is a very rare occasion. The weather was great all weekend, but fishing conditions made the bite very tough for most leading up to the first day and throughout the tournament. Some anglers did get the big bites as 2 fish over 8 lbs were caught, and many more over 5 lbs were brought to the scales.
Day one closed out with Lebrun sitting towards the top of the field with a solid catch of 16.48 lbs. When the scales closed at the end of day 2, he had taken the lead and held back the rest of the field for the victory.
“This morning I definitely wasn’t expecting this. I lost a good one right off the bat and it deflated me pretty quickly. I figured I was fishing for a top 20 at that point. This place is so tough right now you have got to make every bite count and get them in the boat. I have to take my hat off to all these guys though. This field is so competitive, it really pushes you to your limit and makes you stay on top of your game. This was a great event.” LeBrun said.
In second for the boaters, Ryan Pinkston of Center, TX finished less than 1 lb. behind the leader with 2 limits of fish for 33.65 lbs.
“I fished structure, deep structure. I say deep but it was really about 10-15 feet. I had 10 rods on the deck all weekend and today, all my fish came on different baits than yesterday. It was a grind and we put something together. You just had to keep your head down but it took all day to get them.” Said Ryan
Albert Collins of Nacogdoches, TX took third for the boaters weighing a 5 fish limit each day for a 2-day total of 32.91. Albert was also the highest finishing Triton Gold member and will be receiving his bonus from Triton Boats.
“I came over a week before last and spent a couple days without a bite. I just went out fishing and found a couple spots that had some so I beat them to death and was fortunate enough to catch what I did.” Stated Collins.
In fourth, Logan Sheerer of Karnack, TX came in with 2 solid bags for a total of 29.79 lbs. Finishing 5th was Terry Peacock of Royse City, TX with 28.72 lbs.
Logan also weighed in a beautiful 8.03 lb. Big Bass on day 1 that held up for the boater division for the weekend. Logan pocketed $480.00 for that fish.
In the Co-Angler Division, Robert Moffett of Silsbee, TX came from the middle of the pack on day 2 with a great bag of fish for 11.97 lbs to propel him to the top with a 2-day total of 17.74 lbs to take over and hold the lead. Robert earned the $5000.00 guaranteed first place prize.
“Thank you! This is great. Well, the first day we went north and it went well, I just didn’t get the big bite but today I did. My boater ran south today and I caught her on my 2nd bite. (6.57 lbs) I culled a couple times and everything worked out great. I couldn’t be happier.” said Robert.
Taking second for the co-anglers, Robert Royal of Vidor, TX came in with his 2nd 3-fish limit of 10.07 to land himself a 2-day total of 17.53 lbs. Just ounces behind the leader his catch secured him the 2nd place finish.
“The first day we went south and flipped grass all day. Today we went North and threw a frog. I had 5 keepers. 2 different techniques and the only common thing was the grass. I fished in both spots and both were successful.” Robert stated.
Chris Pearson of Marthaville, LA placed third among the co-anglers. Landing only 4 fish over both days for 16.56 lbs, Chris was getting the bites he needed and one fish was really good. 8.01 lbs and captured the big bass of the tournament for the coanglers.
“I only had 4 keepers to bring in over the weekend and every one of them was on a different bait. I had the just one bite today at it was the big fish. I caught her on the 3rd cast this morning about 10 minutes into the day.” Explained Pearson.
In fourth place among the co-anglers, Rondell Joseph of Pearland, TX brought in five fish over the 2 days for a total of 15.47 lbs. Jeremy Phillips of Nacogdoches, TX finished in fifth place with four bass (2-day total) for 12.95 lbs.
The week of April 1st through the 7th, 2018, the best anglers from across the nation will compete in the Ray Scott National Championship, slated for the Red River in Shreveport & Bossier City, LA.
For more information on this tournament, call Chris Wayand, tournament manager, at 256-230-5627 or ABA at 256-232-0406. On line, see www.ramopenseries.com .
About American Bass Anglers: American Bass Anglers is committed to providing low cost, close to home tournaments for the weekend angler and at the same time offer each competitor an upward path for individual angler progression. For more information about American Bass Anglers, the Ram Truck Open Series, the American Fishing Tour or the American Couples Series, visitwww.americanbassanglers.com.
American Bass Anglers, Inc. is supported by Ram Trucks, Triton Boats, Mercury Outboards, Carlisle Tires, GEICO, Berkley, Abu Garcia, T-H Marine, Livingston Lures, Best Western Hotels, Maui Jim, Power Pole, Simms, Garmin, Divide-It, and SiriusXM Marine Weather. American Bass Anglers, Inc. can be contacted at (256) 232-0406 or by visiting americanbassanglers.com
Palanuik Talks AOY and his Incredible 2017 Elite Series Journey
“I still don’t even know if has sunk in yet,” said Brandon Palaniuk a few days after winning the 2017 Bassmaster angler of the Year title.
“I’ve been so busy since it happened I haven’t sat and thought about it. I didn’t know what to expect, but it was a different feeling than what I have felt, really, in anything else. You want to win something so bad and then as it gets closer and closer you just want it that much more and then all of a sudden, in an instant, its real. It’s in your hand. The competitive side of me is like ‘ok, I accomplished that, let’s go get the next one’ but at the same time I want to make the most of this one. I want to enjoy it. I want to remember it and do as much as I can with it to, one, better my career and, two, hopefully better the sport.”
On the final morning of the AOY Championship tourney Palaniuk fished through a slow bite. Surely doubts arose in his mind. Right? “No. I was actually surprisingly calm.
“I woke up Sunday morning feeling like I was going to catch them. I was at ease with it; felt good about it and at 10:30 I even looked at my camera guy and told him ‘man, I should be freaking out right now’. I had one bass in the livewell and wasn’t even that worried. I wasn’t stressed out about it, I wasn’t in a panic.
“I just felt like at some point in the day it was going to happen.
“Next thing you know, like, 15 minutes later, I pull up to a rock proceed to catch 12 fish off of it. And that’s pretty much what did it for me. Then I went to another spot and caught two 4-and-a-half-pounders on back-to-back drops.
“That quick it just changes.”
During the AOY tourney Palaniuk caught all of his weigh-in fish on a smoke/purple Zoom Super Fluke on a dropshot rig.
Across his award-winning season he relied heavily on 3 lures: swim jig, 3/8 or ½ oz., white, black and chartreuse with a white Zoom Super Speed Craw on the back. “I caught fish on that everywhere.” A Storm Arashi Top Walker. And, “Pretty much the entire northern swing I caught fish on a Zoom Z Drop on a dropshot.”
The road to success is littered with bumps and potholes. Palaniuk experienced on early on in the 2017 season. “Okeechobee. Finishing 105th and battling back from that to get in a position to win Angler of the Year.”
Palaniuk could have felt sorry for himself after the disappointment at the ‘Big O’. But . . .
“I had a little bit of a chip on my shoulder.
“Going from a Top 12 at Cherokee to bombing at Okeechobee – I felt like I went from having a really good shot at making a run at Angler of the Year to essentially having to start my climb all the way over.”
Climb he did. The summit of Palaniuk’s season was the Toyota Bassmaster Texas Fest on Lake Sam Rayburn in May, which he won with a total weight of 93 pounds, 12 ounces. “It was just a super fun week. I really enjoyed it.
“And that also automatically qualified me for the Classic. So, I didn’t really change the way I was fishing after that, but there was also a part of me that knew, no matter what happened the rest of the year, that weight was lifted off my chest. 2018 Classic – qualified. Now you’re focused on catching as many fish as you can.”
Palaniuk never wants to know where he stands in the points. The reason for this dovetails with the reason for his free-swinging attitude following an automatic Classic berth. “For some guys, it’s a motivator to know where they stand in the points. For me, I feel like if I know where I’m at in the points my decision-making process is different, somewhere in the back of my mind. If I have no idea, the points essentially become irrelevant and all of my decision-making process is based on catching the 5 biggest fish I can each day, which is what everyone should do anyway. But that’s easier said than done.”
Decision-making is a key element in good tournament fishing. Palaniuk recounts his best decision this season. “Toledo Bend, on day 3 of the tournament I just completely abandoned where I had been fishing the first 2 days and started in a completely new area that I hadn’t fished yet in the tournament. It ended up carrying me to a Top 12. I felt like I really made the right adjustment in that one.”
109 of the top pros in America set out to win the Bassmaster Angler of the Year title this season. What separated Palaniuk from the rest? “I fished with a super open mind. I tried to fish based 100% on current conditions.”
Palaniuk enjoys as much family support as any angler on tour. His sponsors have also been loyal to him, a point not lost on the 29-year old pro. “It’s a personal win for me but it’s also a win for my team and that includes my sponsors, all the people that believed in me before I ever even made my first cast in the Elite Series. I will always have a special place in my heart for those kind of people that took a chance on me.
“Skeeter and Yamaha have been with me from day 1 and Rigid has been with me since my 2nd year on Tour – my title sponsor for 5 years now which is big for a non-endemic company to stick with me that long and have faith in me.
“I’ve been with Buck Knives, Storm, Rapala, VMC, even my buddy Scott at ProCise Outdoors – we’ve kind of grown and built that into something together.”
So what does a young guy do with the type of money Palaniuk has earned this year? “Been looking at possibly building a new house for me and Tiffany. I’ll be smart with it, invest it back into my video projects, use it wisely where it will end up making more money down the road.”
