ROGERS, Ark. (April 25, 2015) – Shawn Gordon of Russellville, Arkansas, weighed a five-bass limit on the Walmart FLW Tour stage totaling 18 pounds, 10 ounces Saturday to win the TBF National Championship on Grand Lake with a three-day total of 15 bass weighing 50 pounds, 2 ounces. For his victory, Gordon earned the $100,000 “Living The Dream” prize package and a new Ranger Z518 boat.

“All of the feelings are a lot to take in right now,” said Gordon. “This win means I can fish in the Forrest Wood Cup, which is really special.

“The first two days of the tournament I targeted shallow pockets of the lake. I also explored rocks as long as they weren’t too deep,” said Gordon. “I found a lot of fish firing along rocky points. I’d focus on those areas for about two hours and then make a run to another one of my four or five spots. After that I’d head down the lake and sight-fish to finish out the day.”

Gordon said he used an unnamed off-white-colored square-bill crankbait in the pockets and along the points, and switched to a green pumpkin-colored YUM Christie Craw for sight-fishing.

Gordon said he followed a similar pattern today, but wasn’t able to sight-fish due to the weather.

“I started in the same pockets and caught one on the crankbait, but ended up losing two. The wind was blowing like crazy where I was targeting so I couldn’t go sight-fishing. Instead I stuck to three flat points next to the creek channel where the bass were pulled up eating shad.”

Gordon said he caught around 23 keepers over the course of the three-day tournament.

“Since I wasn’t able to sight fish on the final day, the key for me was finding those fish along those three points,” Gordon said. “Luckily, they were right where I needed them to be.”

The top seven boaters on Grand Lake were:

        1st:         Shawn Gordon, Russellville, Ark., 15 bass, 50-2, $100,000 Living the Dream package + Ranger Z518 Boat

        2nd:        Sam Heckman, Fountain, Colo., 14 bass, 45-10, $1,500 + BFL All-American Package

        3rd:        Brian LaClair, Denton, Md., 15 bass, 40-9, $1,500 + BFL All-American Package

        4th:        Mark Lundgren, Cocoa, Fla., 12 bass, 36-14, $1,500 + BFL All-American Package

        5th:        Curtis Richardson, Belleville, Ontario, 13 bass, 34-0, $1,500 + BFL All-American Package

        6th:        Nicholas Smyers, Franksville, Wis., 11 bass, 27-4, $1,500 + BFL All-American Package

        7th:        Mark Maderos, Maple Valley, Wash., nine bass, 25-14, $1,500 + BFL All-American Package

Complete results will be posted at BassFederation.com.

Overall there were 25 bass weighing 70 pounds, 10 ounces caught by boaters Saturday. Three of the final seven boaters weighed in five-bass limits.

Gilbert Gagner of Highgate Springs, Vt., won the co-angler championship and “Living The Dream” co-angler prize package, with a three-day total of 15 bass weighing 43 pounds, 4 ounces.

 The top seven co-anglers on Grand Lake were:

        1st:        Gilbert Gagner, Highgate Springs, Vt., 15 bass, 43-4, “Living The Dream” package + $2,500

        2nd:       Wes Logan, Springville,  Ala., 12 bass, 39-11, $750 + BFL All-American Package

        3rd:        Phillip Duracz, Chesterton, Ind., 10 bass, 27-9, $750 + BFL All-American Package

        4th:        Steven Wiseman, Bryans Road, Md., 10 bass, 23-4, $750 + BFL All-American Package

        5th:       Johnny Babb, Holdenville, Okla., 10 bass, 23-3, $750 + BFL All-American Package

        6th:       Will Treadwell, Buford, Ga., 10 bass, 22-11, $750 + BFL All-American Package

        7th:       Brian Merlini, Maple Valley, Wash., eight bass, 19-14, $750 + BFL All-American Package

Overall there were 13 bass weighing 32 pounds, 14 ounces caught by co-anglers Saturday. Only one of the final seven co-anglers weighed in five-bass limits.