Moretto wins co-angler title
Ryan Ingram of Phenix City, Alabama, weighed a five-bass limit totaling 22 pounds, 13 ounces Saturday to win the fourth Walmart Bass Fishing League Bulldog Division tournament of 2015 on Lake Eufaula. For his victory, Ingram earned $5,804.
“I primarily fished parallel with lily pads on the north end of the lake,” said Ingram, who earned his sixth career victory on Lake Eufaula in FLW competition. “The bass were really active due to the rising water temperature.”
Ingram said he used a 1-ounce yellow and white-colored Strikezone Ledgebuster spinnerbait to catch his winning stringer.
“I just put down my trolling motor in 3 feet of water and focused on those lily pads,” said Ingram. “I caught a 6-pounder around noon which really helped.”
Ingram said he caught around 15 keepers in three different areas throughout his day.
“Everybody has been going south lately to catch fish,” said Ingram. “I stuck with my gut and went searching up north to avoid the crowd. Those spots seem to produce the most consistent weights for me.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
1st: Ryan Ingram, Phenix City, Ala., five bass, 22-13, $3,804 + $2,000 Ranger Cup Bonus
2nd: Dustin Wood, Eufaula, Ala., five bass, 19-8, $1,902
3rd: Ronnie Ray, Phenix City, Ala., five bass, 19-6, $1,267
4th: Al Cleghorn, Fitzgerald, Ga., five bass, 15-3, $888
5th: Jay Grogan, Fort Mitchell, Ala., five bass, 14-12, $761
6th: Buster Slocumb, Juliette, Ga., five bass, 14-11, $697
7th: Alan Brightwell, Moultrie, Ga., five bas, 13-13, $634
8th: Steve Stewart, Donalsonville, Ga., five bass, 13-8, $571
9th: Cary Priest, Eufaula, Ala., five bass, 13-7, $507
10th: Clarence Bush, Bainbridge, Ga., five bass, 12-14, $444
Ingram also caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the pro division, a fish weighing 6 pounds, 5 ounces and earned the day’s Big Bass award of $505.
Santana Moretto of Thomaston, Georgia, weighed in five bass totaling 13 pounds, 4 ounces Saturday to win $1,902 in the co-angler division.
The top 10 co-anglers were:
1st: Santana Moretto, Thomaston, Ga., five bass, 13-4, $1,902
2nd: Harold Grizzle, Gainesville, Ga., five bass, 11-15, $951
3rd: Ronny Cantrell, Fitzgerald, Ga., five bass, 10-6, $634
4th: Jimmie Bailey, Valdosta, Ga., five bass, 9-4, $444
5th: Steve Hall, Mableton, Ga., five bass, 9-0, $364
5th: John Wayne Robinson, Eufaula, Ala., three bass, 9-0, $364
7th: Michael Fisher, Roswell, Ga., three bass, 8-15, $301
7th: Jeff Grubbs, Palmetto, Ga., four bass, 8-15, $301
9th: Michael Anderson, Enterprise, Ala., four bass, 8-13, $238
9th: Allen McVay, Thomasville, Ga., two bass, 8-13, $238
McVay 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. 22-24 Regional Championship on Neely Henry Lake in Gadsden, Alabama. 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
