Townend Top Dog on Big O

Forthun wins co-angler title

CLEWISTON, Fla. – Benny Townend of Boynton Beach, Florida, weighed a five-bass limit totaling 27 pounds, 9 ounces Saturday to win the first Walmart Bass Fishing League Gator Division tournament of 2015 on Lake Okeechobee. For his victory, Townend earned $6,000.

“This tournament is something I’ve been practicing hard for,” said Townend, who earned the first victory of his career. “I did my best to stay focused and not worry about what the other boaters were catching.”

Over the course of the day Townend found success on the south end of the lake. He said that he pitched a ½-ounce green-pumpkin colored Gambler Why Not in the open pockets of the wiregrass. In between the pockets Townend relied on swimbaits to reach a quick limit.

“I knew that I could catch 18 or 19 pounds down there,” added Townend. “After that I just needed a big one, and I found her.”

Around 2 p.m., Townend pulled into a familiar spot and nabbed a 10-pound, 2-ounce behemoth to seal the victory.

“I grabbed a Heroic flipping stick and pitched the Why Not down the first pockethole in the needlegrass. It went maybe an inch below the surface and I set the hook,” said Townend. “I reached down there to grab it and was speechless.”

Rounding out the top 10 boaters on Lake Okeechobee:

1^st:           Benny Townend, Boynton Beach, Fla., five bass, 27-9, $6,000

2^nd:          Robert Crosnoe, Inverness, Fla., five bass, 25-7, $3,000

3^rd:          Paul Malone, Pleasant Valley, Iowa, five bass, 22-5, $2,000

4^th:           Ken Fitton, Loxahatchee, Fla., five bass, 21-15, $1,400

5^th:           Jim Gestwicki, Miami, Fla., five bass, 21-13, $1,200

6^th:           Dillon McMillan, Belle Glade, Fla., five bass, 20-14, $1,100

7^th:           Jason Jastrzemski, Wellington, Fla., five bass, 20-4, $1,000

8^th:           Don Demott, Boca Raton, Fla., five bass, 19-14, $900

9^th:           George Kapiton, Inverness, Fla., five bass, 19-13, $800

10^th:        Charles Bass, Felda, Fla., five bass, 19-1, $700               

Complete results can be found by clicking here.

Forthun tops co-anglers

Jesse Forthun of Cape Coral, Florida, weighed in a five-bass limit totaling 16 pounds, 15 ounces Saturday to win $3,000 in the co-angler division.

The top 10 co-anglers:

1^st:           Jesse Forthun, Cape Coral, Fla., five bass, 16-15, $3,000

2^nd:          Scott Stoll, Saint Cloud, Fla, five bass, 16-10, $1,500

3^rd:          James Brooks, Inverness, Fla., five bass, 16-8, $1,000

4^th:           Evan Barnes, Hot Springs, Ark., five bass, 15-2, $700

5^th:           Ernie Thompson, Anthony, Fla., five bass, 14-14, $600

6^th:           Brad McCullough, Ocala, Fla., five bass,14-10,  $550

7^th:           Jessey Rudolph, Deltona, Fla., five bass, 14-5, $500

8^th:           Coleman Roberts, Ft. Myers, Fla., five bass, 13-10, $450

9^th:           James Bass, Felda, Fla., five bass, 13-7, $400

10^th:        Garry Moore, Jacksonville, Fla., five bass, 13-5, $332

10^th:        Robbie Sanger, Lakeland, Fla., five bass, 13-5, $332

Complete co-angler results can be found by clicking here.

The top 50 boaters and 50 co-anglers based on point standings will qualify for the Oct. 8-10 Regional Championship on Lake Sinclair in Milledgeville, Georgia. 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.