Tierney wins co-angler title
Quincy Houchin of Mabelvale, Arkansas, weighed a five-bass limit totaling 15 pounds, 13 ounces, Saturday to win the FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Arkie Division tournament on Lake Ouachita presented by Power-Pole. For his victory, Houchin took home $3,386.
Houchin said he spent his day targeting grass, wood and bushes in two areas within the mid- and upper-lake regions of Ouachita.
“I followed a fairly basic pattern for this event,” said Houchin, who logged his second BFL win of the 2016 season. “I caught my limit on three baits – a white Heddon Zara Spook, a leopard-colored Spro Dean Rojas Bronzeye Frog 65 and a perch-colored 6th Sense Lures jig.”
Houchin said the Spook was the most productive of the three and that he caught the majority of his fish before 10 a.m.
“There wasn’t any deciding factor that forced me to switch baits,” said Houchin. “I basically followed my instinct when it came to the rotation.”
The Arkansas angler said he managed to catch seven keepers over the course of the event.
“I didn’t have a kicker, but I did lose a big one,” said Houchin. “Luckily, it didn’t push me out of the lead.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
1st: Quincy Houchin, Mabelvale, Ark., five bass, 15-13, $3,386
2nd: Adam Wright, Benton, Ark., five bass, 13-4, $1,693
3rd: Kevin Brown, Malvern, Ark., five bass, 12-13, $959
3rd: Cody Glaze, Bald Knob, Ark., five bass, 12-13, $959
5th: Derek Sandlin, Mount Ida, Ark., five bass, 11-15, $677
6th: Keith Green, Arkadelphia, Ark., five bass, 11-14, $621
7th: Dennis Bean, Hot Springs, Ark., five bass, 10-14, $536
7th: Dicky Newberry, Houston, Texas, five bass, 10-14, $536
9th: Drew Dawson, Pocahontas, Ark., five bass, 10-12, $451
10th: Jeremiah Kindy, Benton, Ark., five bass, 10-11, $395
Greg Carpenter of Royal, Arkansas, caught a 5-pound, 6-ounce bass – the biggest of the tournament in the pro division – and earned the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $425.
David Tierney of Fayetteville, Arkansas, weighed in five bass totaling 12 pounds, 2 ounces, Saturday to win the co-angler division and earn $1,693.
The top 10 co-anglers were:
1st: David Tierney, Fayetteville, Ark., five bass, 12-2, $1,693
2nd: Bruce Thompson, Little Rock, Ark., five bass, 12-1, $846
3rd: Jason Scoggins, Benton, Ark., five bass, 10-5, $564
4th: Don Billiot, Bryant, Ark., five bass, 9-8, $395
5th: Rick Cole, Hot Springs, Ark., five bass, 9-0, $339
6th: Michael King, Delaplaine, Ark., four bass, 8-5, $310
7th: Colton Garrett, Jonesboro, Ark., four bass, 7-15, $282
8th: Kevin Clark, Malvern, Ark., five bass, 7-13, $254
9th: Chance Stone, Nashville, Ark., five bass. 7-12, $226
10th: Johnny Crider, Fulton, Ark., four bass, 7-6, $198
Weston Beck of Searcy, Arkansas, caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the co-angler division, a fish weighing 4 pounds, 1 ounce and earned the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $212.
The top 50 boaters and 50 co-anglers based on point standings will qualify for the Oct. 6-8 Regional Championship on Lake Chickamauga in Dayton, Tennessee. 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 FLW Tour.
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