Moore & Wilson Walk Away With the Win in Texas Tournament Zone Championship on Rayburn - Win $30,000
| PL | ANGLER 1 | ANGLER 2 | DAY 1 FISH | DAY 1 BIG BASS | DAY 1 WT | DAY 2 FISH | DAY 2 BIG BASS | DAY 2 WT | TOTAL FISH | TOTAL WT | PRIZE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | HAROLD MOORE | KRIS WILSON | 5 | 25.34 | 5 | 24.38 | 10 | 49.72 | $30,000 | ||
| 2 | KEITH WHITE | CHRIS MCCALL | 5 | 20.85 | 5 | 20.99 | 10 | 41.84 | $5,000 | ||
| 3 | DEAN GOLMAN | JAYSON KISSELBURG | 5 | 15.63 | 5 | 23.08 | 10 | 38.71 | $2,500 | ||
| 4 | PATRICK STARNES | SCOTT BAILEY | 5 | 20.21 | 5 | 17.91 | 10 | 38.12 | $1,500 | ||
| 5 | KY MARTIN | E.K. WATTS | 5 | 15.00 | 5 | 7.42 | 20.96 | 10 | 35.96 | $1,000 | |
| 6 | DARRELL WUENSCHE | DONNIE O'NEAL | 5 | 7.01 | 20.25 | 5 | 13.51 | 10 | 33.76 | $900 | |
| 7 | DAVID STIDHAM | GERALD POBORIL | 5 | 8.12 | 18.81 | 5 | 14.94 | 10 | 33.75 | $800 | |
| 8 | JASON BUCHANAN | TERRY KIRCUS | 5 | 13.04 | 5 | 20.35 | 10 | 33.39 | $700 | ||
| 9 | JAMES NITSCHKE | JASON BONDS | 5 | 16.18 | 5 | 16.60 | 10 | 32.78 | $600 | ||
| 10 | JARRETT LATTA | BRIAN LOWRANCE | 5 | 15.37 | 5 | 7.57 | 17.37 | 10 | 32.74 | $550 | |
| 11 | GARY MARTIN | DON BROWN | 5 | 13.73 | 5 | 18.78 | 10 | 32.51 | $500 | ||
| 12 | ALLEN GASS | CHRIS BAKER | 5 | 14.01 | 5 | 17.07 | 10 | 31.08 | $450 | ||
| 13 | RICK BARNDS | MATT STEELE | 5 | 18.34 | 5 | 12.27 | 10 | 30.61 | $400 | ||
| 14 | JOHNNY RAY | JASON TRUITT | 5 | 17.44 | 5 | 13.03 | 10 | 30.47 | $350 | ||
| 15 | CHRIS BERTELSON | THOMAS HOWE | 5 | 15.76 | 5 | 14.42 | 10 | 30.18 | $300 | ||
| 16 | JASON STAFFORD | 5 | 12.48 | 5 | 17.56 | 10 | 30.04 | $300 | |||
| 17 | KENNETH FAIRLY | JUSTIN WISIAN | 5 | 15.72 | 5 | 13.78 | 10 | 29.50 | $300 | ||
| 18 | WES BENNETT | STEVEN NIETO | 5 | 7.64 | 15.90 | 5 | 13.53 | 10 | 29.43 | ||
| 19 | WADE MEHAFFEY | MARK LEATHERMAN | 5 | 5.52 | 16.02 | 5 | 12.69 | 10 | 28.71 | ||
| 19 | BRANDON BRAY | JOE BRAY | 5 | 17.07 | 4 | 11.64 | 9 | 28.71 | |||
| 21 | MARTI WILLIAMS | DEAN SKINNER | 5 | 15.86 | 5 | 12.73 | 10 | 28.59 | |||
| 22 | WARREN KEPKE | RICH LEWIS | 5 | 7.07 | 18.82 | 5 | 9.69 | 10 | 28.51 | ||
| 23 | JAMES ROBERTS | DON GORDON | 5 | 14.99 | 5 | 13.43 | 10 | 28.42 | |||
| 24 | BRANDON DICKENSON | BRENT BROUSSARD | 5 | 14.62 | 5 | 13.63 | 10 | 28.25 | |||
| 25 | GARY FRIEDEL | JACOB FROESE (Y) | 5 | 6.42 | 16.69 | 5 | 11.13 | 10 | 27.82 | ||
| 26 | RYAN WARREN | JASON DERRICK | 5 | 16.32 | 5 | 11.24 | 10 | 27.56 | |||
| 27 | LANDON GLASS | MANDI GLASS | 5 | 12.27 | 5 | 15.11 | 10 | 27.38 | |||
| 28 | SHANE KUEHN | ANDY WHITEHEAD | 5 | 13.80 | 5 | 13.44 | 10 | 27.24 | |||
| 29 | BRIAN BRANDON | KAYDEN TANNER (Y) | 5 | 9.55 | 5 | 17.52 | 10 | 27.07 | |||
| 30 | JESSE FRY | SCOTT LANDON | 4 | 8.78 | 15.44 | 5 | 11.52 | 9 | 26.96 | $1,480 BIG BASS + $500 BIOBOR BONUS | |
| 31 | WAYNE ALBERTHAL | JAMES WHITE | 5 | 14.28 | 5 | 12.50 | 10 | 26.78 | |||
| 32 | LINO GUTIERREZ | RUBEN RIBERA | 5 | 10.86 | 5 | 15.71 | 10 | 26.57 | |||
| 33 | ADRIAN BARNES | DANIEL BARNES | 5 | 13.53 | 5 | 12.75 | 10 | 26.28 | |||
| 34 | DUANE GEORGE | CODY BARCHENGER | 5 | 13.02 | 5 | 12.87 | 10 | 25.89 | |||
| 35 | JAMES COTTINGHAM | TERRY ROBERTS | 4 | 10.70 | 5 | 15.15 | 9 | 25.85 | |||
| 36 | JOSH RHODES | CHRIS STUDINGER | 5 | 12.59 | 5 | 13.23 | 10 | 25.82 | |||
| 37 | MIKE CEARLEY | PAUL SHERRILL III | 5 | 13.40 | 5 | 12.20 | 10 | 25.60 | |||
| 38 | RYAN COHLMEYER | DARREN HEAVNER | 5 | 14.22 | 5 | 11.37 | 10 | 25.59 | |||
| 39 | SHELBY FLOYD | JEFF DOUGLAS | 5 | 12.85 | 5 | 12.62 | 10 | 25.47 | |||
| 40 | MICHAEL EDGETT | JASON DELFRAISSE | 5 | 12.78 | 5 | 12.66 | 10 | 25.44 | |||
| 41 | BARRY MOTT | MATT HILL | 5 | 13.82 | 5 | 11.37 | 10 | 25.19 | |||
| 42 | LEE BEUERSHAUSEN | RANDY GROUNDS | 5 | 15.59 | 3 | 9.33 | 8 | 24.92 | |||
| 43 | CHRISTOPHER WASHINGTON | JARRID HOHENSEE | 5 | 12.18 | 5 | 12.69 | 10 | 24.87 | |||
| 44 | CHRIS CONNER | JARED SMITH | 5 | 12.09 | 5 | 12.49 | 10 | 24.58 | |||
| 45 | TOMMY DURHAM | MIKE DURHAM | 5 | 14.70 | 5 | 9.66 | 10 | 24.36 | |||
| 46 | JUSTIN HUMMEL | LEONARD DEBRASKA | 5 | 7.06 | 18.75 | 4 | 5.56 | 9 | 24.31 | ||
| 47 | DANIEL ABERNATHY | JACKIE IKONEN | 5 | 10.56 | 5 | 13.61 | 10 | 24.17 | |||
| 48 | MARK RIBERA | ANTHONY RIBERA | 5 | 12.21 | 5 | 11.92 | 10 | 24.13 | |||
| 49 | RICK SCHEEN | MIKE HARMAN | 2 | 5.03 | 5 | 18.74 | 7 | 23.77 | |||
| 50 | CHARLES WHITED | RICK SCOTT | 4 | 9.10 | 5 | 14.52 | 9 | 23.62 | SHIMANO ZODIAS ROD | ||
| 51 | COREY SCHNAUTZ | RAYMOND CALK | 5 | 12.47 | 5 | 11.03 | 10 | 23.50 | |||
| 52 | KELLY MAULDIN | MARCUS SAMANIEGO | 5 | 12.84 | 5 | 10.29 | 10 | 23.13 | |||
| 53 | BRENT SMITH | TAMMY SMITH | 5 | 10.07 | 5 | 12.97 | 10 | 23.04 | |||
| 54 | DANNY HUGHES | DARRELL PRCIN | 2 | 9.82 | 5 | 13.17 | 7 | 22.99 | |||
| 55 | JASON BRUNETT | STEVEN DANIELS | 5 | 11.08 | 5 | 11.87 | 10 | 22.95 | |||
| 56 | SAM MORROW | STEPHEN HARDING | 5 | 15.02 | 3 | 7.86 | 8 | 22.88 | |||
| 57 | JOHNNY UNERFUSSER | RON SAUCEMAN | 5 | 13.72 | 4 | 8.74 | 9 | 22.46 | |||
| 58 | LOWELL BENNETT | LANDEN BENNETT (Y) | 5 | 10.99 | 5 | 11.06 | 10 | 22.05 | |||
| 59 | KEN WILKINS | RICHIE LAND | 5 | 11.09 | 5 | 10.93 | 10 | 22.02 | |||
| 60 | TERRY HALL | LYNN PIERCE | 5 | 11.61 | 5 | 10.29 | 10 | 21.90 | |||
| 61 | DEAN ALEXANDER | TOM MARTENS | 3 | 6.46 | 5 | 15.28 | 8 | 21.74 | |||
| 62 | DALE READ | JEFF PITRUCHA | 5 | 9.60 | 5 | 12.08 | 10 | 21.68 | |||
| 63 | KEVIN BRYANT | COY GREATHOUSE | 5 | 15.08 | 3 | 6.59 | 8 | 21.67 | |||
| 64 | LANCE WENMOHS | DIXON WENMOHS | 5 | 13.73 | 4 | 7.88 | 9 | 21.61 | |||
| 65 | PHIL WARREN | BRIAN MATER | 5 | 10.89 | 5 | 10.18 | 10 | 21.07 | |||
| 66 | KENNETH CUMMINS | TIM DIXON | 5 | 10.95 | 5 | 10.04 | 10 | 20.99 | |||
| 67 | MARK BENNETT | CASEY BENNETT | 5 | 9.80 | 5 | 10.82 | 10 | 20.62 | |||
| 68 | WES JOHANNESSEN | CALEB WESTBROOK | 5 | 8.58 | 5 | 11.93 | 10 | 20.51 | SHIMANO CITICA REEL | ||
| 69 | DAVID LANDRY | KELVIN MILAM | 3 | 7.32 | 5 | 13.15 | 8 | 20.47 | |||
| 70 | CHRIS BAILEY | CASEY GARCIA | 3 | 6.54 | 5 | 13.83 | 8 | 20.37 | |||
| 71 | DAMON ROSS | DONNIE ROSS | 5 | 10.49 | 5 | 9.74 | 10 | 20.23 | |||
| 72 | MATT RUSSELL | DEAN JONES | 3 | 4.20 | 5 | 15.80 | 8 | 20.00 | |||
| 73 | DAN CLAWSON | BILL HARMAN | 5 | 11.17 | 5 | 8.71 | 10 | 19.88 | |||
| 74 | GREG SHEPPERD | GARRETT SHEPPERD | 3 | 8.05 | 5 | 11.00 | 8 | 19.05 | |||
| 75 | LEONARD PHILLIP | HUNTER ARTHUR | 5 | 12.30 | 3 | 6.73 | 8 | 19.03 | |||
| 76 | LUKE BASEY | DAVID FULLER | 5 | 7.53 | 3 | 11.29 | 8 | 18.82 | |||
| 77 | PAT GRIMM | JACK MORSE | 5 | 6.85 | 5 | 11.86 | 10 | 18.71 | |||
| 78 | SCOTT SMITH | LANCE RAY | 5 | 11.01 | 5 | 7.34 | 10 | 18.35 | |||
| 79 | DYLAN LOOZE | JOE LOOZE | 3 | 4.95 | 5 | 12.97 | 8 | 17.92 | |||
| 80 | THOMAS STEVENS | JASON STEVENS | 5 | 7.75 | 5 | 8.30 | 10 | 16.05 | |||
| 81 | CRAIG BULLOCK | DAVID BARATZ | 5 | 11.79 | 1 | 4.06 | 6 | 15.85 | |||
| 82 | JOEY KIRKLAND | LUPE CONTRERAS | 1 | 5.47 | 5 | 9.73 | 6 | 15.20 | |||
| 83 | DUSTIN TRIMUAR | GARY SHARP | 3 | 6.39 | 4 | 8.67 | 7 | 15.06 | |||
| 84 | MICHAEL WALDROP | JARROD SANDERS | 4 | 11.41 | 2 | 3.26 | 6 | 14.67 | SHIMANO ZODIAS ROD | ||
| 85 | CODY COX | ROBERT YOUNG | 5 | 13.84 | 5 | 13.84 | |||||
| 86 | TONY FERDINANDO | RANDY VAUGHAN | 5 | 13.82 | 5 | 13.82 | |||||
| 87 | RONNIE MATHIS | DON SCHUETZE | 5 | 13.50 | 5 | 13.50 | |||||
| 88 | LANDAN WARE | 5 | 13.29 | 5 | 13.29 | ||||||
| 89 | BO BARNETT | BRIAN FENNELL | 5 | 12.65 | 5 | 12.65 | |||||
| 90 | SHAWN TAMEZ | CRAIG CORDOVA | 5 | 12.10 | 5 | 12.10 | |||||
| 91 | VINCENT NEAL | KYLE ROWE | 5 | 11.32 | 5 | 11.32 | |||||
| 92 | LLOYD WALKER | TIM CLINE | 5 | 11.28 | 5 | 11.28 | |||||
| 93 | RANDALL CHRISTIAN | 5 | 10.80 | 5 | 10.80 | ||||||
| 94 | CODY MORRISON | STEPHEN MORRISON | 5 | 10.65 | 5 | 10.65 | |||||
| 95 | BILLY MCCRARY II | TODD IVINS | 3 | 10.50 | 3 | 10.50 | |||||
| 96 | BOBBY AMIDON | MICHAEL ROBERTS | 5 | 10.42 | 5 | 10.42 | |||||
| 97 | JASON WILLIAMS | ANTHONY SKOUBY | 5 | 10.18 | 5 | 10.18 | |||||
| 98 | GEORGE ESCAMILLA | BRANDON KITCHENS | 5 | 10.04 | 5 | 10.04 | |||||
| 99 | BRYAN RICHARDS | MAT KEVIL | 5 | 9.94 | 5 | 9.94 | |||||
| 100 | GARY RIGGS | DAVID STIDHAM | 5 | 9.89 | 5 | 9.89 | |||||
| 101 | BRYAN COTTER | DAVID TOWNSEND | 4 | 9.82 | 4 | 9.82 | |||||
| 102 | ROB WILSON | ROB MEDDERS | 4 | 9.50 | 4 | 9.50 | |||||
| 103 | TRAVIS MCCOLLOUGH | BOBBY WILSON | 2 | 4.39 | 3 | 5.09 | 5 | 9.48 | |||
| 104 | RANDALL KRAMER | ANTHONY KEANE | 3 | 9.31 | 3 | 9.31 | |||||
| 105 | BILL WALDSCHMIDT | JAY DAVIS | 3 | 5.65 | 1 | 3.54 | 4 | 9.19 | |||
| 106 | NATHAN BOWERS (Y) | DENNIS BOWERS | 4 | 9.17 | 4 | 9.17 | |||||
| 107 | KEVIN DRITSCHLER | TYLER DRITSCHLER | 3 | 5.11 | 2 | 3.89 | 5 | 9.00 | |||
| 108 | KEITH IVY | TIM KISOR | 5 | 8.92 | 5 | 8.92 | |||||
| 109 | GARY BROOKS | LYNNE BROOKS | 2 | 4.68 | 2 | 4.16 | 4 | 8.84 | |||
| 110 | BOBBY RODRIGUEZ | KYLE FORD | 5 | 8.35 | 5 | 8.35 | |||||
| 111 | JOHN WARD | DERON MUELLER | 3 | 8.24 | 3 | 8.24 | |||||
| 112 | GRANT GOODNER | JAMES GOODNER | 5 | 7.61 | 5 | 7.61 | |||||
| 113 | DUSTIN SMITH | GREG STEVENS | 5 | 7.58 | 5 | 7.58 | |||||
| 114 | CHRIS WOEHL | 4 | 6.82 | 4 | 6.82 | ||||||
| 115 | GARY JOHNSON | ANIBAL GUZMAN | 5 | 6.44 | 5 | 6.44 | |||||
| 116 | STEVE VAN MEETEREN | CINDY VAN MEETEREN | 2 | 3.28 | 2 | 2.99 | 4 | 6.27 | |||
| 117 | LOGAN CLARK | MIKE CLARK | 3 | 6.25 | 3 | 6.25 | |||||
| 118 | LORNE DORNAK | JAMES LYNN | 4 | 6.20 | 4 | 6.20 | |||||
| 119 | BRYAN KING | JOHNNY WIERZBICKI | 3 | 6.08 | 3 | 6.08 | |||||
| 120 | MIKE GROUNDS | BOB BURTNER | 3 | 5.94 | 3 | 5.94 | |||||
| 121 | NORM WILSON JR | NORM WILSON SR | 3 | 5.84 | 3 | 5.84 | |||||
| 122 | HI HILLBURN | LARRY BENCH | 3 | 5.68 | 3 | 5.68 | |||||
| 123 | DANIEL KURTZ | DANIEL WILLIS | 4 | 5.55 | 4 | 5.55 | |||||
| 124 | DAVID REID | ROBBIE THORSTEINSON | 1 | 4.68 | 1 | 4.68 | |||||
| 125 | TONY THOMPSON | ROSS WRIGHT | 3 | 4.40 | 3 | 4.40 | |||||
| 126 | BRENT TREDEMEYER | KEITH HEINRICH | 3 | 4.39 | 3 | 4.39 | |||||
| 127 | DAVID DOUGLASS | TOMMY MILLS | 2 | 3.94 | 2 | 3.94 | |||||
| 128 | JAKE MASSEY | JAKE SADLER | 2 | 3.42 | 2 | 3.42 | |||||
| 129 | KYLE GOAD | KELLY GOAD | 2 | 3.08 | 2 | 3.08 | |||||
| 130 | JOE RUTHERFORD | ANDREW RUTHERFORD | 2 | 2.81 | 2 | 2.81 | |||||
| 131 | CRAIG UROFSKY | 2 | 2.20 | 2 | 2.20 | ||||||
| 132 | JAMES MOORE | GROVER CHAMBLISS | 1 | 1.80 | 1 | 1.80 | |||||
| 133 | DENIS SCHMEDTHORST | LANCE ROBELIA | |||||||||
| 133 | CHARLES DORTCH | STEVEN HILL | |||||||||
| 133 | FRED CATES | TEARLE CATES | |||||||||
| 133 | JACK CULBREATH | DARREL ROUTON | |||||||||
| 133 | ANDY TISCHLER | ADAM WYBORNY | |||||||||
| 133 | GLENN RUCKEL | SCOTT ROSS | |||||||||
| 133 | DAVID SAPPINGTON | CLIFTON WATTERS | |||||||||
| 133 | MARK MAYNARD | MICHAEL BUTLER | |||||||||
| 133 | JOHN MILLS | DAVID ACHILLES | |||||||||
| 133 | TODD CASTLEDINE | RUSSEL CECIL | |||||||||
| 133 | WILL CURLEE | HUNTER VETTER | |||||||||
| 133 | HUGH KILMAN | DUSTY ATKINSON | |||||||||
| 133 | BRUCE DAVIS | CHAD THIEL | SHIMANO CASITAS REEL | ||||||||
| 133 | TULLY WILLIAMS | JOE ANDERSON | |||||||||
| 133 | RORY HAECKER | DAVID PELATA | |||||||||
| 133 | ROB TROUTT | BOB PRESCOTT |
SHUFFIELD WINS T-H MARINE FLW BFL ARKIE DIVISION FINALE ON LAKE HAMILTON PRESENTED BY GEARED
Benton’s Delaney Takes Co-angler Title
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. (Sept. 25, 2017) – Local angler Spencer Shuffield of Hot Springs, weighed a two-day cumulative of 10 bass totaling 20 pounds, 8 ounces, to win the T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Arkie Division tournament on Lake Hamilton presented by Geared. Shuffield took home $5,277 for his efforts.
