McClellon wins BFL Savannah River Division contest on Clarks Hill Lake - Major League Fishing

McClellon wins BFL Savannah River Division contest on Clarks Hill Lake

Jones wins co-angler title
Image for McClellon wins BFL Savannah River Division contest on Clarks Hill Lake
Boater Daryl McClellon of Cornelia, Ga., won the March 3 Walmart BFL Savannah River Division event on Clarks Hill Lake with a total catch of 21 pounds, 12 ounces. McClellon walked away with over $5,000 in winnings for his efforts.
March 3, 2012 • MLF • Archives

APPLING, Ga. – Daryl McClellon of Cornelia, Ga., weighed a five-bass limit totaling 21 pounds, 12 ounces Saturday to win the Walmart Bass Fishing League Savannah River Division event on Clarks Hill Lake. For his victory, McClellon earned $5,014.

“We started off right first thing that morning,” said McClellon. “I got a nice one on my third cast of the day. I fished a 10- to 15-mile stretch on the main lake. It was a pretty standard pattern, where the fish are pulling off the bluffs and going back into the pockets to spawn. I targeted those pockets, and had pretty good success. I had 13 keepers on the day.

“We were sitting in 12 to 15 feet of water, and we were catching fish in 3 to 4 feet,” McClellon continued. “I was throwing a home-made spinnerbait that was 3/8 ounce with an Indiana Blade. I also used a Bleeding Craw Rat-L-Trap and was able to get one of my keepers on that. I seemed to have more luck with the spinnerbait, though. We just kept circling the same areas. My co-angler caught three different fish off of the same stump on three different passes. I knew that the fish are in this spot every year. It’s just being able to find them at the right time, and we did.”

Rounding out the top 10 pros:

2nd: Jacob Whitaker, Fairview, N.C., five bass, 20-11, $2,507

3rd: Jessie Fitzgerald, Martinez, Ga., five bass, 20-4, $1,670

4th: Danny Kirk, Bartow, Ga., five bass, 19-7, $1,170

5th: Britt Smith, Hodges, S.C., five bass, 19-2, $1,003

6th: Chris Nelson, Social Circle, Ga., five bass, 18-9, $919

7th: Steve Debord, Grovetown, Ga., five bass, 17-12, $836

8th: Tillman Satterfield, Greenville, S.C., five bass, 16-8, $752

9th: Robby Hipps, Simpsonville, S.C., five bass, 16-2, $668

10th: Mark Curry, Evans, Ga., five bass, 15-15, $585

For a complete list of results, click here.

Jones wins co-angler title

Co-angler Randy Jones of Elberton, Ga., took home the top prize at the March 3 Walmart BFL Savannah River Division event on Clarks Hill Lake with a catch of 20 pounds, 11 ounces. Jones won over $2,500 in prize money for his first-place finish.Randy Jones of Elberton, Ga., weighed a five-bass limit totaling 20 pounds, 11 ounces Saturday to win $2,507 in the co-angler division.

Rounding out the top 10 co-anglers:

2nd: Scott Roberts, Asheville, N.C., five bass, 19-5, $1,253

3rd: Deion Latimer, Belton, S.C., five bass, 17-13, $837

4th: Drew Williams, Clemson, S.C., five bass, 16-11, $585

5th: Joshua Lowe, Grovetown, Ga., five bass, 16-7, $501

6th: Anthony Marks, Spartanburg, S.C., five bass, 15-5, $460

7th: Gant Conley, Kite, Ga., five bass, 14-2, $418

8th: Chris Tinsley, Pisgah Forest, N.C., five bass, 12-12, $376

9th: Darren Jeter, Marshall, N.C., five bass, 12-8, $334

10th: Jim Hasseler, Maggie Valley, N.C., five bass, 12-0, $292

The next BFL Savannah River Division tournament is scheduled for March 31 on Lake Hartwell in Lavonia, Ga. After the fifth Savannah River Division tournament is complete, the top 40 boaters and 40 co-anglers based on point standings will qualify for the Oct. 4-6 Regional Championship on Lake Seminole in Bainbridge, Ga. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518 with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard and a Chevy Silverado, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518 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 2012 BFL All-American is being held May 17 – 19 on the Potomac River in National Harbor, Md. Top winners in the BFL can move up to the EverStart Series or even the Walmart FLW Tour.

About FLW

FLW is the industry’s premier tournament-fishing organization, providing unparalleled fishing resources and entertainment to our sponsors, fans and host communities. FLW is offering anglers of all skill levels the opportunity to compete for millions in prize money nationwide in 2012 over the course of 191 tournaments across five tournament circuits, each providing an avenue to the sport’s richest payday and most coveted championship trophy – the Forrest Wood Cup. FLW is committed to providing a lifestyle experience that is the “Best in Fishing, On and Off the Water,” through a variety of platforms including tournaments, outdoor expos and the world’s richest fantasy sports game – FLW Fantasy Fishing. For more information about FLW and FLW Fantasy Fishing, visit FLWOutdoors.com or FantasyFishing.com and look for FLW on Twitter and Facebook.