Konopacki wins co-angler title
Calvin Davidson of Plainfield, Indiana, weighed in four bass totaling 16 pounds even Saturday to win the first FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Hoosier Division tournament of 2016 on Patoka Lake. For his victory, Davidson took home $6,652.
“The weather was forecast to be calm, but by 10 a.m. we had 30 to 40 mph winds,” said Davidson, who earned his first career win in FLW competition. “It affected some of my decisions, but I was able to remain fairly consistent.”
Davidson said he dialed in on bass along points near the Patoka Lake dam.
“I fished 50-yard stretches of rock or wood, in 4 to 5 feet of water,” said Davidson. “I concentrated on a few small areas; basically anywhere I could still feel my tube and stay out of the wind.”
Davidson said he used one bait to catch his fish – a green-pumpkin-colored Secret Lures Stupid Tube.
“This time of year, we rig it to mimic a crawfish,” said Davidson. “I dragged it around, and hopped it here and there, which gave it some erratic action.”
The Indiana angler said the fish he weighed in were the only four bites he had the entire day.
“I had three of them by 10 a.m., and the fourth around 1 p.m.,” said Davidson. “I kept thinking that I’d need a fifth for a limit but luckily they were the right kind of bites.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
1st: Calvin Davidson, Plainfield, Ind., four bass, 16-0, $4,652 + $2,000 Ranger Cup Bonus
2nd: Jerad Schwedler, Noblesville, Ind., five bass, 15-15, $2,326
3rd: Richard Hardebeck, Elwood, Ind., three bass, 14-15, $2,236
4th: Eric Moore, Hamilton, Ohio, four bass, 14-6, $1,086
5th: Kevin Reece, Elizabeth, Ind., four bass, 14-0, $930
6th: Mario Mills, Valparaiso, Ind., three bass, 13-2, $853
7th: Ted Scheeter, Jasper, Ind., four bass, 12-8, $775
8th: Ray Brunner, Oxford, Ohio, three bass, 11-14, $998
9th: Eric Johnson, Columbus, Ind., two bass, 11-10, $620
10th: Chris Martinkovic, Hamilton, Ohio, three bass, 11-9, $543
Hardeback caught a 6-pound, 6-ounce bass – the biggest of the tournament in the pro division – and earned the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $685.
Michael Konopacki of Valparaiso, Indiana, weighed in three bass totaling 18 pounds, 10 ounces Saturday to earn $2,629 and win the co-angler division.
The top 10 co-anglers were:
1st: Michael Konopacki, Valparaiso, Ind., three bass, 18-10, $2,629
2nd: Ryan Sykes, Hamilton, Ohio, three bass, 12-12, $1,146
3rd: Nathaniel Hester, Indianapolis, Ind., three bass, 10-0, $765
4th: Marshall Lachecki, Indianapolis, Ind., two bass, 8-0, $535
5th: James Wathen, Louisville, Ky., two bass, 6-15, $458
6th: Charlie Kuebler, Jasper, Ind., two bass, 6-4, $420
7th: Scott Moon, Beech Grove, Ind., two bass, 6-0, $382
8th: Arthur Stahlhut, Garrett, Ind., one bass, 5-13, $344
9th: Bob Ungren, Jeffersonville, Ind., one bass, 5-11, $306
10th: Shane Oxford, Saint Meinrad, Ind., two bass, 5-9, $254
10th: J.P. Lamphere, Bloomington, Ind., two bass, 5-9, $254
Konopacki also caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the co-angler division, a fish weighing 6 pounds, 14 ounces and earned the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $337.
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