According to post-tournament reports, Shuffield caught his fish on a buzzbait in less than 2 feet of water.
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
1st: Spencer Shuffield, Hot Springs, Ark., 10 bass, 20-8, $5,277
2nd: Fred Martin, North Little Rock, Ark., 10 bass, 18-1, $2,939
3rd: Justin Swayze, Gurdon, Ark., eight bass, 17-14, $2,331
4th: Matt Wood, Jessieville, Ark., 10 bass, 17-9, $1,185
5th: Huey Applegate, Jessieville, Ark., nine bass, 17-0, $1,015
6th: Leland Nixon, Bee Branch, Ark., 10 bass, 16-12, $931
7th: Danny Gwinn, Mount Ida, Ark., 10 bass, 16-1, $846
8th: Jake Ormond, Sterlington, La., 10 bass, 16-1, $762
9th: Dustin Huggins, Russellville, Ark., 10 bass, 16-0, $677
10th: Jamey Black, Sheridan, Ark., 10 bass, 15-6, $592
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Swayze caught a 5-pound, 5-ounce bass – the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division – and earned the Boater Big Bass award of $637.
Trevor Delaney of Benton, Arkansas, caught a two-day total of 10 bass bass weighing 18 pounds, 7 ounces, to win the Co-angler Division and $2,539.
The top 10 co-anglers were:
1st: Trevor Delaney, Benton, Ark., 10 bass, 18-7, $2,539
2nd: Steve Standridge, Conway, Ark., seven bass, 13-4, $1,269
3rd: Michael Lucas, Forrest City, Ark., seven bass, 12-5, $846
4th: Jody Jones, Harvey, Ark., eight bass, 11-0, $592
5th: Rod Martinez, Benton, Ark., seven bass, 10-12, $608
6th: Mark Stevens, Hot Springs, Ark., six bass, 10-8, $784
7th: Stephen Simms, Hot Springs, Ark., eight bass, 10-4, $423
8th: Jerry Tabler, Mineral Springs, Ark., seven bass, 9-15, $431
9th: Steven Sherrill, Little Rock, Ark., five bass, 9-1, $339
10th: Joey Taylor, Benton, Ark., seven bass, 8-10, $296
Stevens caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division – a fish weighing 4 pounds, 11 ounces – and earned the Co-angler Big Bass award of $319.
The T-H Marine FLW BFL Arkie Division tournament on Lake Hamilton was hosted by Visit Hot Springs.
The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the region based on point standings, along with the five winners in each qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 19-21 BFL Regional Championship on the Red River in Bossier City, Louisiana. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard and $20,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard.
The 2017 BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American. The 2018 All-American will be held on Cross Lake in Shreveport, Louisiana, May 31-June 2 and is hosted by the Shreveport-Bossier City Sports Commission and the Red River Waterway Commission. Top performers in the BFL can move up to the Costa FLW Series or even the FLW Tour.
For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the BFL on Facebook at Facebook.com/FLWFishing and on Twitter at Twitter.com/FLWFishing.
ALABAMA’S O’DONNELL WINS T-H MARINE FLW BFL MOUNTAIN DIVISION FINALE ON THE BARREN RIVER
Illinois’ Hill Nabs Co-angler Title
SCOTTSVILLE, Ky. (Sept. 25, 2017) – Casey O’Donnell of Langston, Alabama, won the T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Mountain Division tournament on the Barren River Sunday with a two-day cumulative catch of 10 bass weighing 23 pounds, 15 ounces. O’Donnell pocketed $5,082 for his efforts.
O’Donnell said he spent the majority of the tournament working through one area on the south end of the river.
“I fished the ends of channel swing banks, anywhere from 2½ to 5 feet of water, and caught them from laydowns and stumps,” said O’Donnell, a former Tour co-angler who notched his first career win as a boater in BFL competition. “I run an aluminum Ranger boat, so it’s not as fast as some of the others out there but it’s more efficient up shallow.”
O’Donnell said nine of his 10 fish came flipping a ½-ounce Gambler Jigzilla with a green-pumpkin-colored Strike King Twin Tail Menace Grub trailer. He said he caught his heaviest bass Saturday using an albino-colored Spro Dean Rojas Poppin’ Frog.
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
1st: Casey O'Donnell, Langston, Ala., 10 bass, 23-15, $5,082
2nd: Ryan Davidson, Branchland, W. Va., nine bass, 23-12, $2,541
3rd: Daniel Johnson, Lebanon, Tenn., eight bass, 21-7, $1,625
4th: Taylor Stumbo, Prestonsburg, Ky., seven bass, 18-15, $1,139
5th: Jerry Reagan, Byrdstown, Tenn., nine bass, 18-13, $976
6th: Charles Morrison, Georgetown, Ky., eight bass, 17-0, $895
7th: Joe Haunert, West Chester, Ohio, eight bass, 16-6, $814
8th: Brent Anderson, Kingston Springs, Tenn., seven bass, 15-5, $732
9th: Jason Bean, Scottsville, Ky., six bass, 15-3, $651
10th: Barry Smith, Catlettsburg, Ky., seven bass, 13-15, $570
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
J.J. Dean of Huntington, West Virginia, caught a 4-pound, 8-ounce bass – the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division – and earned the Boater Big Bass award of $600.
Chad Hill of Marion, Illinois, caught a two-day total of nine bass weighing 19 pounds, 15 ounces, to win the Co-angler Division and $2,441.
The top 10 co-anglers were:
1st: Chad Hill, Marion, Ill., nine bass, 19-15, $2,441
2nd: Alex Straubing, Cincinnati, Ohio, eight bass, 15-5, $1,320
3rd: Ralph Feldman, Lancaster, Ky., six bass, 12-3, $814
4th: Colton Smith, Somerset, Ky., six bass, 11-3, $620
5th: Bob Wiles, Huntington, W. Va., five bass, 10-14, $488
6th: Danell McKinney, West Liberty, Ky., five bass, 9-9, $447
7th: Jared Rudd, Salyersville, Ky., five bass, 9-9, $407
8th: Lucas Devere, Berea, Ky., four bass, 8-11, $366
9th: Raymond Manis, Jamestown, Tenn., four bass, 8-10, $325
10th: Chris O'Bryan, Harned, Ky., four bass, 8-9, $285
Cole McCourt of Lawrenceburg, Kentucky, caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division – a fish weighing 3 pounds, 7 ounces – and earned the Co-angler Big Bass award of $300.
The T-H Marine FLW BFL Mountain Division tournament on the Barren River was hosted by the Glasgow-Barren County Tourist & Convention Commission.
The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the region based on point standings, along with the five winners in each qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 5-7 BFL Regional Championship on Kentucky Lake in Gilbertsville, Kentucky. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard and $20,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard.
The 2017 BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American. The 2018 All-American will be held on Cross Lake in Shreveport, Louisiana, May 31-June 2 and is hosted by the Shreveport-Bossier City Sports Commission and the Red River Waterway Commission. Top performers in the BFL can move up to the Costa FLW Series or even the FLW Tour.
For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the BFL on Facebook at Facebook.com/FLWFishing and on Twitter at Twitter.com/FLWFishing.
TOMMY HENSLEY WINS T-H MARINE FLW BFL BAMA DIVISION FINALE ON PICKWICK LAKE PRESENTED BY MUD HOLE CUSTOM TACKLE
Mississippi’s Maben Nabs Co-angler Title
FLORENCE, Ala. (Sept. 25, 2017) – Tommy Hensley of Jackson, Georgia, weighed a two-day cumulative of 10 bass totaling 28 pounds, 11 ounces, to win the T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Bama Division tournament on Pickwick Lake presented by Mud Hole Custom Tackle. For his win, Hensley took home $5,143.
According to post-tournament reports, Hensley caught his fish in the mid-lake area, near isolated wood using a white 3/8-ounce Z-Man ChatterBait.
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
1st: Tommy Hensley, Jackson, Ga., 10 bass, 28-11, $5,143
2nd: Austin Weaver, Sheffield, Ala., 10 bass, 26-7, $2,471
3rd: Jason Lambert, Michie, Tenn., 10 bass, 26-5, $1,648
4th: Roger Stegall, Iuka, Miss., 10 bass, 26-4, $1,153
5th: Justin Atkins, Florence, Ala., 10 bass, 25-11, $1,089
6th: Kyle Lewellen, Byhalia, Miss., 10 bass, 24-8, $906
7th: Donny Beck, Killen, Ala., 10 bass, 24-7, $824
8th: Mark McCaig, Oxford, Ala., 10 bass, 24-2, $741
9th: Dennis Shawn Perrigo, Rienzi, Miss., 10 bass, 24-0, $659
10th: Jennings Earnest, Guin, Ala., 10 bass, 23-10, $577
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
John Jeter of Birmingham, Alabama, caught a 6-pound, 13-ounce bass – the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division – and earned the Boater Big Bass award of $607.
Josh Hamilton of Maben, Mississippi, caught a two-day total of eight bass weighing 20 pounds, 15 ounces, to win the Co-angler Division and $2,671.
