Stephens wins co-angler title
Scott Dobson of Clarkston, Michigan, weighed a five-bass limit totaling 21 pounds, 6 ounces Saturday to win the first Walmart Bass Fishing League Michigan Division tournament of 2015 on Lake St. Clair. For his victory, Dobson earned $5,804.
“I’m happy with the win, but it didn’t come easy,” said Dobson. “The wind was blowing so hard I was having trouble anchoring. Luckily I was able to put something together.
“A lot of fish were spawning, but the waves kept me from getting down to those spots. So, I focused on postspawn areas that held baitfish up north near the St. Croix River,” continued Dobson. “I knew the fish were biting but the elements shook things up. Typically I catch 30 to 40 fish in a day but Saturday I only caught six keepers and culled once.”
Dobson said he caught his fish using a chartreuse and shad-colored Lucky Craft jerkbait and a Megabass Vision 110 Magnum jerkbait for fish that were in the current.
“The Lucky Craft did better with the wind. I got a little more distance out of it,” said Dobson.
“After all was said and done I knew I had a shot at a top-5 finish,” Dobson said. “The key for me was my Dobyns 684CB jerkbait rod, which definitely helped me seal the deal. It’s really forgiving.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
1st: Scott Dobson, Clarkston, Mich., five bass, 21-6, $3,804 + $2,000 Ranger Cup Bonus
2nd: Wayne Macklin, Fenton, Mich., five bass, 19-12, $1,902
3rd: David Reault, Livonia, Mich., five bass, 18-15, $1,267
4th: Tony Yancey, Harrison Township, Mich., five bass, 18-13, $888
5th: Kyle Greene, Ortonville, Mich., five bass, 18-6, $761
6th: Curt Fiessinger, Minster, Ohio, five bass, 17-13, $697
7th: Mervin Miller, Sugarcreek, Ohio, five bass, 16-5, $602
7th: Mark Modrak, China Township, Mich., five bass, 16-5, $602
9th: Pat Upthagrove, Monroe, Mich., five bass, 15-12, $507
10th: Michael Sitko, Pinckney, Mich., five bass, 15-2, $444
Daniel Mittlestat of Woodhaven, Michigan, caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the pro division, a fish weighing 5 pounds, 5 ounces and earned the day’s Big Bass award of $505.
Allan Stephens of Florence, Kentucky, weighed in five bass totaling 20 pounds, 7 ounces Saturday to win $1,902 in the co-angler division.
The top 10 co-anglers were:
1st: Allan Stephens, Florence, Ky., five bass, 20-7, $1,902
2nd: Jason Wallace, Lizton, Ind., five bass, 16-13, $951
3rd: Mark Miller, Baltic, Ohio, five bass, 15-15, $634
4th: Russell Martin, Canton, Mich., five bass, 14-9, $444
5th: David Bell, Edon, Ohio, five bass, 13-8, $380
6th: Damon Yuhas, Detroit, Mich., five bass, 13-5, $349
7th: Seth Valentine, Milford, Mich., four bass, 13-1, $317
8th: James Shetler, Newcomerstown, Ohio, five bass, 12-8, $285
9th: Robert Hernandez, Canton, Mich., five bass, 12-4, $254
10th: Bill Fox, Waterford, Mich., five bass, 12-0, $222
Miller caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the co-angler division and earned the day’s Big Bass award of $252.
The top 50 boaters and 50 co-anglers based on point standings will qualify for the Oct. 8-10 Regional Championship on the Potomac River in Marbury, Maryland. 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
