Pitts prevails on tough Lake Russell - Major League Fishing

Pitts prevails on tough Lake Russell

McGee takes co-angler honors
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CW (Butch) Pitts of Watkinsville, Ga., won the April 5 Savannah River Division event on Lake Russell with his 17-pound, 1-ounce limit. He won over $4,000 for his victory.
April 5, 2014 • MLF • Archives

ELBERTON, Ga. – Butch Pitts of Watkinsville, Ga., weighed a five-bass limit totaling 17 pounds, 1 ounce Saturday to win the third Walmart Bass Fishing League Savannah River Division tournament of 2014 on Lake Russell. For his victory, Pitts earned $4,082.

Pitts put together his first career BFL win on Lake Russell, a lake that he’s been fishing since it was built in 1984.

“Lake Russell has been really tough,” said Pitts. “It has been taking 15 to 16 pounds to win everything here for a while, so I knew I would be close.

“I was throwing a spinnerbait and a ChatterBait in standing timber for prespawn bass. I was fishing humps and pockets that were about 16-feet deep.

“I probably caught about 14 fish throughout the day,” said Pitts. “I found the fish on Thursday, and went back on Saturday and they had stayed in that area. Persistence was key – I stayed on the same pattern all day and never left it. I was only getting about two fish an hour. I just kept my head down and stayed with it.

“It was a good weekend,” finished Pitts. “I’ve fished BFL events for years, it felt good to finally win one.”

Rounding out the top 10 pros:

2nd: Scott Browning, Franklin, N.C., five bass, 16-12, $2,041

3rd: Joseph Marks, Duncan, S.C., five bass, 15-15, $1,362 + $300 Evinrude Bonus

4th: Eddie Whiten Jr., Pickens, S.C., five bass, 15-12, $952

5th: Todd Goade, Suwanee, Ga., five bass, 14-14, $816 + $300 Evinrude Bonus

6th: Russell Clark, Abbeville, S.C., five bass, 14-1, $748

7th: Chris Nelson, Social Circle, Ga., five bass, 13-9, $680

8th: Mike Bouknight, Greenwood, S.C., five bass, 13-7, $612

9th: Greg Glouse, Liberty, S.C., five bass, 13-5, $544

10th: Greg Willimon, Pickens, S.C., four bass, 13-2, $476

Complete results can be found here.

McGee wins co-angler title

Co-angler Jaris McGee Honea Path, S.C., won the April 5 Savannah River Division event on Lake Russell with a limit weighing 12 pounds, 8 ounces. For his efforts, McGee took home over $2,000 in winnings.Jaris McGee of Honea Path, S.C., weighed in a five-bass limit totaling 12 pounds, 8 ounces Saturday to win $2,041 in the co-angler division.

Rounding out the top 10 co-anglers:

2nd: Bobby Smith, Asheville, N.C., five bass, 11-10, $1,021

3rd: Colby Stephens, Demorest, Ga., five bass, 10-8, $683

4th: Mark Brinkman, Cumming, Ga., three bass, 10-5, $476

5th: Terry McClure, Cumming, Ga., five bass, 9-14, $408

6th: Bobby Wade, Gaffney, S.C., five bass, 9-8, $374

7th: Tim Jackson, Anderson, S.C., five bass, 9-7, $340

8th: Spencer Woodson, Jonesville, S.C., five bass, 9-2, $306

9th: Nolan Pulley, Simpsonville, S.C., five bass, 9-1, $255

9th: Shane Swann, Mars Hill, N.C., five bass, 9-1, $255

Complete co-angler results can be found here.

The top 40 boaters and 40 co-anglers based on point standings will qualify for the Oct. 9-11 Regional Championship on Lake Cherokee in Morristown, Tenn. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard and a Chevy Silverado, 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 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 2014 BFL All-American is being held June 5-7 on Wilson Lake in Florence, Ala. 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 2014 over the course of 229 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 FLWOutdoors.com and look for FLW on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and YouTube.