Hults’ headline goes here

Alan Hults’ co-angler winnings near $165,000 with latest win at Dardanelle

RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – If you are wondering about the headline on this story, the simple truth of the matter is that we of the FLWOutdoors.com writing staff have simply run out of headlines to describe the Hults brothers’ winning ways – seriously.

We have used, The Incredible Hults, Hults wins again, Hults makes it a double, Hults’ heroics. You name it, we’ve used it.

And the reason is because the Hults’ family name has dominated the Co-angler Division of FLW Outdoors events in recent years. Between the brothers Alan and Chris Hults, they hold a collective 10 FLW Outdoors wins as co-anglers.

And today Alan Hults of Gautier, Miss., added the 11th title to their resume by winning the Walmart FLW Series BP Eastern Division event on Lake Dardanelle with a three-day total of 27 pounds even.

Before this event, Hults had a BFL win and three Stren Series victories to his credit. This event marks his first FLW Series win. His brother, Chris, won the last FLW Series Eastern event on Lake Eufaula earlier this year.

With his winning check of $23,000 Friday, Alan Hults’ FLW co-angler career earnings are almost to $165,000. Add in his brother’s winnings of $78,000, and the Hults brothers collectively stand at about $243,000 in FLW winnings. Not too shabby for back-deck fishing.

“It feels good to win again, especially at this level,” Hults said. “Usually we try to practice at these events, but for this one we just drove up on Tuesday evening, and Wednesday was the first time I had ever seen the lake.”

This week Hults fished with pros O.T. Fears, local pro Ricky Mclemore and Luke Clausen.

Hults’ biggest day was day two when he fished with Mclemore and caught four bass for 16 pounds, 14 ounces on a 10-inch Berkley Power worm in green-pumpkin topped with a 3/8-ounce weight and tied to 20-pound-test Trilene 100% fluorocarbon.

“Ricky really went out of his way to help me,” Hults said. “When he got to his area, he told me exactly how it laid out, what was on the bottom and that it was a big-fish area. With all that in mind, I tied on a big bait, the 10-inch Power Worm, and caught three 5-pounders. He was right: Big fish lived in there.”

Hults also used a Trick worm, a Berkley Chigger Craw and a shaky head during the week to catch his other fish.

In terms of what makes he and his brother so good from the back of the boat, Hults only said the duo fishes together all the time, including a lot of saltwater fishing on Mississippi’s Gulf Coast.

Which begs the question: When two successful brothers are fishing from the same boat, who fishes in the back?

“Ironically, we both fish up front,” Hults laughed. “Nobody fishes from the back. We only do that in these tournaments.”

Koone second

Kevin Koone of Greenbrier, Ark., finished second in the FLW Series Eastern Division event on Lake Dardanelle with a three-day total of 24 pounds, 10 ounces worth $9,116.

During the week Koone fished with pros Sam Newby, Jason Christie and Brian Holder. He flipped a 3/8-ounce Jewel jig and a Berkley Hollow Belly tube in green-pumpkin colors on 20-pound-test Trilene 100% fluorocarbon behind his pros to catch his fish.

“I was fortunate in this event, in that each of my pros were fishing the same way: flipping shallow cover. And I love doing that so I was in my comfort zone each day,” Koone commented. “Most of the stuff we were flipping was heavy bank cover like lay-downs and thick vines hanging down in the water, so there was no way they could hit every single spot, and I was able to pick up a few fish behind them.”

Yasinski third

Derek Yasinski of Senoia, Ga., finished third with a three-day total of 18 pounds, 8 ounces worth $6,837.

Yasinski’s biggest day was day one when he weighed in four bass for 10 pounds, 15 ounces to take the early lead.

Lay, Frazier round out top five

Pat Lay of Cleveland, Tenn., finished fourth with a three-day total of 13 pounds, 13 ounces worth $4,558.

Micah Frazier of Newnan, Ga., rounded out the top five co-anglers at Dardanelle with a three-day total of 13 pounds, 6 ounces worth $3,646.

Big bass

Fred Wantland of Conway, Ark., caught the Folgers Big Bass in the Co-angler Division on day three weighing 3 pounds, 15 ounces and worth $286.

Rest of the best

Rounding out the top 10 final co-anglers in the Walmart FLW Series BP Eastern on Lake Dardanelle:

6th: Bob Blackerby of Chelsea, Ala., three-day total of 13-2

7th: Matt Krekovich of Granite City, Ill., three-day total of 12-12

8th: Gene Roe of Montmorenci, S.C., three-day total of 12-11

9th: Ronald Aikin of Valley Station, Ky., three-day total of 11-4

10th: Larry Hostetler of Floyds Knob, Ind., three-day total of 11-2