David Lowery of Phenix City, Alabama, weighed a five-bass limit totaling 17 pounds, 4 ounces Sunday to win the Walmart Bass Fishing League Bama Division Super Tournament on Lake Mitchell with a two-day total of 10 bass weighing 33 pounds, 14 ounces. For his victory, Lowery earned $5,257.
“The fish were biting well for this time of year,” said Lowery, who earned his sixth career win. “I focused on the grass edges leading into pockets. The bass were still in transition, so there was no need to go in any farther.
“On Saturday I used a black and blue-colored All Terrain Tackle jig, rigged with a blueberry-colored Zoom Speed Craw and caught two keepers by 9:30 a.m.,” continued Lowery. “After that, I alternated the jig with a black and blue-colored Big Bite Baits Fighting Frog and caught 13 more fish throughout the day.”
Lowery said he tried to hit every pocket he could within two miles from the launch ramp.
“I decided to go all the way into the pockets on Sunday,” Lowery said. “Around 8 a.m. I caught a 4-pounder on a Rainforest-colored Spro Poppin’ Frog on a grassy point. Then I ran to a nearby dock and brought in a 4-pound spotted bass on a jig. After the bite slowed I returned to my spots from Saturday to finish out the day.”
Lowery said he ended up catching approximately 25 keepers over the course of the two-day tournament.
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
1st: David Lowery, Phenix City, Ala., 10 bass, 33-14, $5,257
2nd: Dustin Connell, Clanton, Ala., 10 bass, 31-2, $2,628
3rd: Tony Couch, Buckhead, Ga., 10 bass, 29-15, $1,752
4th: Max Haygood, Grantville, Ga., 10 bass, 29-1, $1,227
5th: Chris Blair, Newnan, Ga., 10 bass, 27-15, $1,051
6th: Joshua Herren, Pinson, Ala., 10 bass, 27-5, $964
7th: Chris Rutland, Wetumpka, Ala., 10 bass, 26-8, $876
8th: Jason Nixon, Wetumpka, Ala., 10 bass, 26-1, $788
9th: Joe Minor, Clanton, Ala., 10 bass, 25-11, $701
10th: Clinton Nail, Sterrett, Ala., 10 bass, 25-11, $613
Armando Ortiz of Phenix City, Alabama, 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 $660.
Mark Denney of Bonaire, Georgia, won the co-angler division and $2,539 with a two-day total of 10 bass weighing 21 pounds, 8 ounces.
The top 10 co-anglers were:
1st: Mark Denney, Bonaire, Ga., 10 bass, 21-8, $2,539
2nd: Rodney Graham, Childersburg, Ala., nine bass, 21-6, $1,269
3rd: Radney Atchison, Prattville, Ala., 10 bass, 21-4, $846
4th: Slaton Jemison, Mathews, Ala., 10 bass, 19-15, $592
5th: Wesley Rushing, Abbeville, Ala., eight bass, 17-15, $508
6th: Marcus Corbett, Heflin, Ala., 10 bass, 16-9, $465
7th: Bob Williams, Milledgeville, Ga., nine bass, 16-1, $423
8th: Chris Hawkins, Adger, Ala., nine bass, 15-12, $381
9th: Dennis McGouirk, Carrollton, Ga., eight bass, 14-10, $339
10th: Keith Lynch, River Falls, Ala., seven bass, 14-9, $296
Emory Walden of Newnan, Georgia, caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the co-angler division and earned the day’s Big Bass award of $319.
The top 50 boaters and 50 co-anglers based on point standings 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