The top 10 co-anglers were:
1st: Josh Hamilton, Maben, Miss., eight bass, 20-15, $2,671
2nd: Radney Atchison, Prattville, Ala., nine bass, 20-14, $1,236
3rd: Kyle Smith, Crane Hill, Ala., six bass, 17-3, $822
4th: Chris Hawkins, Adger, Ala., six bass, 16-6, $931
5th: Mason Smith, Decatur, Ala., seven bass, 14-11, $494
6th: David Cornelius, Maylene, Ala., seven bass, 14-8, $453
7th: Collin Bruce, Florence, Ala., five bass, 12-12, $412
8th: Leandra McClendon Jr., Trussville, Ala., six bass, 11-2, $371
9th: Ronnie Seawright, Corinth, Miss., five bass, 10-11, $330
10th: Bradley Henderson, Opelika, Ala., four bass, 10-5, $288
Hawkins caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division – a fish weighing 4 pounds, 4 ounces – and earned the Co-angler Big Bass award of $304.
The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the region based on point standings, along with the five winners in each qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 12-14 BFL Regional Championship on Wheeler Lake in Decatur, Alabama. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard and $20,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard.
The 2017 BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American. The 2018 All-American will be held on Cross Lake in Shreveport, Louisiana, May 31-June 2 and is hosted by the Shreveport-Bossier City Sports Commission and the Red River Waterway Commission. Top performers in the BFL can move up to the Costa FLW Series or even the FLW Tour.
For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the BFL on Facebook at Facebook.com/FLWFishing and on Twitter at Twitter.com/FLWFishing.
MIZELL WINS T-H MARINE FLW BFL GATOR DIVISION FINALE ON LAKE OKEECHOBEE
Port Charlotte’s LaPorta Grabs Co-angler Title
CLEWISTON, Fla. (Sept. 25, 2017) – Jessie Mizell of Sarasota, Florida, won the T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Gator Division tournament on Lake Okeechobee Sunday with a two-day cumulative catch of 10 bass weighing 42 pounds, 12 ounces. For his win, Mizell earned $5,848.
According to post-tournament reports, Mizell targeted schooling fish in the northeast area of the lake using a 6th Sense crankbait.
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
1st: Jessie Mizell, Sarasota, Fla., 10 bass, 42-12, $5,848
2nd: Richard Sasina, Port St. Lucie, Fla., 10 bass, 37-9, $2,824
3rd: Donald Locke, Loxahatchee, Fla., 10 bass, 36-11, $2,182
4th: Mason Boylan, Melbourne, Fla., 10 bass, 34-4, $1,318
5th: Cody Wright, Okeechobee, Fla., 10 bass, 34-3, $1,130
6th: Matthew Wieteha, Miami, Fla., 10 bass, 33-1, $1,135
7th: Joey Roberts, Jensen Beach, Fla., 10 bass, 33-1, $941
8th: William Schmitt, West Palm Beach, Fla., 10 bass, 30-12, $847
9th: Jason Pike, Greenacres, Fla., 10 bass, 30-12, $753
10th: Steve Broughton, Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., 10 bass, 30-3, $659
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Dustin Royer of Davie, Florida, caught a 7-pound, 8-ounce bass – the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division – and earned the Boater Big Bass award of $750.
Mike LaPorta of Port Charlotte, Florida, caught a two-day total of 10 bass weighing 38 pounds, 4 ounces, to win the Co-angler Division and $2,824.
The top 10 co-anglers were:
1st: Mike LaPorta, Port Charlotte, Fla., 10 bass, 38-4, $2,824
2nd: Richard Mongiovi, Indian Lake Estates, Fla., 10 bass, 33-8, $1,412
3rd: Rusty Lacy, Plantation, Fla., 10 bass, 30-5, $940
4th: James Tyler, Deltona, Fla., 10 bass, 26-4, $659
5th: Nik Kayler, Apopka, Fla., 10 bass, 25-13, $565
6th: Garrett Colbert, Orlando, Fla., 10 bass, 25-12, $518
7th: Junior Iriban, Lantana, Fla., 10 bass, 25-4, $671
8th: James Ryba, West Palm Beach, Fla., 10 bass, 23-15, $424
9th: Bill Wight, Punta Gorda, Fla., 10 bass, 22-15, $377
10th: Ernie Thompson, Anthony, Fla., 10 bass, 22-13, $379
Delfin Pernas of Miami, Florida, caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division – a fish weighing 6 pounds, 1 ounce – and earned the Co-angler Big Bass award of $375.
The T-H Marine FLW BFL Gator Division tournament on Lake Okeechobee was hosted by Roland & Mary Ann Martin's Marina & Resort.
The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the region based on point standings, along with the five winners in each qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 19-21 BFL Regional Championship on Lake Lanier in Gainesville, Georgia. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard and $20,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard.
The 2017 BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American. The 2018 All-American will be held on Cross Lake in Shreveport, Louisiana, May 31-June 2 and is hosted by the Shreveport-Bossier City Sports Commission and the Red River Waterway Commission. Top performers in the BFL can move up to the Costa FLW Series or even the FLW Tour.
For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the BFL on Facebook at Facebook.com/FLWFishing and on Twitter at Twitter.com/FLWFishing.
HOLCOMB WINS T-H MARINE FLW BFL VOLUNTEER DIVISION FINALE ON WATTS BAR LAKE
Virginia’s Viers Nabs Co-angler Title
ROCKWOOD, Tenn. (Sept. 25, 2017) – Brian Holcomb of Madisonville, Tennessee, won the T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Volunteer Division tournament on Watts Bar Lake Sunday with a two-day cumulative catch of nine bass weighing 22 pounds, 1 ounce. For his win, Holcomb pocketed $6,804.
Holcomb said he started out the event fishing mid-lake pockets near Euchee Marina and Resort.
“I caught them on Saturday throwing a white 3/8-ounce buzzbait,” said Holcomb, who earned his first career-victory in FLW competition. “I targeted isolated milfoil clumps and caught four keepers in less than 2 feet of water.
“On Sunday I went back to the same area, but I couldn’t get a bite on the buzzbait,” continued Holcomb. “I switched to a (Gambler Cane) toad and was able to put together a limit.”
Holcomb said he worked through numerous pockets between 10 a.m. and 2:30 p.m., and caught seven keepers to finish out the tournament.
“There had to be a transition on the bottom to the grass,” said Holcomb. “That was the key for me. If there wasn’t deeper water in front of the grass, they wouldn’t be there. I just kept relying on my judgement and it worked out for me.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
1st: Brian Holcomb, Madisonville, Tenn., nine bass, 22-1, $4,804 + $2,000 Ranger Cup Bonus
2nd: Kevin Edwards, Knoxville, Tenn., 10 bass, 19-15, $2,302
3rd: Tommy Brown, Louisville, Tenn., seven bass , 19-8, $1,636
4th: Joshua Short, Bean Station, Tenn., seven bass, 17-12, $1,074
5th: Glenn Carter, Rockwood, Tenn., nine bass, 17-8, $921
6th: Kyle Smith, Elizabethton, Tenn., seven bass, 16-14, $844
7th: Jesse Burnett, Knoxville, Tenn., 10 bass, 16-13, $767
8th: Jack Faulkner II, Jacksboro, Tenn., seven bass, 15-6, $691
9th: Derrick Blake, Rockwood, Tenn., seven bass, 15-4, $614
10th: Cody Seeber, Clinton, Tenn., four bass, 14-11, $1,077
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Seeber caught a 6-pound, 10-ounce bass – the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division – and earned the Big Bass award of $540.
Chris Viers of Haysi, Virginia, caught a two-day total of four bass weighing 14 pounds, 4 ounces, to win the Co-angler Division and $2,270.
The top 10 co-anglers were:
1st: Chris Viers, Haysi, Va., four bass, 14-4, $2,270
2nd: Cameron Crider, Dwale, Ky., five bass, 12-2, $1,135
3rd: Dennis Napier, Dandridge, Tenn., three bass, 11-0, $1,023
4th: Don Bible, Knoxville, Tenn., five bass, 10-0, $530
5th: Jim Neece Sr., Bristol, Va., four bass, 8-14, $454
6th: Jason Khym, Maryville, Tenn., two bass, 7-12, $416
7th: Darren Kelly, Wartburg, Tenn., four bass, 7-4, $478
8th: Justin McGaha, Knoxville, Tenn., three bass, 7-3, $391
9th: Steve Hall, Hillsville, Va., three bass, 6-2, $303
10th: Colton Chambers, Elizabethton, Tenn., two bass, 5-5, $265
Napier caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division – a fish weighing 6 pounds, 2 ounces – and earned the Co-angler Big Bass award of $266.
The T-H Marine FLW BFL Volunteer Division tournament on Watts Bar Lake was hosted by the Roane County Visitors Bureau.
The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the region based on point standings, along with the five winners in each qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 12-14 BFL Regional Championship on the James River in Williamsburg, Virginia. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard and $20,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard.
The 2017 BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American. The 2018 All-American will be held on Cross Lake in Shreveport, Louisiana, May 31-June 2 and is hosted by the Shreveport-Bossier City Sports Commission and the Red River Waterway Commission. Top performers in the BFL can move up to the Costa FLW Series or even the FLW Tour.
For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the BFL on Facebook at Facebook.com/FLWFishing and on Twitter at Twitter.com/FLWFishing.
Bassmaster Southern Open On Smith Lake Will Fill Another Classic Spot
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FLW ANNOUNCES 2018 FLW TOUR RULES, ENTRY DATES
MINNEAPOLIS (Sept. 25, 2017) – Fishing League Worldwide (FLW), the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, announced Monday its rules and entry dates for the 2018 FLW Tour. The season will consist of a 160-boat field competing in seven-regular season events and culminating with the 2018 Forrest Wood Cup, the world championship of professional bass fishing, to be held on Lake Ouachita in Hot Springs, Arkansas.
“We couldn’t be more excited to get the 2018 FLW Tour season under way,” said Bill Taylor, FLW Senior Director of Tournament Operations. “We’ve put together a great seven-event regular season schedule that is a nice mix of familiar and new fisheries. The FLW Tour pros are the best anglers in the world, and we look forward to another fantastic season showcasing the finest lakes in the United States.”
Among the changes for 2018, the FLW Tour will now feature a cut to the top 30 pros – not 20 – on Day 3 of all regular-season qualifier tournaments. Pro anglers will still compete for up to $125,000 and co-anglers will be vying for up to $25,000 in each tournament including Ranger Cup contingency bonuses. Paybacks include $10,000 through 50th place on the pro side and $1,000 on the co-angler side. Entry fees are unchanged from 2017 at $31,500 for pros, who must fish all seven qualifiers, and $800 per tournament for co-anglers.
The top 40 pros from the 2018 FLW Tour will qualify for the 2018 Forrest Wood Cup, which will consist of 56 professional anglers. In addition to the top 40 pros from the Tour, qualifiers will also include the highest finishing pro from each of five U.S. divisions and the International division at the 2017 Costa FLW Series Championship, plus the top five pros not already selected as the highest finisher in a division at the 2017 FLW Series Championship, the 2018 BFL All-American boater champion, the 2018 TBF boater champion, the 2018 FLW College Fishing champion, the 2017 Forrest Wood Cup champion and the 2017 FLW Tour Angler of the Year.
Registration is now open for the top 100 pros and co-anglers from the 2017 FLW Tour, the top 10 pros and co-anglers from each division of the 2017 FLW Series, the 2017 TBF National Champion from the boater and co-angler division and the boater and co-angler champion from the 2017 BFL All-American. These anglers have until Dec. 4, 2017, to secure their priority entry. Entries from Ranger boat owners and FLW Tour sponsors will be accepted beginning Dec. 5, 2017. Pros and co-anglers who fished the full 2017 FLW Tour or a full division of the 2017 FLW Series will be accepted beginning Dec. 6, 2017, followed by TBF members beginning Dec. 7, 2017. All other entries will be accepted beginning Dec. 8, 2017. Qualified anglers can register by calling 270.252.1000 or online at FLWFishing.com.
Complete rules for the 2018 FLW Tour can be found at FLWFishing.com.
2018 Payouts:
FLW Tour Qualifiers:
Place Pro Ranger Cup Co-angler Ranger Cup
1 $100,000 $25,000 $20,000 $5,000
2 30,000 7,500
3 25,000 5,000
4 20,000 4,000
5 19,000 3,000
6 18,000 2,500
7 17,000 2,000
8 16,000 1,800
9 15,000 1,700
10 14,000 1,600
11-20 12,000 1,500
21-50 10,000 1,000
Big Bass – Day 1 500 250
Big Bass – Day 2 500 250
Angler of the Year:
$100,000 + 2019 Forrest Wood Cup entry
Co-angler of the Year:
Place
1 Ranger Z518C with 200 HP outboard
2 $10,000
3 9,000
4 8,000
5 7,000
6 6,000
7 5,500
8 5,000
9 4,500
10 4,000
Forrest Wood Cup:
Place Pro
1 $300,000 + 2019 Forrest Wood Cup entry
2 60,000
3 50,000
4 37,500
5 30,000
6 24,000
7 23,000
8 22,000
9 21,000
10 20,000
11-20 15,000
21-56 10,000
For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow us on Facebook at Facebook.com/FLWFishingand on Twitter at Twitter.com/FLWFishing.
