Mullikin takes co-angler title at Okeechobee
Florida co-angler wins $20,000 in BP Eastern event
CLEWISTON, Fla. – When Larry Mullikin of Lauderhill, Fla., jumped off a nice keeper bass late in the day on day three of competition in the Walmart FLW Series event on Lake Okeechobee, he figured he had blown his chances to win the event.
He brought just two fish to the scales on the final day of BP Eastern Division competition for co-anglers, but one was a 5-pound, 14-ounce bass. His two fish allowed him to take the lead, and when the weigh-in ceased, Mullikin’s name was left on top of the leaderboard.
“I’m shocked; I can’t believe it,” he said after being named the winner. “When I lost that last fish, I just knew it cost me the tournament. I figured some of those other guys behind me would catch 10 or 11 pounds and win.”
What’s more, Mullikin’s nearly 6-pound bass ended up taking the Big Bass honors in the Co-angler Division worth $333 as
well.
After fishing with pros Tommy Rewis, Keith Combs and David Carmichael, Mullikin finished the event with a three-day winning total of 38 pounds, 8 ounces and collected $20,000 for his win.
All week, Mullikin used just two lures made by Reaction Innovations: a Skinny Dipper and a Trixie Shark. Both lures featured a paddle-tail, and he buzzed the lures across the surface on 50- and 30-pound braided line.
His best colors in the soft plastic buzzers were green-pumpkin, “Bad Shad” and “California.”
“The key for me was making long casts – as long as possible,” Mullikin said. “In fact, on the last day I went from 50- to 30-pound braid just to be able to make a longer cast. I wanted to cover as much water as possible, and making longer casts was critical.”
As for the $20,000, Mullikin said he is going to use it to keep fishing. He used to live in Atlanta, where he fished Lake Lanier frequently, site of the 2010 Forrest Wood Cup. And with this win, he’s well on his way to getting a berth into that championship.
Other high-five co-anglers
Finishing runner-up was Robert Wood of Jupiter, Fla. Wood narrowly missed winning his second Lake Okeechobee FLW Series title in a row with a three-day total of 35 pounds, 11 ounces. Wood collected $10,000 for his finish.
John Cochran of Springdale, Ark., finished third with a three-day total of 33 pounds, 11 ounces worth $7,500.
Chip Brooks of Bradenton, Fla., finished fourth with a three-day total of 33-5 for $5,000.
Tom Bowker of Terre Haute, Ind., finished fifth with a three-day total of 31 pounds, 13 ounces worth $4,000.
Rest of the best
Rounding out the top 10 co-anglers in the Walmart FLW Series BP Eastern on Lake Okeechobee:
6th: Anthony Hunt of Tamarac, Fla., three-day total 31-4
7th: Kevin Koone of Greenbrier, Ark., 29-5
8th: Lisa Opel of Hernando, Fla., 29-0
9th: Robert Twiss of Sunrise, Fla., 28-13
10th: Frank Mackin of New Port Richey, Fla., 28-3
Day four of the FLW Series Eastern will begin a 7 a.m. Saturday from Roland & Mary Ann Martin’s Marina & Resort located at 920 E. Del Monte Ave. in Clewiston.