Top angler could net up to $1 million
MOBILE, Ala. – Team Land O’Lakes pro Keith Williams, 26, Conway, Ark., and Jerry Bohannon, 43, Irvington, Ala., tied for first place in the $3.64 million Ranger M1 bass-fishing tournament Wednesday with identical five-bass catches weighing 14 pounds, 7 ounces after a bone-chilling start on the Mobile-Tensaw Delta.
Anglers fishing the world’s most lucrative bass tournament were rocked by a strong north wind that plunged the wind chill to 12 degrees early Wednesday morning and kept the day’s high to an unseasonably cool 40 degrees. The chance to win up to $1 million is a powerful motivator, however, allowing anglers from the United States, Canada and Japan to endure the difficult conditions and catch a surprising number of bass.
“I was glad to see it get cold. It evens the playing field and fits my style of fishing,” said Williams, who caught his bass on a jig thrown to wood cover located about 40 miles from the takeoff at Chocolotta Bay. “I knew that if I could get one bite, it would help my confidence. This cold front did not totally shut the fish down.”
Bohannon caught his bass about 90 miles from the takeoff by flipping a tube bait. “The fish are in a pre-spawn stage,” he said. “The weather won’t affect them as much as it does us.”
Team Fujifilm pro Randy Blaukat, Lamar, Mo. (five bass, 13 pounds, 15 ounces); Greg Hackney, Oak Ridge, La. (five bass, 13 pounds, 9 ounces); and Chevy Pro Staff angler David Fritts, Lexington, N.C. (five bass, 13 pounds, 3 ounces) rounded out the top-five pro anglers.
In the Co-angler Division, Ryan Deal, Haubstadt, Ind., leads the charge towards a top award of $250,000 with three bass weighing 10 pounds, 7 ounces followed Ron Moake, Columbia City, Ind., (two bass, 6 pounds, 3 ounces) and Jerry Wade, Indianapolis, Ind., (one bass, 5 pounds, 12 ounces).
Another notable co-angler, former Minnesota Vikings head coach Dennis Green, finished opening day without a bass. “Thursday’s a whole new ballgame,” he told the crowd. “I expect to catch some fish in the first half hour.”
Pros and co-anglers are randomly paired with pros fishing from the front of each tournament boat and co-anglers fishing from the back deck. The field will be cut to the top 20 anglers in each division Thursday based on total catch weight. Anglers in the top 20 will start from zero Friday and compete for one day in the semifinal round. Co-angler competition ends Friday, and only the top 10 pro anglers advance to Saturday’s final round. Catch weights will be cleared for the final day.
The M1’s total purse is based on a payback of $1.3 million plus $2.34 million in sponsor bonus money. The winning pro will receive $400,000 plus up to an additional $600,000 in sponsor bonuses. The winning co-angler will receive $150,000 plus up to an additional $100,000 in sponsor bonuses. Each competitor will receive a minimum cash award equal to his or her entry fee provided all sponsor bonus requirements are met.
Battleship Memorial Park will host Thursday’s 3 p.m. weigh-in. The Mobile Convention Center will host both Friday’s weigh-in, starting at 5 p.m., and Saturday’s weigh-in, starting at 2 p.m. Admission to the weigh-ins and Family Fun Zone, which opens Friday at 3 p.m. and Saturday at 11 a.m., is free. The Fun Zone features children’s games and product samples from Ranger M1 sponsors.
The Ranger M1’s final weigh-in will air live as part of “FLW Outdoors” on the PAX TV network.
Tournament sponsors include Wal-Mart, Ranger Boats, Chevy Trucks, Citgo, Conseco, EverStart Batteries, Faded Glory, Garmin Electronics, Mercury Marine, Minn Kota, Snickers, Yamaha Outboards and Plano.