LSU-SHREVEPORT WINS YETI FLW COLLEGE FISHING TOURNAMENT ON RED RIVER
BOSSIER CITY, La. (Sept. 25, 2017) – The Louisiana State University-Shreveport duo of Harrison Hopkins of Bossier City, and Ryan Antee, of Hosston, Louisiana, won the YETI FLW College Fishing Southern Conference tournament at the Red River presented by Bass Pro Shops Saturday with a five-bass limit weighing 11 pounds, 7 ounces. The victory earned the Shreveport bass club $2,000 and the team will now advance to compete at the 2018 FLW College Fishing National Championship, which will also be hosted on the Red River, May 30-June 2.
The duo said that they stayed in Pool No. 5 of the river, fishing the entire day within 100 to 200 yards of the launch site at the Red River South Marina in Bossier City.
“The Red River is basically our backyard,” said Hopkins, a sophomore majoring in business. “We fish there all the time. Practice was really key for us in this tournament. We found our fish on Wednesday and left them alone until the morning of the tournament. Luckily, they were still there.
“We started out throwing black buzzbaits in 3 to 4 feet of water through stump fields,” Hopkins continued. “We caught our biggest kicker bass in the morning, then once the sun came up the buzzbait bite shut down. We spent the rest of the day flipping stumps and laydowns.”
The Shreveport club said that their flipping bait of choice was a black and red-colored Texas-rigged Zoom Speed Craw.
“Even though we won, it was still a bit of a struggle,” Hopkins went on to say. “We lost a few fish that would have put us around 15 pounds, and we definitely didn’t think that 11½ pounds would be enough to win. I’m glad that we had the outcome that we did.”
The top 10 teams that advanced to the 2018 College Fishing National Championship are:
1st: Louisiana State University-Shreveport – Harrison Hopkins, Bossier City, La., and Ryan Antee, Hosston, La., five bass, 11-7, $2,000
2nd: University of Texas-Tyler – James Shamburger and Cameron Bradbury, both of Tyler, Texas, five bass, 11-2, $1,000
3rd: Oklahoma State University – Bates Enmeier, Enid, Okla., and Dexter Flick, Stillwater, Okla., five bass, 11-1, $900
4th: Oklahoma State University – Kobe Payton, Pauls Valley, Okla., and Blaise Weimer, of Grapevine, Texas, five bass, 10-8, $500
5th: Texas A&M University – Connor Whisenant, The Woodlands, Texas, and Carter Henderson, Tyler, Texas, five bass, 10-0, $500
6th: Northeastern State University – Tyler Winn and Ethan Burris, both of Tahlequah, Okla., five bass, 10-0
7th: Louisiana Tech University – Scott McClellan, Leesville, La., and Adam Forester, Pineville, La., five bass, 9-14
8th: Northwestern State University – Hunter Malmay, Zwolle, La., and Robert Jones, Minden, La., five bass, 9-12
9th: University of Louisiana-Monroe – Koby Dortch, Clarks, La., and Hogan Beckley, Grayson, La., five bass, 9-6
10th: Sam Houston State University – Jackson Carrell, Anderson, Texas, and Kyle Pasket, Tomball, Texas, five bass, 9-4
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
This YETI FLW College Fishing Southern Conference event at the Red River was hosted by the Shreveport-Bossier Sports Commission and was the second of three regular-season qualifying tournament for Southern Conference anglers in 2017. The third and final YETI FLW College Fishing event for Southern Conference anglers is scheduled for Oct. 14 at Fort Gibson Lake in Wagoner, Oklahoma.
YETI FLW College Fishing teams compete in three regular-season qualifying tournaments in one of five conferences – Central, Northern, Southern, Southeastern and Western. The top ten teams from each division’s three regular-season tournaments, along with an additional qualifier for every 10 teams over 100 that compete, along with the top 20 teams from the annual YETI FLW College Fishing Open advance to the 2018 FLW College Fishing National Championship on the Red River, hosted by the Shreveport-Bossier Sports Commission & Red River Waterway Commission.
College Fishing is free to enter. All participants must be registered, full-time students at a college, university or community college and members of a college fishing club that is recognized by their school.
For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow College Fishing on Facebook at Facebook.com/FLWFishing and on Twitter at Twitter.com/FLWFishing. Visit FLWFishing.com to sign up or to start a club at your school.
"Sweet Home Alabama" - Why the "Bama" Boys are so Dang Good!
Drivers traveling to Alabama are greeted by a sign at the state line that reads, “Welcome to Sweet Home Alabama.” There is great meaning behind the sign and the reference to the Lynyrd Skynyrd song Sweet Home Alabama. This song has long been the anthem of many Alabamians. 
Numerous people travel to the state for various reasons, and in recent years anglers have moved to Alabama to sharpen their fishing skills on some of the best lakes in the country. Consequently, they are now learning what some of the home-grown anglers have known for years… Alabama is home to some really sweet fishing.
The major tournament trails are stacked with great anglers. Many of this year’s strong rookie class in both the Elites Series and FLW Tour have honed their skills in Alabama. Three of the top four anglers in Bassmaster Rookie of the Year (ROY) standings have Alabama listed as their home state. The Elite Series ROY Dustin Connell along with FLW ROY Bradley Dortch both are Alabama natives.
Nineteen anglers in the Elite series have Alabama listed as their home state, more than any other state in the field. Last year’s Bassmaster Classic Champion, Jordan Lee is from Alabama. The 2017 FLW Cup Champion, Justin Atkins lists Alabama as his home.
This brings to question why is Alabama sweet home to so many anglers?
Kay Donaldson, Program Director of the Alabama Bass Tournament Trail (ABT), which hosts tournaments all over the state, says the key to good fishing is “Alabama has very mineral rich resources” like the Tennessee River, the Alabama River and the Coosa River chain. The Tennessee River supplies North Alabama with 4 amazing lakes: Guntersville, Wheeler, Wilson and Pickwick. The Alabama River is an additional resource that runs just north of Montgomery south and empties into the Mobile Delta. The Coosa River system is well-known for its spotted bass fishing. “Our lakes are well managed.” The Department of Conservation, Tennessee Valley Authority and other organizations conduct numerous studies to look at the quality of the fishery which helps set creel limits to be satisfactory to what the lakes can produce. “Overall we have a lot of people interested in the health of the lakes.”
Elite Rookie Jessie Wiggins from Cullman, Alabama says the fishing in Alabama is just so diverse between the Coosa River, the Tennessee River and the highland impoundments such as Smith Lake. Jessie has fished all his life. Fishing is a big deal in Alabama. “That’s what we do on the weekends and we can fish year-round.” Bass fishing is so competitive in Alabama. Alabama is home to a lot of great anglers “you grow up and have to whack them from a young age if you want to win.” One of the keys to Wiggins success is spending as much time fishing as he can on all the lakes in Alabama. He and his brother, Jordan, won the 2016 ABT North Angler of the Year. Fishing the ABT opened Wiggins’ eyes to other lakes in Alabama like the Tennessee River, Neely Henry, Wise Lake and Logan Martin. To be competitive in Alabama “you have to do different things; you can’t just throw the same bait the whole time. My main focus since I fished my first tournament at five years old was to win. I realize you can’t win every time you go out, but every time out I want to win. I put just as much pressure on myself at the Thursday night jack pot tournament at Smith Lake as I do on the Elite Series events.”
This brings another question to mind… Does Alabama help you prepare to fish at the next Level?
Many current pros have moved from other areas of the country to Alabama. Being centrally located in the southeast was one of the reasons former FLW and Current Elite Pro, Justin Lucas chose to move to Alabama from northern California in 2010. The fishing reminded him of what it was like in northern California. “In a couple hours’ drive you have many different types of fisheries.” Another factor for Lucas were rivers with current that pulled water every day like the Tennessee River. Lucas knew it was important to learn how to fish these waters in order to be more successful as a fisherman. Living in Alabama has helped him be closer to the tournaments and has given him more opportunities to be with family instead of having to drive all the way back to California.
Anglers wanting to be successful at the next level must learn to adjust to challenging lakes and conditions. Alabama waters offer anglers varying opportunities from learning to read electronics to locate deep underwater structure in lakes that were flooded in the 1900’s and 1950’s to fishing shallow stump flats. At the same time, anglers have to learn how fish react to generation schedules and why they hang out in eel grass, hydrilla and millfold. “You can sit in one spot at Pickwick at any given time and catch a 30lb catfish, a 6lb smallmouth, a 7lb largemouth and a bunch of brim within 25 casts. It’s kind of like being a baseball player; you are not going to get any better if you don’t practice. There is no other place where someone can drive within two hours and be more diversified than the state of Alabama” said Donaldson.
When you fish a tournament in Alabama there is one guy on each lake who is the best angler on that particular lake every time you fish. “You’re competing against the best in the Southeast,” Donaldson said. This helps anglers who fish in Alabama move on to the next level because not only do they gain tournament experience, but they gain confidence fishing against some of the best.
Dustin Connell, Elite Series rookie from Clanton, Alabama, not only won the 2017 ROY but also won the Elite Series event at Ross Barnett in his rookie season. He says, “Alabama fishermen have a variety of places they can go and learn.” Connell who lives just twelve miles from Lake Mitchell and Lake Jordan and really close to the Alabama River says, “I can go and fish any technique I want just twelve miles from my house.” The guys who have spent time fishing in Alabama “have learned a lot and every place they go they probably have seen that kind of water before.”
Connell says he’s been fishing all over the Southeast and none of those are like Saturday mornings in Alabama. On any given Saturday morning in Alabama “a gas station near a lake is filled with boats” gassing up for a day on the lake; “it doesn’t matter what city you’re in, every station near a lake is filled up. It’s just what we do.”
FLW Tour rookie and 2017 FLW Cup Champion Justin Atkins, has also been tournament fishing since he was a kid in Mississippi. He fished through the college ranks, Costa Series and now calls Florence, Alabama his home. Atkins believes when it comes to
fishing style “Alabama has every availability to do whatever you may do anywhere else in the world. Guys in Alabama are more dialed because of that.” Shallow water river fishing at the Coosa and pitching docks to deep ledge current fishing on the Tennessee River helped him learn how to find and catch more fish and move to the next level because he was more prepared.
Bradley Dortch the 2017 FLW ROY, who grew up in South Alabama says, “Alabama fishing is so good.” Dortch grew up fishing tidal river systems and traveling from his home in Atmore to fish Lake Martin for deep spotted bass. One of his favorite lakes is Lay Lake because the different options it offers: “in one lake you can fish grass, swim a jig, crankbait, top water, brush piles, flip docks or fish the main river coming out of Logan Martin. Dortch said fishing in Alabama has helped him prepare for the next level because “I can pick up a drop shot, spoon in 30-40 feet of water, and I’m just as comfortable in 2 feet of water.”
Bass fishing continues to be great in Alabama. The latest 2016 BAIT Report* (which summarizes the results of 14,778 tournaments in Alabama) states the average bass weight caught has increased by 8% over last year. Harris, Pickwick, Wilson, Eufaula, and Guntersville were the top five big bass lakes in Alabama according to the report.
If you are looking to hone your fishing skills or just have a good time out on the water, Alabama should be on your list to visit. The lakes are home to some of the best fishing in the country, and the weather offers more time for you to get out on the water and maybe even consider making Alabama your home.
http://www.outdooralabama.com/bass-fishing-quality-bait-reports
OKLAHOMA’S REYNOLDS WINS COSTA FLW SERIES SOUTHWESTERN DIVISION FINALE ON LAKE TEXOMA
Oklahoma Angler Takes Home $80,167 including New Ranger Boat
Link to photo of tournament champion Jeff Reynolds
DENISON, Texas (Sept. 23, 2017) – Boater Jeff Reynolds of Calera, Oklahoma, weighed a five-bass limit totaling 15 pounds, 9 ounces Saturday to win the Costa FLW Series Southwestern Division tournament on Lake Texoma presented by Frabill. Reynolds’ three-day total of 15 bass weighing 51 pounds, 9 ounces was enough to earn him $80,167, including a new Ranger Z518C boat with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard.
“I put a lot of work into preparing for this event,” said Reynolds, who earned his first career-victory in FLW Series competition. “The payday means more than anything to me right now. I’m building a house and we have a baby on the way, so any money helps.
“I played the wind a lot this week – it was one of the biggest factors in where I decided to fish,” continued Reynolds. “On Day One it was blowing really hard so I stayed shallow. On Day Two it was a bit lighter so I was able to catch some out deep. On Day Three, it was so calm that all but one came from deep water.”
Reynolds said his most productive bait up shallow was a Heddon Super Spook topwater. He said his shallow areas were primarily on the main lake.
“I focused on flat points and banks with rock, sand and clay,” said Reynolds. “The biggest key was the shad. If I could find shad pushed up on the flats, I knew I could catch them.”
For the deep bite, Reynolds worked through stumps, brush and rock piles with a Texas-rigged green-pumpkin-colored Zoom Trick Worm with a ½-ounce weight.
“I had deeper areas both on the main lake and in pockets,” said Reynolds “Some keepers came as shallow as 10 feet, but most were 20 to 25 feet down.”
