Foutz wins co-angler title
Drew Boggs of Lebanon, Tennessee, brought five bass totaling 13 pounds, 12 ounces to the scale Sunday to win the Walmart Bass Fishing League Music City Division Super Tournament on Old Hickory Lake with a two-day total of 10 bass weighing 27 pounds, 2 ounces. For his victory, Boggs earned $4,257.
“I’m very familiar with the lake so I immediately targeted the areas where I’ve been catching them,” said Boggs who earned his second career win and 23rd top-10 finish in FLW competition. “There were a lot of boats around me and everyone was catching fish.”
Boggs said he targeted the backs of two creek arms near the middle section of the lake.
“I had a rough start to day one,” said Boggs. “I was losing fish early but still ended up with 13 pounds. I pitched a green-pumpkin-colored tube to wood and rocks and flipped a black and blue-colored jig to some docks. My pattern was unique because I was using a homemade lead weight on my plastics. It’s pretty innovative and has been a factor in my tournament performances.
“Day two I caught them the same way but was able to get a little more weight,” continued Boggs. “I was executing well and putting fish in the boat. The bite was tougher and the weights being brought in reflected that. It really came down to who had more experience on the water.”
Boggs said he caught approximately 22 keepers during the two-day competition.
“I had good-sized fish both days – they were all 2½ to 3-pounders,” said Boggs. “I didn’t really have any kickers but it ended up working out.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
1st: Drew Boggs, Lebanon, Tenn., 10 bass, 27-2, $4,257
2nd: John Graves, Mount Juliet, Tenn., 10 bass, 22-11, $2,128
3rd: Josh Tramel, Smithville, Tenn., 10 bass, 22-10, $1,420
4th: Robert Reagan, Byrdstown, Tenn., eight bass, 22-6, $993
5th: Dwight Fox, Gainesboro, Tenn., eight bass, 21-6, $851
6th: Tony Eckler, Lebanon, Tenn. eight bass, 20-11, $780
7th: Adam Wagner, Cookeville, Tenn., 10 bass, 20-7, $709
8th: Rus Snyders, Nashville, Tenn., eight bass, 19-14, $639
9th: Anthony Nash, Quebeck, Tenn., nine bass, 19-7, $568
10th: Matt Henry, Milledgeville, Ga., nine bass, 19-6, $497
Fox caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the pro division, a fish weighing 5 pounds even and earned the day’s Big Bass award of $472.
Jacob Foutz of Cleveland, Tennessee, won the co-angler division and $2,129 with a two-day total of eight bass weighing 14 pounds, 14 ounces.
The top 10 co-anglers were:
1st: Jacob Foutz, Cleveland, Tenn., eight bass, 14-14, $2,129
2nd: Kenny Botts, Alvaton, Ky., four bass , 11-11, $1,064
3rd: Rob Bostwick, Hendersonville, Tenn., five bass, 11-7, $709
4th: Scott Ellis, Madison, Tenn., five bass, 9-7, $497
5th: Jeff Johnston, Nashville, Tenn., four bass, 8-9, $426
6th: Justin Kimmel, Athens, Ga., five bass, 8-3, $390
7th: Gerald Williams, Scottsville, Ky., five bass, 7-9, $355
8th: Greg Whittaker, Monterey, Tenn., four bass, 7-4, $319
9th: Leo Williams, Cordova, Tenn., three bass, 5-9, $284
10th: Scott Rigsby, Carthage, Tenn., three bass, 5-9, $248
Jason McCanless of Lebanon, Tennessee, caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the co-angler division and earned the day’s Big Bass award of $236.
The top 50 boaters and 50 co-anglers based on point standings will now qualify for the Oct. 8-10 Regional Championship on Lake Sinclair in Milledgeville, Georgia. 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 compete to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the Walmart BFL All-American. Top winners in the BFL can move up to the Rayovac FLW Series or even the Walmart FLW Tour.
ABOUT FLW
FLW is the industry’s premier tournament-fishing organization, providing anglers of all skill levels the opportunity to compete for millions in prize money nationwide in 2015 over the course of 240 tournaments across five tournament circuits, four of which provide an avenue to the sport’s richest payday and most coveted championship trophy – the Forrest Wood Cup. FLW tournament fishing can be seen on the Emmy-nominated “FLW” television show and is broadcast to more than 564 million households worldwide, making it the most widely distributed weekly outdoors-sports television show in the world.
By: Brian Johnson, FLW
