Dale Pelfrey of Rockwood, Tennessee won the American Bass Anglers Ram Truck Open Series TN East tournament, held August 20, 2016 on Chickamauga. Running out of Dayton Boat Dock in Dayton, Tennessee, Pelfrey caught five bass weighing 21.63 pounds. He anchored his bag with a 5.73-pound kicker. He took home $5,000 for his victory, $500 from Mercury contingency, $500 from Triton Gold, and a new Simms Challenger rain suit valued at $400.

“I caught a few fish today deep on a worm. I was able to catch a 4-pound with about 19 minutes punching grass which helped get me to my winning weight,” stated Pelfrey.

In second for the Boaters, Jeff Knight of Cleveland, Tennessee landed a five-bass tournament limit weighing 19.61 pounds with an 8.50-pound kicker. He collected $1,377 for his effort as well as $380 for the Big Fish of the event and a new Abu Garcia Revo.

“I used green pumpkin jigs and shackyheads all day to catch my fish. It was a good day, I caught fish all day long. I caught my big fish early today using an Abu Garcia reel.”

Jason Yelverton of Rogersville, Alabama took third for the Boaters with five bass weighing 17.73 pounds earning $620. “I was fishing crash in 8-10 feet of water. I caught some using topwater and some using a jig. I caught most of my fish this morning, they were scattered out,” said Yelverton.

Finishing fourth, Steve Barnes of Harrison, Tennessee landed a five-bass limit weighing 17.38 pounds.

Thomas Helton rounded out the top five Boaters with five bass weighing 15.16 pounds, topped by a 4.02-pound kicker.

In the Co-Angler Division, David Perron of Dayton, Tennessee won with three bass weighing 13.85 pounds. He sealed his victory with a 7.25-pound kicker to pocket a check for $1,350 as well as $185 and is also taking home a Simms Challenger rainsuit.

“I probably caught ten keepers all day. I threw a little bit of everything from a chatterbait to a swimbait. I caught the big fish today on a 1.5 squarebill right at the boat,” said Perron.

Taking second for the Co-Anglers, Triston Crowder of Lawrenceburg, Tennessee brought in a three-bass limit weighing 8.54 pounds topped off by a 3.36-pound kicker collecting $465 for the effort. “I caught my fish today using a 3/8 flipping jig targeting wood. It was a grind, I caught a one fish here and one fish there to get my limit,” stated Crowder.

Daniel Crockett placed third among the Co-Anglers with three bass weighing 6.95 pounds to earn $310. “It was a tough day, I didn’t have a keeper in the boat until 2 o’clock. I started flipping an Okeechobee Crawl color beaver into the grass and was able to catch my three keepers,” Crockett said.

In fourth place among the Co-Anglers, Roy Yother of Red Bank, Tennessee brought in three bass weighing 6.47 pounds.

Jared Sullivan of Hixson, Tennessee finished in fifth place with two bass weighing 6.43 pounds.

Slated for October 1-2, the next divisional tournament will be held on Lake Guntersville out of Guntersville State Park in Guntersville, Alabama. At the end of the season, the best anglers from across the nation advance the 2017 Ray Scott Championship, slated for Old Hickory Lake in Hendersonville, TN in April of 2017.

For more information on this tournament, call Kristin  Malott, tournament manager, at (256)771-3709 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.