The top 10 pros on Lake Texoma finished:
1st: Jeff Reynolds, Calera, Okla., 15 bass, 51-9, $80,167
2nd: Don McFarlin, Gordonville, Texas, 15 bass, 47-1, $13,627
3rd: T.R. Andreas, Kerrville, Texas, 15 bass, 44-6, $10,750
4th: Alton Wilhoit, Noble, Okla., 15 bass, 44-6, $8,892
5th: Kevin Gressett, Tioga, Texas, 15 bass, 43-2, $7,913
6th: Hayden Burkett, Bokchito, Okla., 15 bass, 42-7, $7,033
7th: Jeff Sprague, Point, Texas, 15 bass, 42-7, $6,154
8th: Dicky Newberry, Houston, Texas, 15 bass, 41-7, $5,275
9th: Brandon Mosley, Choctaw, Okla., 15 bass, 40-13, $4,396
10th: Ricci Head, Shawnee, Okla., 11 bass, 37-14, $3,517
A complete list of results will be posted at FLWFishing.com.
Joe Lane of Republic, Missouri, caught a 6-pound, 11-ounce bass Thursday – the biggest of the tournament in the Boater Division. For his catch, Lane earned the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $242.
Dan Wilson of Pilot Point, Texas, won the Co-angler Division, $5,000 and a new Ranger Z175 with a 90-horsepower Evinrude outboard motor. Wilson earned his win with a three-day total catch of 15 bass weighing 37 pounds, 15 ounces.
The top 10 co-anglers on Lake Texoma finished:
1st: Dan Wilson, Pilot Point, Texas, 15 bass, 37-15, $27,200 + $5,000 Ranger Cup Bonus
2nd: Daren Scott, Aledo, Texas, 12 bass, 35-0, $4,588
3rd: Rick Parker, Kaufman, Texas, 14 bass, 31-12, $3,541
4th: J.C. Thompson, Calera, Okla., 11 bass, 27-7, $3,099
5th: Joe Copeland, Roff, Okla., 10 bass, 26-13, $2,656
6th: Andrew Brandstrom, White Bear Lake, Minn., 10 bass, 25-11, $2,263
7th: Chris Weaver, Lawton, Okla., 11 bass, 21-14, $1,771
8th: Chad Witten, Elgin, Okla., 10 bass, 21-2, $1,549
9th: Hugh Rose, Davis, Okla., nine bass, 20-15, $1,328
10th: Bruce Jones, Arlington, Texas, eight bass, 20-2, $1,107
Chris Jeffery caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the Co-angler Division Thursday – a fish weighing 6 pounds, 7 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $161.
The Costa FLW Series on Lake Texoma presented by Frabill was hosted by the Denison Area Chamber of Commerce. It was the third and final Southwestern Division tournament of the 2017 season. The next Costa FLW Series event will be a Western Division tournament, held Sept. 28-30 on Clear Lake in Lakeport, California. For a complete schedule, visit FLWFishing.com.
The Costa FLW Series consists of five U.S. divisions – Central, Northern, Southeastern, Southwestern and Western. Each division consists of three tournaments with competitors vying for valuable points that could earn them the opportunity to fish in the Costa FLW Series Championship. The 2017 Costa FLW Series Championship is being held Nov. 2-4 on Kentucky Lake in Paris, Tennessee, and is hosted by the Henry County Tourism Authority.
For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Costa FLW Series on Facebook at Facebook.com/FLWFishing and on Twitter at Twitter.com/FLWFishing.
Jeff Reynolds Jumps from 10th to 1st Heading into Championship Saturday
September 22, 2017
by David A. Brown - FLW Outdoors
A diverse game plan blessed with a late-day kicker yielded a limit catch of 19 pounds, 4 ounces to move Jeff Reynolds from 10th place into first with 36 even on day two of the Costa FLW Series Southwestern Division event presented by Frabill on Lake Texoma.
“I was able to fish some more of my stuff more today,” Reynolds says. “I have a couple places that have them in there pretty good and I had probably 16 pounds early this morning and I caught a lot of them out of one area.”
Reynolds says he fished shallow and deep – from zero to 25 feet. Playing the day’s conditions was intrinsic to his success. Contrasting yesterday’s sunny, windy conditions, day two brought mostly cloudy skies through noon, less wind and slightly cooler temperatures.
“I think the biggest difference today was the cloudy conditions,” Reynolds says. “For some of the stuff I’m doing, I need the sun. I really feel like I can catch the big ones if I get sun because of the way the shad work (rise to the surface). But, this morning when it was cloudy, I caught them pretty good too.”
Reynolds threw topwaters during the morning and he approached other scenarios with a Carolina rig, Texas-rigged worms and shaky heads. No one bait dominated his day, so he kept rotating to keep a fresh look in front of the fish.
“I’m really running spots, not as much a pattern. It’s all according to what the wind and the sun are doing," says Reynolds. "When it was cloudy, I’d fish shallow and when the sun was out, I’d go out deep and fish brush piles.”
Securing a good limit early afforded him the confidence to go big-fish hunting.
“When I had the 16 pounds early, I knew I had enough to make the cut,” Reynolds says. “So I laid off a lot of my stuff that I knew I could catch them on. On this lake, when you’re trying to catch a 4- or 5-pounder, you can catch them out of 2 feet of water or 20 feet of water. So, I really just went fishing the majority of the day and I got lucky and caught a big one (5-13) right there at the end.”
Top 10 pros
1. Jeff Reynolds – Calera, Okla. – 36-0 (10)
2. T.R. Andreas – Kerrville, Texas – 33-7 (10)
3. Alton Wilhoit – Noble, Okla. – 32-12 (10)
4. Hayden Burkett – Bokchito, Okla. – 32-4 (10)
5. Kevin Gressett – Tioga, Texas – 30-7 (10)
6. Dicky Newberry – Houston, Texas – 30-3 (10)
7. Jeff Sprague – Point, Texas – 29-15 (10)
8. Don McFarlin – Gordonville, Texas – 29-14 (10)
9. Brandon Mosley – Choctaw, Okla. – 29-3 (10)
10. Ricci Head – Shawnee, Okla. – 29-2 (9)
Scott grinds it out for co-angler lead
He started the morning in 10th place, but after fishing a day he described as more functional than fanciful, Daren Scott, of Aledo, Texas sacked up a limit of 15-8 and rose to first place in the co-angler division with 26-6. His day-two catch was the heaviest of the tournament.
“It was a grind. I only had five keeper bites all day,” says Scott, who fished behind Dylan Hays. “It wasn’t one thing, I caught fish on four different baits. Today was mostly slow baits, yesterday was mostly reaction baits. Today, I fished mostly deep and yesterday was mostly shallow.”
Scott caught his day-two fish mostly on points with scattered brush and isolated rock. His bites were spread throughout the day, but a late rally produced good keepers for him and Hays.
“I caught my first fish on my fifth cast, but I didn’t have my limit until 2:15,” Scott says.
Powroznik Earns Fourth Straight Classic Berth As Last Man Standing At Pokegama Lake
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Billy Cline Leads Texoma FLW Costa Event with over 19 pounds!
by David A. Brown - FLW Outdoors
Conventional wisdom tells us that finding the food means finding the bass, especially when fall’s approach signals the need to feed. Texas pro Billy Cline followed that logic, only with a subtle twist, and sacked up a Lake Texoma limit of 19 pounds, 4 ounces to lead day one of the Costa FLW Series Southwestern Division event presented by Frabill.
Like most, Cline was mindful of the large schools of shad roaming around the lake. However, his success hinged more on quality than quantity.
“There were some big wads of bait in the area, but we found the bigger fish weren’t really around the big schools," says Cline. "They were chasing the isolated gizzard shad.”
Cline describes his day as “junk fishing,” in which he looked for isolated shallow-water targets on and around main-lake points and rotated through topwaters, crankbaits and shaky heads. Fortunately, his day got off to a quick start.
“I caught all my fish by about 9:15 a.m.,” says Cline. “I only caught one keeper after that, but it didn’t help me. I caught my first keeper around 7:30 and then I didn’t catch another one until 8:45. So between 8:45 and 9:15, I caught the rest of my weight.”
Cline attributes that early lull to a pair of competitors who sandwiched him on his first spot. When the fishing pressure shut down that spot, Cline ran to a spot he’d intended to save for day two and ended up filling his limit there.
Top 10 pros
1. Billy Cline – Grapevine, Texas – 19-4 (5)
2. Russell Cecil – Willis, Texas – 18-2 (5)
3. T.R. Andreas – Kerrville, Texas – 18-0 (5)
3. Brian Clark – Haltom City, Texas – 18-0 (5)
5. Alton Wilhoit – Noble, Okla. – 17-13 (5)
6. Brady Winans – Caddo Mills, Texas – 17-12 (5)
7. Christopher Digino – Dallas, Texas – 16-15 (5)
7. Don McFarlin – Gordonville, Texas – 16-15 (5)
9. Brandon Mosley – Choctaw, Okla. – 16-14 (5)
10. Jeff Reynolds – Calera, Okla. – 16-12 (5)
Local knowledge lands Wilson atop co-angler field
Typically, co-anglers fish what their pro partners choose, but when Dan Wilson had the opportunity to point the way, he did not hesitate to leverage his intimate knowledge of Texoma to select productive waters that yielded a leading limit of 13-7.
“The guy that I fished with was a nice guy and he knew I lived here, so he asked ‘do you have some places?’,” Wilson says. “That really made a difference and we both caught fish.”
Frequent moves were the cornerstone of Wilson’s plan, as he and pro Jerod Hawkes hopped around to several spots. Brush, rocks and docks comprised the targets that accounted for all of Wilson’s weight.
“I’d say we probably caught our better fish off the rocks with the wind on them,” Wilson says. “Squarebill crankbaits produced all of my fish.”
Top 10 co-anglers
1. Dan Wilson – Pilot Point, Texas – 13-7 (5)
2. Jim Zaleski – Parsons, Kan. – 13-1 (4)
3. Brian Pierce – Colorado Springs, Colo. – 12-7 (5)
4. Joe Copeland – Roff, Okla. – 12-6 (5)
5. Cedric Jackson – Sicily Island, La. – 12-5 (4)
6. Melinda Hays – Sheridan, Ark. – 11-10 (5)
7. Rick Parker – Kaufman, Texas – 11-4 (5)
8. Fred Fielder – Vian, Okla. – 11-1 (5)
9. Chad Witten – Elgin, Okla. – 10-15 (5)
10. Daren Scott – Aledo, Texas – 10-14 (5)
And Then There Were Two.......Monroe, Powroznik Win Bracket Matches, Will Battle For Berth In Bassmaster Classic
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Raymarine Axiom Software Update 9.21.17
New LightHouse 3.2 Offers Additional Enhancements
WILSONVILLE, OR (September 21, 2017) - One of the best ways to get the most out of any marine electronics is to update software when it becomes available. Make this a habit and you’re sure to stay on the cutting edge—all without any additional investment.
For boaters and anglers using Raymarine Axiom units, the new LightHouse 3.2 operating software update provides numerous enhancements and an even more intuitive, seamless, and fluid user experience.
Installing the new update is simple via wireless network or PC. For updating via wireless network, simply connect your Axiom to your home Wi-Fi or your phone’s mobile hotspot. Yes, you can actually update your Axiom software while you’re on the water! You can also download Lighthouse 3.2 via Raymarine’s website here.
Lighthouse 3.2 enhancements include:
- Navionics Dock-to-Dock Autorouting, SonarChart Live, and advanced charting options
- C-MAP Chart support including Easy Routing, Active Captain, high-resolution bathymetry and sport fishing data
- 1-touch “Autoroute to Here” navigation with both C-MAP and Navionics charts
- Wireless HD Display streaming to external monitors and HDTVs using Miracast HDMI over Wi-Fi
- Remote control of both Fusion and Rockford Fosgate entertainment system using NMEA2000
- Expanded waypoint viewing options, color palettes, and transducer calibration options in RealVision 3D sonar
- Expanded support for upgrades of attached network devices and accessories
LightHouse 3.2 includes all features added in version 3.196, including:
3D Sonar GPS Track Mode: This is the new default operating mode for RealVision 3D. The 3D image responds in real-time to inputs from its internal gyro-stabilization, plus the GPS system. When you turn, you’ll see the 3D image turn as well. When you speed up, it matches your speed. When you stop, it stops. As you make multiple passes around the same area the 3D image continuously updates and gets larger. Adjacent passes are stitched together into a comprehensive view of the bottom, structure and water column. Fish and bait that were in one location on pass one and shown in their new location in pass two, three, four, etc. Depending on the depth where you are fishing, the system can display 10 minutes (or more) of prior history. Deeper water gives you more time.
Sonar Scroll Back: You can now pause and rewind any sonar channel on the system. If you’re looking at more than one sonar channel simultaneously, pausing one pauses them all and when rewound, they all rewind together. This lets you go back and take a second look, add waypoints, etc.
Historical Sonar Sensitivity: If you adjust any of the sonar sensitivity settings (gain, filtering, etc.), it not only applies to new data coming in, but also to all of that prior scroll-back history, too. For example, you might increase or decrease the surface filter or gain and suddenly see fish in your past history that were previously concealed.
