GILBERTSVILLE, Ky. – David Young of Mayfield, Ky., weighed a five-bass limit totaling 24 pounds, 2 ounces Saturday to win the Walmart Bass Fishing League LBL Division event on Kentucky/Barkley lakes. For his victory, Young earned $7,273.
“I was lucky and was able to get up and get a few days of practice in before the tournament began,” said Young. “I really think that was the big key to my win. A lot of times you end up going to these tournaments without any practice time, so I was fortunate to get to learn where to fish and where not to fish.
“I fished a nice stretch from the Kentucky Dam to the Paris Landing Bridge,” Young continued. “I had three patterns going for me – the deeper banks going into the bays, the mouth of the bays and then running all the way back along the flats. The fish are really everywhere right now. I was using a crankbait, a Rat-L-Trap and an umbrella rig, and all three were effective and produced fish for me.
“I caught around 35 fish on the entire day, and was able to cull three or four limits,” Young went on to say. “The weather was absolutely perfect, with just enough wind to keep the glare off the water. My day went according to plan, and it’s nice to get the win.”
Rounding out the top 10 pros were:
2nd: Billy Sumner, Hanson, Ky., five bass, 24-0, $2,636
3rd: Kevin Meunier, Lamar, Ind., five bass, 19-11, $1,756
4th: Gary Greenwood, Irwin, Pa., five bass, 19-7, $1,230
5th: Derek Jenkel, Pinckneyville, Ill., five bass, 18-15, $1,055
6th: Clint Huntsman, Cadiz, Ky., five bass, 18-13, $923
6th: Norman Jackson, Princeton, Ky., five bass, 18-13, $923
8th: Ben Helmerich, Murray, Ky., five bass, 18-9, $791
9th: David Best, Bartlett, Tenn., five bass, 17-10, $703
10th: Kevin McCullough, Greencastle, Ind., five bass, 17-9, $615
For a complete list of results, click here.
Schaaf wins co-angler title
Albert Schaaf Sr. of Waynesville, Ohio, weighed a five-bass limit totaling 18 pounds, 2 ounces Saturday to win $2,636 in the co-angler division.
Rounding out the top 10 co-anglers:
2nd: Tim Cummings, Waynesboro, Tenn., five bass, 17-10, $1,318
3rd: Rick Lemar, Festus, Mo., five bass, 17-7, $879
4th: Steve Ward, Simpsonville, Ky., five bass, 17-3, $615
5th: Chuck Rounds, Benton, Ky., five bass, 16-10, $527
6th: Dan McCollum, Brentwood, Tenn., five bass, 16-5, $483
7th: Dixie Evans, Eads, Tenn., five bass, 16-1, $439
8th: Dan Basham, Louisville, Ky., five bass, 15-13, $395
9th: Scott Smith, Paducah, Ky., five bass, 15-3, $352
10th: Doug Bates, Grantsburg, Ill., five bass, 14-10, $308
The next BFL LBL Division tournament is scheduled for April 21 on Lake Barkley in Kuttawa, Ky. After the fifth LBL Division tournament is complete, the top 40 boaters and 40 co-anglers based on point standings will qualify for the Oct. 18-20 Regional Championship on Pickwick Lake in Florence, Ala. 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.