Delgado wins co-angler title
Kelly Power of Cape Fair, Missouri, weighed a five-bass limit totaling 16 pounds, 7 ounces, Saturday to win the third FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Ozark Division tournament of 2016 on Table Rock Lake. For his victory, Power earned $5,663.
Power said he spent his morning on the James River targeting suspended bass. He said he used a white-colored HogFarmer swim-jig to catch nearly 30 keepers throughout his day.
“The schools were suspended over deep timber in 10 to 15 of water,” said Power, who earned the first win of his FLW career. “I rigged the swim-jig with a pearl-colored Keitech Swimbait so it had more pull. You want something that vibrates a bit for suspended bass.
“At my first area I had 11 keepers in 11 casts,” Power continued. “The fish were less aggressive with the warmer water, but most of the bites were strong. The water was also clear, so a subtle presentation was crucial. I wanted something down there that didn’t look hard to eat.”
By 8:30 a.m., Power said his flurry slowed, so he moved on to new structure.
“I hit 10 or so spots where the channel swung in close to timber or major drops,” said Power. “The bass were with shad schools in the tops of submerged trees about 15 feet down. I just kept culling and brought in what I did. After all was said and done, I had a great day out there.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
1st: Kelly Power, Cape Fair, Mo., five bass, 16-7, $5,663
2nd: Marcus Sykora, Osage Beach, Mo., five bass, 14-15, $2,082
3rd: Marc Czachowski, Spokane, Mo., five bass, 14-7, $1,387
4th: Roger Fitzpatrick, Eldon, Mo., five bass, 14-5, $971
5th: Dustin Lippe, Lampe, Mo., five bass, 14-2, $833
6th: Joe Brantley, Willard, Mo., five bass, 13-13, $763
7th: Dustin Blevins, Harrison, Ark., five bass, 13-8, $694
8th: Lance Williams, Billings, Mo., five bass, 13-6, $590
8th: Tyler Matlock, Omaha, Ark., five bass, 13-6, $590
10th: Bob Renken, Linn Creek, Mo., five bass, 13-2, $486
Mark Harper of Monett, Missouri, caught a bass weighing 4 pounds, 15 ounces – the biggest of the tournament in the pro division – and earned the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $580.
Stephen Delgado of Lee’s Summit, Missouri, weighed in five bass totaling 13 pounds, 8 ounces, Saturday to win the co-angler division and earn $2,082.
The top 10 co-anglers were:
1st: Stephen Delgado, Lee’s Summit, Mo., five bass, 13-8, $2,082
2nd: Jeremy Rushton, Lee’s Summit, Mo., five bass, 11-14, $1,041
3rd: Jonathan Dotson, Dover, Ark., five bass, 11-9, $692
4th: Donny Murrell, Sapulpa, Okla., five bass, 11-0, $486
5th: Josh Spencer, Saint Charles, Mo., four bass, 9-6, $416
6th: Sy Kirby, Rogers, Ark., four bass, 9-5, $382
7th: B.J. Hicks, Richmond, Mo., five bass, 9-2, $347
8th: Brandon Hecker, Camdenton, Mo., three bass, 8-13, $312
9th: Eric Rogers, Lawrence, Kan., four bass, 8-8, $260
9th: Cory Schuh, Hillsboro, Mo., four bass, 8-8, $260
Stanley Caldwell of Thayer, Missouri, caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the co-angler division, a fish weighing 5 pounds, 8 ounces and earned the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $290.
The top 50 boaters and 50 co-anglers based on point standings will qualify for the Oct. 27-29 Regional Championship on Lake Dardanelle in Russellville, Arkansas. 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
About FLW
FLW is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, providing anglers of all skill levels the opportunity to compete for millions in prize money in 2016 across five tournament circuits. Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, with offices in Minneapolis, FLW conducts more than 235 bass-fishing tournaments annually across the United States and sanctions tournaments in Canada, China, Mexico and South Korea. FLW tournament fishing can be seen on the Emmy-nominated “FLW” television show, broadcast to more than 564 million households worldwide, while FLW Bass Fishing magazine delivers cutting-edge tips from top pros.
By: Brian Johnson, FLW