3D Waypoint Placement: You can now touch anywhere on the 3D display and drop a waypoint. There is a mechanism there, too, that allows you to fine-tune that waypoint to get it right on the desired spot.
Wi-Fi connectivity to RayRemote and RayControl Apps for Apple and Android Devices
New SideVision and DownVision Default Settings: Raymarine sonar engineers have re-adjusted the default levels for target intensity and gain on SideVision and DownVision channels. These new settings offer increased clarity and definition without additional user adjustment.
Evolution Autopilot Control Interface
Expanded Support for RMK-10 Wired Keypad
Monroe, Iaconelli, Lefebre, Powroznik Earn Semifinal Berths In Classic Bracket
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Carhartt Countdown to Blastoff - BIG BASS TOUR - Lake Murray
Anglerschannel.com's John Byrne and Sportsman's Warehouse Fishing Manager CJ Freeman talk Big Bass Tour on Lake Murray, Just over a month since Ranger Boats Pro Justin Atkins took home the FLW Cup from that same body of water. Up for grabs is a brand new Boat, Motor and Trailer package! It only takes one bite to win a boat! Check it out, get signed up and get your catch to the scales!
Classic Bracket Starts Strong On Pokegama Lake
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Combs Talks Elite Season and his AOY Tournament Win
“This was a great way to end the season,” says Keith Combs of his win this past weekend in the Bassmaster Angler of the Year tournament on Mille Lacs Lake.
“I had solid season, but I was never in a position to win. It seemed like everything I found in practice went away once competition began.
“This was the first tournament this year where what I found in practice held up during the tournament.”
“I caught all of my fish on a 1 oz. Strike King jig.”
He fished the same stuff he found last year during the 2016 AOY tourney on Mille Lacs. He just had to fish a little deeper this time. “I found them in 20-to-25 feet of water but in the same areas as last year.”
He had a blast doing it. “Oh my God dude, you can catch 25 pounds in 30 minutes!”
Combs caught nearly 25 pounds both of the first 2 days – bringing in 24-15 each day until he closed with 22-07 in Sunday’s final round.
“Usually you have to catch them on spinning rods. I was catching them on a baitcaster and a flippin’ stick.”
Combs never trailed in the AOY tourney. He piled-up 72 pounds, 5 ounces over 3 days to best James Elam by a pound, 10 ounces. And Elam never weighed-in less than 23 pounds on any day of the event.
Mille Lacs would be worth the trip if that’s how it fishes – and holds up for multiple days.
The tourney’s $25,000 top prize, and bonus money paid-out based on place of finish in the AOY points race will help fund The American Dream for Combs. “We bought some land this year and we want to build on it.”
Author: Vance McCullough
YETI FLW COLLEGE FISHING SOUTHERN CONFERENCE HEADS TO RED RIVER
BOSSIER CITY, La. (Sept. 12, 2017) – YETI FLW College Fishing is heading to the Red River on Sept. 23 for the second of three regular-season stops in the Southern Conference for a tournament presented by Bass Pro Shops. A full field of college fishing clubs will be competing for the top award of a $2,000 club scholarship and a berth into the 2018 College Fishing National Championship, which will also be hosted on the Red River next May.
“The Red River has a lot of grass in it,” said FLW Tour pro Jim Dillard of Monroe, Louisiana. “It’s very unique because there are a number of different jetties, rocks and bends – so many different areas to fish. You can catch fish a number of different ways.”
Dillard suggested that anglers would be throwing standard shallow water river baits, including topwater baits, crankbaits, spinnerbaits and buzzbaits.
“You don’t need to go into the backwaters to catch fish, but some teams still will,” Dillard said. “Teams will be fishing spread out way up and down the river. If the conditions get real tough, some of the finesse fisherman could do real well.”
A five-bass limit weighing 14 to 16 pounds is expected to be enough to take home the win in this Southern Conference tournament.
Anglers will take off from the Red River South Marina, located at 250 Red River South Marina Road, in Bossier City, at 7 a.m. CDT Saturday. Weigh-in will be held at the marina beginning at 3 p.m. Takeoff and weigh-in are free and open to the public.
Schools are allowed to register up until the morning of the tournament. Entries may be made either by phone or at CollegeFishing.com.
Schools registered to compete in the Red River tournament, which is hosted by the Shreveport-Bossier City Sports Commission, include:
Arkansas Tech University – Philip Gottsponer, Morrilton, Ark., and Ethan Stokes, Lee’s Summit, Mo.
Colorado State University-Pueblo – Austin Miles, Durango, Colo., and Tyler Hassler, Fountain, Colo.
Harding University – Cole Swede, Little Rock, Ark., and Ethan Flowers, Dexter, Mo.
Louisiana State University – Jack Thomas, Prairieville, La., and Connor Turner, Albany, La.
Northeastern State University – Conner Schwab, Broken Arrow, Okla., and Kyler Morgan, Muldrow, Okla.
Northwestern State University – John Joseph Ledet, Natchitoches, La., and Dustin Nash, Leesville, La.
Rogers State University – Alex Torkleson, Sand Springs, Okla., and Alec Murphy, Claremore, Okla.
Rogers State University – David Stellfox, Collinsville, Okla., and Kelsey Winnie, Stillwater, Okla.
Rogers State University – Dillon Roberts, Claremore, Okla., and Ty Crutchfield, Inola, Okla.
Rogers State University – Lane McCartney, Catoosa, Okla., and Tyler Hastings, Claremore, Okla.
Southeastern Louisiana University – Lewis Laurent, Watson, La., and Bryce Coleman, Denham Springs, La.
Southern Arkansas University – Warren Basinger and Dalton Keith, both of Magnolia, Ark.
Southern Arkansas University – Cade Coleman, Minden, La., and Douglas Bell, Texarkana, Ark.
Sowela Technical Community College – Conner Chappell, Sulpher, La., and Blake Fontenot, Lake Charles, La.
Sowela Technical Community College – Casey Trosclair and Colby Breaux, both of Sulphur, La.
Sowela Technical Community College – Logan Bruchhaus and Garrett Downs, both of Sulphur, La.
Stephen F. Austin State University – Seth Hausman, Nacogdoches, Texas, and Chance Forrest, Anna, Texas
Stephen F. Austin State University – Garrett Bradford, Lufkin, Texas, and Cody Barchenger, Taylor, Texas
Tarleton State University – Cason Kelly, Stephenville, Texas, and Carson McCone, Crowley, Texas
Tarleton State University – Corbin Bogart, Joshua, Texas, and Spencer Suitt, Cleburne, Texas
Texas A&M University – Bo McGraw, Conroe, Texas, and Evan Cook, La Porte, Texas
The Woodlands College Park – Joe Beebee, The Woodlands, Texas, and Chris Oakes, Conroe, Texas
University of Louisiana at Lafayette – Dakota Moofe, Leesville, La., and Dawson Cranford, Stonewall, La.
University of Oklahoma – Blaine Timonera, Batesville, Ind., and Colton Harper, Spiro, Okla.
FLW College Fishing teams compete in three regular-season qualifying tournaments in one of five conferences – Central, Northern, Southern, Southeastern and Western. The top ten teams from each division’s three regular-season tournaments and the top 20 teams from the annual FLW College Fishing Open will advance to the 2018 FLW College Fishing National Championship on the Red River, May 30 - June 2, hosted by Shreveport-Bossier Sports Commission & Red River Waterway Commission. Additional teams will qualify for the National Championship if the field size in regular-season events exceeds 100 boats.
College Fishing is free to enter. All participants must be registered, full-time students at a college, university or community college and members of a college fishing club that is recognized by their school.
For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow College Fishing on Facebook at Facebook.com/FLWFishing and on Twitter at Twitter.com/FLWFishing. Visit FLWFishing.com to sign up or to start a club at your school.
JOSH BARR WINS T-H MARINE FLW BFL MICHIGAN DIVISION FINALE ON DETROIT RIVER PRESENTED BY NAVIONICS
Milan’s Polenz Takes Co-angler Title
TRENTON, Mich. (Sept. 18, 2017) – Joshua Barr of Stow, Ohio, won the T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Michigan Division tournament on the Detroit River presented by Navionics Sunday with a two-day cumulative catch of 10 bass weighing 49 pounds, 1 ounce. Barr pocketed $7,397 for his win.
“It was really satisfying to come out on top of such a competitive field,” said Barr, who earned his first career win after three prior top-10 finishes on the Detroit River in FLW competition. “I knew that I was on a couple of good schools in practice, but I didn’t realize how big they were. It was a pleasant surprise come tournament time.”
Barr committed each day to making a run south to Lake Erie.
“I live in the Cleveland area, so I was spending a lot of time around the Ohio and Pelee Islands,” said Barr. “I was fishing the typical off-shore Lake Erie isolated rock piles. I caught most of my fish on Day One with a drop-shot rig. On Day Two, all of my quality fish came on a tube.”
Barr said that he fished a perch-colored fluke-style bait on his drop-shot rig Saturday, but opted for a standard 3½-inch green pumpkin tube on Sunday.
“I don’t think the color really mattered,” Barr said. “My co-angler and I both caught 6-pounders on a tube and he had a different color.”
Barr estimated that he caught 10 to 15 smallmouth on Day One and around 20 on Day Two.
“Finding the right schools meant everything,” Barr went on to say. “When I would idle over the rocks, I couldn’t see them very well on my electronics. I’m not sure if my motor was spooking them, but when I would turn it off and drift over them my graphs would light up.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
1st: Joshua Barr, Stow, Ohio, 10 bass, 49-1, $5,397 + $2,000 Ranger Cup Bonus
2nd: Jared Rhode, Port Clinton, Ohio, 10 bass, 47-3, $2,598
3rd: Michael Sitko, Pinckney, Mich., 10 bass, 46-4, $1,833
4th: Scott Dobson, Clarkston, Mich., 10 bass, 45-12, $1,513
5th: Jamie Jacobus, Johnstown, Ohio, 10 bass, 44-2, $1,039
6th: Kyle Greene, Ortonville, Mich., 10 bass, 43-15, $953
7th: Pat Upthagrove, Monroe, Mich., 10 bass, 41-5, $866
8th: Aaron Stumpf, Johnstown, Ohio, 10 bass, 40-7, $780
9th: Mike Cunningham, Fenton, Mich., 10 bass, 40-4, $693
10th: Eric Cook, Marblehead, Ohio, 10 bass, 40-1, $606
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Charles Mackintosh of Brighton, Michigan, caught a bass weighing 6 pounds, 1 ounce – the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division. The catch earned him the Boater Big Bass award of $652.
Gary Polenz of Milan, Michigan, caught a two-day total of 10 bass weighing 43 pounds, 7 ounces, to win the Co-angler Division and $2,669.
The top 10 co-anglers were:
1st: Gary Polenz, Milan, Mich., 10 bass, 43-7, $2,669
2nd: Tony Mitchell, Plainwell, Mich., 10 bass, 42-2, $1,284
3rd: Cody Bertrand, Dyer, Ind., 10 bass, 41-12, $858
4th: Aaron Stahley, Batavia, Ohio, 10 bass, 39-3, $649
5th: Christopher Slone, Shelby Township, Mich., 10 bass, 39-1, $514
6th: Steve Pinkerton, Anderson, Ind., 10 bass, 38-9, $471
7th: Justin Sawyer, Dearborn Heights, Mich., 10 bass, 38-3, $750
8th: Erik Jacques. Harrison Township, Mich., 10 bass, 38-0, $385
9th: Mike Eldridge, Blacklick, Pa., 10 bass, 36-7, $342
10th: Kenneth Johnson, Canton, Mich., 10 bass, 35-2, $300
Sawyer caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division – a fish weighing 5 pounds, 15 ounces – and earned the Co-angler Big Bass award of $322.
The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the region based on point standings, along with the five winners in each qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 12-14 BFL Regional Championship on the Barren River in Scottsville, Kentucky. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard and $20,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard.
The 2017 BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American. Top performers in the BFL can move up to the Costa FLW Series or even the FLW Tour.
For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the BFL on Facebook at Facebook.com/FLWFishing and on Twitter at Twitter.com/FLWFishing.
T.J. McMeniman Joins Costa as Vice President of Marketing
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Sept. 19, 2017) -- Costa Del Mar, manufacturer of premium polarized sunglasses for life on and off the water, announced today that T.J. McMeniman has joined as the brand’s new vice president of marketing. An experienced marketer, athlete, and leader, McMeniman will spearhead all of Costa’s strategic global brand initiatives across channels and categories, including sunglasses and apparel.
“T.J. brings exceptional leadership strength to our team, which has been refined throughout his life and career,” said Holly Rush, Costa’s CEO. “He has a wealth of experience for us to draw from at this important stage of our growth - he knows what it means to develop an iconic brand, protect the core of the business and foster growth with new consumers and in new markets. All of which is crucial for us at Costa.”
McMeniman joins Costa from Bauer Hockey, where he led global marketing for eight years, helping to restore their position as the leader in the performance sport category.
"I am excited to join the Costa team and have the chance to lead a brand with such a rich heritage and loyal following. Costa is not just committed to making great products that our consumers are extremely passionate about – it’s also a brand built on a strong set of beliefs and purpose. It’s one thing to provide best in class technology, but it’s another to relentlessly strive to help protect our ocean’s and waterways with initiatives like OCEARCH and Kick Plastic.”
