Hults squared equals Co-angler of the Year
Hults’ back deck domination continues
APPLING, Ga. – Just one month ago, Alan Hults of Gautier, Miss., won the Co-angler Division of the Walmart FLW Series BP Eastern event on Lake Dardanelle.
So why not go for two in row? Not a problem for a member of the Hults family. After all, these guys seem to win co-angler titles at will.
Sure enough, Hults made it two in row today by winning the FLW Series season closer on Clarks Hill with a three-day total of 24 pounds, 2 ounces worth another $23,897.
Let’s not forget, either, that his brother, Chris, won the Co-angler side of the Eufaula FLW Series earlier this year as well.
Basically that means the Hults brothers were just one tournament short of winning every FLW Series BP Eastern from the back deck in 2009. Pretty astonishing to say the least.
What’s more, Hults’ win today allowed him to easily clinch the 2009 Land O’ Lakes Co-angler of the Year award with a total of 771 points out of a possible 800.
Now with total career winnings nearing $200,000 banked from the back deck, Hults’ banker has got to be suspicious that he is running some kind of Ponzi scheme out of the back of his truck.
Nope. Hults is just doing what he and his family love to do: fish tournaments and catch bass.
“This feels great,” Hults said of his latest win. “I really have to thank my wife Sandi, she is my number one fan. And I also want to thank the guys back at work, they keep up with me out here, support me and give me pep talks early in the morning.”
Hults’ partners for the week included Brian Easler, Jonathan Newton and Dustin Wilks. He caught a limit every day weighing in at 6-3, 8-15 and 9-0 respectively.
The first couple of days Hults had trouble getting comfortable with a productive bait, noting that his first eight keepers of the tournament came on eight different lures, including a Chatterbait, Pop-R, Floating worm and Rapala among others.
But midway through day two, Hults dialed into a buzzbait bite with a 1/8-ounce Bulldog buzzbait trimmed with just a blue glimmer grub (no skirt).
“I caught a couple of good fish on that yesterday and what I noticed was the fish really ate it,” Hults said. “I mean they had it down their throat, which told me it was something they really wanted. Once I saw that, I glued that buzzbait in my hand and that’s what I caught most of my fish on today.”
As for his continued success, once again Hults humbly points to his pro partners.
I had three awesome draws,” he said. “They were all around fish. I’ll guarantee that if my other two brothers, Matt and Paul (also fishing this event), had drawn the same three pros I drew this week, they’d be holding this check right now instead of me.”
As an example of the kind of class Hults experienced with his partners this week, he immediately called out Newton’s name.
“I lost about a 2-pound bass in the grass,” Hults said. “Jonathan was getting ready to move when I lost that fish. But instead, he turned the boat around and went right back through the area and I caught my last keeper. Those are the kind of pros that help a guy like me win tournaments.”
Law second
Jason Law of Brunswick, Ga., finished second in the Co-angler Division at Clarks Hill with a three-day total of 21 pounds, 3 ounces worth $9,448.
During the week Law shared a boat with David Cooke, Mike Wurm and Scott Suggs catching weights of 5-6, 5-3 and 10-10.
Law’s primary bait was a Hag’s Tornado, a ringworm style soft plastic that he used on a split shot rig and a shaky head.
Blackerby third
Co-angler Bob Blackerby of Chelsea, Ala., finished third with three-day total of 20 pounds, 14 ounces, worth $7,086.
Blackerby used a Carolina-rigged Fluke, a Lucky Craft Gunfish and a white ¼-ounce Lunker Lure buzzbait to catch his fish.
This marks Blackerby’s third top 10 in the FLW Series in 2009.
Blackburn, Mullikin round out top five
Local co-angler Bart Blackburn of North Augusta, Ga., finished fourth with a three-day total of 18 pounds, 15 ounces worth $4,724.
Blackburn used a Buckeye finesse jig, a Zoom Fluke and floating worm to catch his fish.
Larry Mullikin of Lauderhill, Fla., finished fifth with a three-day total of 18 pounds for $3,779.
Big bass
Ray Pettit of Pacolet, S.C. caught the Folgers big bass in the Co-angler Division on day three weighing 4 pounds, 14 ounces.
Rest of the best 
Rounding out the top-10 co-anglers in the FLW Series BP Eastern on Clarks Hill:
6th: Frank Divis, Sr., of Fayetteville, Ark., three-day total of 16-6, $3,307.
7th: Larry Butler of New Haven, Vt., three-day total of 15-15, $2,835.
8th: Brian Jones of Verbena, Ala., three-day total of 15-14, $2,362.
9th: Richard Rhodes of Calvert City, Ky., three-day total of 14-15, $1,890.
10th: Derek Savage of Port St. Lucie, Fla., three-day total of 14-6, $1,417.