The FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Savannah River Division tournament of 2016 on Clarks Hill Lake happened this past Saturday. The winner of the tournament was Charles Story of Evans, Georgia. He weighed a five-bass limit totaling 25 pounds, 4 ounces. For his win he received $6,244.
Story said he targeted rocks in shallow, stained water in three areas along the Savannah River.
“The larger fish were starting to move up to the beds,” said Story, who earned his first win in BFL competition. “They were only in certain creeks, though, so I had to cover a lot of water to dial in on them.”
Story said he used three different crankbaits throughout the day, but only divulged that he threw a Bill Lewis Rat-L-Trap. He said he split his time fairly evenly between each lure, but saved the Rat-L-Trap for the shallowest water.
“The key for me was covering long stretches of bank,” said Story. “I was able to get a limit in the boat fairly quickly but had to wait for the sun to come up in the afternoon to catch the big ones up shallow. All I had to do was keep moving.”
The Georgia angler went on to say that he caught around 15 keepers over the course of the one-day tournament.
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
1st: Charles Story, Evans, Ga., five bass, 25-4, $4,244 + $2,000 Ranger Cup Bonus
2nd: Marty Quesada Jr., Appling, Ga., five bass, 22-10, $2,422
3rd: Daniel Atkins, Anderson, S.C., five bass, 22-6, $1,413
4th: Robert Walser, Lexington, N.C., five bass, 22-0, $990
5th: Allen Murray, Reidsville, Ga., five bass, 20-1, $849
6th: Chris Nelson, Social Circle, Ga., five bass, 20-0, $778
7th: Josh Masters, Statesboro, Ga., five bass, 19-10, $707
8th: Liam West, Greenville, S.C., five bass, 19-8, $601
8th: Scott Browning, Franklin, N.C., five bass, 19-8, $601
10th: Chris Marshall, Forest City, N.C., five bass, 19-1, $495
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Masters caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the pro division, a fish weighing 7 pounds, 13 ounces and earned the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $600.
Shannon Poore of Walhalla, South Carolina, weighed in five bass totaling 13 pounds, 6 ounces Saturday to earn $2,122 and win the co-angler division.
The top 10 co-anglers were:
1st: Shannon Poore, Walhalla, S.C., five bass, 13-6, $2,122
2nd: Eduardo Pabon, Gainesville, Ga., four bass, 12-15, $1,061
3rd: Ray Pettit, Pacolet, S.C., five bass, 12-14, $542
3rd: Richard Young, Ellenboro, N.C., five bass, 12-14, $542
3rd: Westley Denny, Westminster, S.C., four bass, 12-14, $542
6th: Michael Smith, Piedmont, S.C., five bass, 12-2, $389
7th: Donnie Davis, Greer, S.C., five bass, 11-14, $354
8th: Everette Back, Mountain Rest, S.C., three bass, 11-11, $318
9th: James Akins, Cumming, Ga., five bass, 11-1, $283
10th: Edwin Pabon, Toccoa, Ga., three bass, 11- 0, $248
Barry Myers of Anderson, South Carolina, caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the co-angler division, a fish weighing 6 pounds, 15 ounces and earned the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $300.
The top 50 boaters and 50 co-anglers based on point standings will qualify for the Oct. 6-8 Regional Championship on Kerr Lake in Henderson, North Carolina. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard and $20,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard.
The BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 120 tournaments throughout the season, five in each division. The top 50 boaters and co-anglers from each division qualify for a regional tournament and 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 winners in the BFL can move up to the Costa FLW Series or even the Walmart 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.