Previous to Bauer, McMeniman led marketing for the iconic brand Sweet Baby Ray’s, and with Kraft Foods. He is a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point and served five years in the U.S. Army, rising to Captain before beginning his business and marketing career.
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About Costa: As the leading manufacturer of the world's clearest polarized performance sunglasses, Costa offers superior lens technology and unparalleled fit and durability. Still handcrafted today in Florida, Costa has created the highest quality, best performing sunglasses and prescription sunglasses (Rx) for outdoor enthusiasts since 1983.
Born on the water, Costa works hard to protect the ocean it calls home. Through programs like its Kick Plastic campaign, where the brand seeks to raise awareness about the growing plastic pollution problem threatening oceans worldwide, to serving as a long-term partner to shark research organizations like OCEARCH, Costa encourages people to help protect the Earth’s natural resources in any way they can.
Find out more on Costa’s website and join the conversation on Facebook , Instagram or on Twitter at @CostaSunglasses
MURFREESBORO’S SIMERI WINS T-H MARINE FLW BFL MUSIC CITY DIVISION FINALE ON OLD HICKORY LAKE
Monroe’s Puckett Takes Co-angler Title
GALLATIN, Tenn. (Sept. 18, 2017) – Rocco Simeri of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, won the T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Music City Division event on Old Hickory Lake Sunday with a two-day cumulative catch of eight bass weighing 22 pounds, 8 ounces. For his win, Simeri took home $6,731.
“I probably hit 10 to 15 areas each day of the tournament,” said Simeri, who earned first career-victory in FLW competition. “It was kind of a one-two punch of upper end- and mid-lake-fish, but I stayed mid-lake Sunday. I only had eight keepers all weekend, but still felt lucky. A lot of the anglers only brought in a couple each day.
“I primarily fished secondary creek points,” continued Simeri. “They were basically prespawn or postspawn staging areas. The fish and shad were pulled out due to receding water. My boat sat in 12 feet of water and I casted into spots that were 5 to 7 feet down.”
Simeri said his primary lure was a 5/6-ounce Texas Craw-colored Jewel Bait Finesse Jig with a Watermelon Red-colored Zoom Z Craw Jr. trailer.
“I fished it slow with some short hops,” said Simeri. “I made long casts to the bank and then brought it halfway back to the boat.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
1st: Rocco Simeri, Murfreesboro, Tenn., eight bass, 22-8, $4,731 + $2,000 Ranger Cup Bonus
2nd: Hunter Bouldin, McMinnville, Tenn., 10 bass, 19-1, $2,365
3rd: Brandon Edel, Hendersonville, Tenn., 10 bass, 17-11, $1,511
4th: Adam Wagner, Cookeville, Tenn., 10 bass, 17-2, $1,057
5th: Clark Cowley, Lebanon, Tenn., nine bass, 16-9, $906
6th: John Graves, Mount Juliet, Tenn., seven bass, 14-11, $831
7th: Tony Eckler, Lebanon, Tenn., seven bass, 13-15, $1,272
8th: Josh Tramel, Smithville, Tenn., eight bass, 13-7, $680
9th: Jack Poindexter, Livingston, Tenn., seven bass, 12-4, $604
10th: Mickey Beck, Lebanon, Tenn., six bass, 11-1, $529
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Eckler caught a bass weighing 6 pounds, 13 ounces – the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division. The catch earned him the Boater Big Bass award of $517.
Travis Puckett of Monroe, Tennessee, caught a two-day total of six bass weighing 10 pounds, 4 ounces, to win the Co-angler Division and $2,266.
The top 10 co-anglers were:
1st: Travis Puckett, Monroe, Tenn., six bass, 10-4, $2,266
2nd: Robert Russell, Smyrna, Tenn., six bass, 10-3, $1,233
3rd: John Wilkerson, Nashville, Tenn., six bass, 8-5, $805
4th: Brandon Taylor, Russellville, Ky., three bass, 5-4, $529
5th: Sterling Brenneis, Goodlettsville, Tenn., three bass, 5-1, $453
6th: Ron Poland, Murfreesboro, Tenn., two bass, 5-0, $415
7th: Charles Bennington, Scottsville, Ky., five bass, 4-15, $378
8th: Richard Walker, Franklin, Tenn., two bass, 4-7, $340
9th: Todd Knois, Shelbyville, Tenn., two bass, 4-1, $302
10th: Edward Lovely, Manchester, Tenn., two bass, 3-10, $264
Joey Myers of Gallatin, Tennessee, caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division – a fish weighing 3 pounds, 10 ounces – and earned the Co-angler Big Bass award of $259.
The T-H Marine FLW BFL Music City Division tournament on Old Hickory Lake was hosted by the Sumner County Convention & Visitors Bureau.
The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the region based on point standings, along with the five winners in each qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 12-14 BFL Regional Championship on Wheeler Lake in Decatur, Alabama. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard and $20,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard.
The 2017 BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American. Top performers in the BFL can move up to the Costa FLW Series or even the FLW Tour.
For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the BFL on Facebook at Facebook.com/FLWFishing and on Twitter at Twitter.com/FLWFishing.
MOUNT VERNON’S MULLINS WINS T-H MARINE FLW BFL ILLINI DIVISION FINALE ON REND LAKE
Paris’ Eslinger Grabs Co-angler Title
WHITTINGTON, Ill. (Sept. 18, 2017) – Greg Mullins of Mount Vernon, Illinois, won the T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Illini Division tournament on Rend Lake Sunday with a two-day cumulative catch of 10 bass weighing 28 pounds, 10 ounces. Mullins was awarded $4,869 for his win.
Mullins said he spent the event fishing four stretches – each 200 to 300 yards long – on the north end of the lake. He said he targeted bass on banks that had a combination of riprap and wood, and was able to catch 13 keepers.
“There weren’t as many bites up there compared to the main lake, but they were good-sized fish,” said Mullins, who logged his first career win as a boater in BFL competition. “I think the fish were up against those hard banks to feed because there were a lot of shad. They weren’t schooling up yet, though.”
Mullins said he used a 3/8-ounce chartreuse and white-colored Z-Man ChatterBait with a green-pumpkin-colored Zoom Super Chunk to catch the majority of his fish. He added that his largest bass Saturday came on a green-pumpkin Zoom Ultravibe Speed Worm.
“I threw the ChatterBait any time I came to a good piece of wood, then flipped the worm to it,” said Mullins. “Most of the fish were in 6 inches of water, while I sat in anywhere from 6 inches to 2½ feet of water. My Crestliner was really key in helping me navigate the shallows.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
1st: Greg Mullins, Mount Vernon, Ill., 10 bass, 28-10, $4,869
2nd: Neil McCord, West Frankfort, Ill., 10 bass, 25-9, $3,219
3rd: Dan Morehead, Paducah, Ky., 10 bass, 24-0, $1,623
4th: Timothy Rivest, Champaign, Ill., eight bass, 21-7, $1,136
5th: Brian Futch, Vienna, Ill., 10 bass, 21-1, $1,074
6th: Marty Sisk, Evansville, Ind., nine bass, 19-15, $893
7th: Mike Barnes, Mackinaw, Ill., 10 bass, 19-9, $1,111
8th: Mike McGill, Findlay, Ill., nine bass, 19-5, $730
9th: Toby Corn, Calvert City, Ky., 10 bass, 19-4, $649
10th: Jerry Walker, Zeigler, Ill., seven bass, 19-3, $568
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
McCord caught a bass weighing 6 pounds, 3 ounces – the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division. The catch earned him the Boater Big Bass award of $585.
Archie Eslinger of Paris, Illinois, caught a two-day total of nine bass weighing 19 pounds, 11 ounces, to win the Co-angler Division and $2,372.
The top 10 co-anglers were:
1st: Archie Eslinger, Paris, Illinois, nine bass, 19-11, $2,372
2nd: Jim Brown, Coulterville, Ill., six bass, 11-10, $1,186
3rd: Jacob Bovara, Wadsworth, Ill., five bass, 10-14, $1,077
4th: Jeffrey Lee, Olney, Ill., five bass, 10-10, $553
5th: Aaron Arning, Walnut Hill, Ill., four bass, 9-12, $674
6th: Scott Strausbaugh, Hillsboro, Ill., five bass, 9-8, $435
7th: Steve Kehrer, Woodlawn, Ill., five bass, 9-4, $395
8th: Ryan Fancher, Olney, Ill., four bass, 9-3, $406
9th: Phil Santefort, Roberts, Ill., four bass, 8-8, $316
10th: Adam Brookman, Bonnie, Ill., four bass, 8-5, $277
Bovara caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division – a fish weighing 3 pounds, 14 ounces – and earned the Co-angler Big Bass award of $285.
The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the region based on point standings, along with the five winners in each qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 5-7 BFL Regional Championship on Kentucky Lake in Gilbertsville, Kentucky. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard and $20,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard.
The 2017 BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American. Top performers in the BFL can move up to the Costa FLW Series or even the FLW Tour.
For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the BFL on Facebook at Facebook.com/FLWFishing and on Twitter at Twitter.com/FLWFishing.
JAYME RAMPEY WINS T-H MARINE FLW BFL SAVANNAH RIVER DIVISION FINALE ON LAKE HARTWELL
Missouri’s Govreau Nabs Co-angler Title
ANDERSON, S.C. (Sept. 18, 2017) – Jayme Rampey of Liberty, South Carolina, won the T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Savannah River Division tournament on Lake Hartwell Sunday with a two-day cumulative catch of 10 bass weighing 26 pounds, 6 ounces. For his win, Rampey pocketed $7,112.
“I caught them from the clear main-lake water to all the way up the Tugaloo River,” said Rampey, who logged his sixth career-win in BFL competition. “I fished fast and shallow along a 30-mile stretch and threw to whatever looked good.”
Rampey said he focused on stumps, wood and docks. He said he ended up weighing eight keepers from a white Zoom Horny Toad, and two from a Buckeye Lures jig with a green-pumpkin-colored Zoom Ultra Vibe Speed Craw trailer.
“There wasn’t really any rhyme or reason to what I was doing,” said Rampey. “The wind and rain from the outskirts of Hurricane Irma had the fish spread out. I don’t think they were adjusted back to normal weather conditions yet.”
Rampey’s two-day total was highlighted by a 6-pound, 4-ouncer, which he caught Saturday on the Horny Toad near a laydown.
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
1st: Jayme Rampey, Liberty, S.C., 10 bass, 26-6, $7,112
2nd: Rob Jordan, Flowery Branch, Ga., 10 bass, 25-6, $3,121
3rd: Brad Fowler, Townville, S.C., 10 bass, 23-12, $2,282
4th: Kerry Partain, Elberton, Ga., 10 bass, 23-11, $1,456
5th: Brad Benfield, Cornelia, Ga., 10 bass, 22-14, $1,248
6th: Joey Nichols, Cumming, Ga., 10 bass, 22-13, $1,444
7th: Franklin Ramey III, Abbeville, S.C., 10 bass, 22-7, $1,140
8th: Taylor Ashley, Warrior, Ala., 10 bass, 22-2, $936
9th: Troy Morrow, Eastanollee, Ga., 10 bass, 21-14, $832
10th: Todd Goade, Suwanee, Ga., 10 bass, 21-1, $728
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Rampey’s 6-pound, 4-ounce bass was the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division and earned him the Big Bass award of $870.
Beau Govreau of Cedar Hill, Missouri, caught a two-day total of 10 bass weighing 20 pounds, 9 ounces, to win the Co-angler Division and $3,121.
The top 10 co-anglers were:
1st: Beau Govreau, Cedar Hill, Mo., 10 bass, 20-9, $3,121
2nd: Darren Jeter, Marshall, N.C., 10 bass, 20-5, $1,660
3rd: Jimmi Leuthner, Tamassee, S.C., 10 bass, 19-8, $1,092
4th: Donnie Davis, Greer, S.C., 10 bass, 19-6, $728
5th: Brandon Brock, Honea Path, S.C., 10 bass, 19-6, $624
6th: Michael Miller, Greenville, S.C., 10 bass, 18-10, $572
7th: Keith Lewis, Franklin, N.C., eight bass, 18-9, $955
8th: Tim Watson, Martin, Ga., eight bass, 17-6, $468
9th: Kevin Landreth, Seneca, S.C., nine bass, 17-6, $416
10th: Mark Denney, Bonaire, Ga., 10 bass, 17-6, $364
Lewis caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division – a fish weighing 4 pounds, 8 ounces – and earned the Co-angler Big Bass award of $435.
The T-H Marine FLW BFL Savannah River Division tournament on Lake Hartwell was hosted by the Anderson Convention and Visitors Bureau.
The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the region based on point standings, along with the five winners in each qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 19-21 BFL Regional Championship on Lake Lanier in Gainesville, Georgia. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard and $20,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard.
The 2017 BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American. Top performers in the BFL can move up to the Costa FLW Series or even the FLW Tour.
For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the BFL on Facebook at Facebook.com/FLWFishing and on Twitter at Twitter.com/FLWFishing.
