Morgan wins co-angler title
Ryan Horton of Palmetto, Ga., weighed a five-bass limit totaling 21 pounds, 8 ounces Saturday to win the Walmart Bass Fishing League Bulldog Division event on Lake Sinclair. For his victory, Horton earned $4,119.
It was a rainy, wind-blown day, and according to Horton not the kind of day that you want to wake up and go fishing. However, Horton admitted the wind and rain is what helped prolong the early-morning bite that led him to victory.
Horton said that he was targeting the shad spawn in grassy areas and along seawalls in the Oconee River. Horton said he used Ol’ Nelle Spinnerbaits and caught about 40 keeper fish throughout the day.
“During practice I was catching 3 1/2 – to 4-pounders,” said Horton. “I was pretty confident that I was going to have a good day, but I was surprised by the quality of bites that I actually got on Saturday.
“My first fish was 6-6, then I caught a 4-pounder and a 5-pounder. My co-angler and I kept doing the math and we kept coming up with 21 pounds. It was pretty unbelievable. But when it is your day, it is your day. I had a great day and everything seemed to line up for me.
“I culled until about 11 a.m. After that, I couldn’t get another one in the boat. It was a long, long day after I caught that fifth keeper.
“My co-angler was great. I had a 4-pounder that if he wouldn’t have been there with the net, I would have lost (the fish). He did a great job netting that fish, and really, that is the difference between my first-place and perhaps a third-place finish.
Rounding out the top 10 pros were:
2nd: Jayme Rampey Liberty, S.C. five bass 21-6 $2,059 plus $300 Evinrude bonus
3rd: Mark Holloway Madison, Ga. five bass 18-13 $1,374
4th: Kim Carver Milledgeville, Ga. five bass 18-4 $961 plus $300 Evinrude bonus
5th: Lamontie Walters Warner Robins, Ga. five bass 17-9 $824
6th: Matt Henry Milledgeville, Ga. five bass 17-7 $755
7th: Scott Manwaring Atlanta, Ga. five bass 17-0 $686
8th: Chris Lumpkin Macon, Ga. five bass 16-15 $618
9th: Lee Boyd Fortson, Ga. five bass 15-4 $549
10th: Brandon Cobb. Greenwood, S.C. five bass 15-0 $480
Tyler Morgan of Columbus, Ga., weighed five bass totaling 14 pounds Saturday to win the co-angler division. Morgan earned $2,059 for his victory.
Rounding out the top 10 co-anglers were:
2nd: Guy Jordan Gainesville, Ga. five bass 13-15 $1,030
3rd: Josh Wimberly Hinesville, Ga. five bass 13-11 $687
4th: Douglas Watson Conyers, Ga. five bass 12-11 $480
5th: Seth Kirkland Cumming, Ga. five bass 10-9 $412
6th: Chris Kirksey Cartersville, Ga. five bass 10-7 $378
7th: Michael Smith Piedmont, S.C. five bass 10-6 $326
7th: Bob Williams Milledgeville, Ga. five bass 10-6 $326
9th: Steven King Alpharetta, Ga. five bass 10-3 $275
10th: Troy Mims College Park, Ga. five bass 10-2 $240
The next BFL Bulldog Division tournament is scheduled for June 15 on Lake Oconee in Buckhead, Ga. After the last divisional tournament is complete, the top 40 boaters and 40 co-anglers based on point standings will qualify for the Oct. 17-19 Regional Championship on Lake Hartwell in Lavonia, Ga. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518 with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard and a Chevy Silverado, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518 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 40 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 presented by Chevy. The 2013 BFL All-American is being held June 27-29 on the Nickajack Lake in Chattanooga, Tenn. Top winners in the BFL can move up to the EverStart 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 2013 over the course of 220 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. FLW is committed to providing a lifestyle experience that is the “Best in Fishing, On and Off the Water.” For more information about FLW visit the FLWOutdoors website and look for FLW on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and YouTube.
By: Julie Huber,
