Cleveland captures victory on Lake Oconee
Kimmel wins co-angler title
BUCKHEAD, Ga. – Mike Cleveland of Monticello, Ga., weighed a five-bass limit totaling 16 pounds, 6 ounces Saturday to win the Walmart Bass Fishing League Bulldog Division event on Lake Oconee. For his victory, Cleveland earned $3,879.
“It was a pretty slow start to the day,” said Cleveland. “I didn’t catch my first fish until 10:30 a.m., but then I figured them out. I had a solid limit by 11:30 a.m. Coming into this event I figured it would take 16 to 18 pounds to win, so I wasn’t really sure I had enough when I was coming to the scales. I knew I had enough for a top-5 finish, but I was very happy to get the win.
“I was flipping docks, about 3 to 4 feet deep, in the Sugar Creek area,” Cleveland continued. “I had about 30 different docks that I was flipping. I was throwing a shakey head with a Junebug-colored Zoom Taper Tail. I only had seven keeper fish on the day, but when I caught my big 6-5 kicker then I knew that I was going to be near the top (of the leader board).
Rounding out the top 10 pros:
2nd: Ryan Horton, Palmetto, Ga., five bass, 15-6, $1,940
3rd: Kip Carter, Loganville, Ga., five bass, 14-15, $1,293
4th: Scott Chatham, Cartersville, Ga., five bass, 14-8, $905 + $1,000 Evinrude Bonus
5th: Scott Hayes, Newnan, Ga., five bass, 13-14, $776
6th: John Duvall, Madison, Ga., five bass, 13-7, $711
7th: Mike Harris, Watkinsville, Ga., five bass, 12-14, $647
8th: Karey Dickerson, Dahlonega, Ga., five bass, 12-13, $582
9th: Justin Lanier, Macon, Ga., five bass, 12-10, $517
10th: Chris Baxter, Winder, Ga., five bass, 12-6, $453
Complete results can be found here.
Kimmel lands co-angler title
Justin Kimmel of Athens, Ga., weighed a five-bass limit totaling 10 pounds, 14 ounces Saturday to win $1,940 in the co-angler division.
Rounding out the top 10 co-anglers:
2nd: Patrick Watson, Newnan, Ga., four bass, 9-1, $970
3rd: George Goodman Jr., Monticello, Ga., two bass, 8-5, $646
4th: Bruce Washington, Lithia Springs, Ga., three bass, 8-3, $453
5th: Gerald Bunn, Mansfield, Ga., four bass, 7-11, $388
6th: Dylan Lowery, Milledgeville, Ga., three bass, 7-9, $356
7th: Jared Kutil, Atlanta, Ga., three bass, 7-0, $323
8th: Bret Barillari, Duluth, Ga., four bass, 6-15, $291
9th: Randy Smith, Fayetteville, Ga., three bass, 6-13, $259
10th: James Draffin, Cumming, Ga., two bass, 6-10, $226
Complete co-angler results can be found here.
The final BFL Bulldog Division tournament is scheduled for Sept. 29-30 on West Point Lake in Lanett, Ala. After the fifth Bulldog 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. 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.