Gilmore takes quality over quantity on Ross Barnett - Major League Fishing

Gilmore takes quality over quantity on Ross Barnett

Goul lands co-angler title
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Heath Gilmore of Meridian, Miss., won the Feb. 23 Mississippi Division event on Ross Barnett with only four bass that weighed 16 pounds, 5 ounces. Gilmore was awarded over $6,000 for his victory.
February 23, 2013 • MLF • Archives

BRANDON, Miss. – Heath Gilmore of Meridian, Miss., weighed in four bass totaling 16 pounds, 5 ounces Saturday to win the Walmart Bass Fishing League Mississippi Division event on Ross Barnett. For his victory, Gilmore earned $6,507.

“I had no idea that I was going to win,” said Gilmore. “I had three good fish and one 12-incher. I didn’t think I had a chance to win. I just figured that I might make a check. I had practiced a few days prior to the tournament, but the problem was that the weather has been changing so much lately. The day started out a little sunny and the water was on the rise from all of the rain we had Thursday night. I’m guessing the water rose around 6 inches just in the period that we were fishing. It was cold and the wind was blowing all day making it miserable.

“But I stuck with my game plan,” Gilmore continued. “I ended up catching all my keepers at the main spot where I was planning on fishing. I didn’t catch anything there in the morning, but I saw six or seven other boats in the same area and they caught a few smaller fish. I decided to leave and come back later in the afternoon after the water had a chance to warm up.

“I was fishing between 2- and 4-feet deep,” Gilmore went on to say. “The moon was close to being full and I figured that the bigger females would be moving up later in the day. I caught most of them very shallow on a swimbait that I had dyed blue because of the stained water conditions. It was a very tough bite. I only had five bites all day, and four of those were keepers. I was very lucky.”

Rounding out the top 10 pros:

2nd: Grant Galloway, Houlka, Miss., five bass, 15-7, $2,253

3rd: Philip Atkins, Columbus, Miss., five bass, 12-7, $1,502

4th: Craig Dowling, Franklin, Tenn., three bass, 12-3, $1,052

5th: Wade Mitchell, Woodland, Miss., four bass, 10-14, $901

6th: Michael Dennis, Collinsville, Miss., five bass, 10-13, $826

7th: Chris Wooten, West Point, Miss., three bass, 10-0, $751

8th: Roger Stegall, Iuka, Miss., five bass, 9-12, $676

9th: Rick Pullen, Houston, Miss., three bass, 9-9, $601

10th: Dennis Kirby, Lakeland, Tenn., five bass, 9-4, $526

Complete results can be found here.

Goul nets co-angler title

Co-angler John Goul of Philadelphia, Miss., won the Feb. 23 Mississippi Division event on Ross Barnett with four bass that weighed 15 pounds, 10 ounces. Gould was awarded over $2,200 in tournament winnings. John Goul of Philadelphia, Miss., weighed in four bass totaling 15 pounds, 10 ounces Saturday to win $2,253 in the co-angler division.

Rounding out the top 10 co-anglers:

2nd: Jesse Steadham, Florence, Miss., four bass, 9-6, $1,127

3rd: Charles Conn, Pearl, Miss., two bass, 6-4, $751

4th: John Breeden, Brandon, Miss., four bass, 6-3, $488

4th: Richard Keene, Caledonia, Miss, three bass, 6-3, $488

6th: Bernard Crump, Jackson, Miss., two bass, 5-15, $413

7th: Adam Horn, Madison, Miss., two bass, 5-8, $376

8th: Shayne Barfield, Meridian, Miss., one bass, 4-9, $338

9th: Tim Davis, Laurel, Miss., one bass, 4-6, $300

10th: Josh Carver, Clinton, Miss., three bass, 4-3, $263

Complete co-angler results can be found here.

The next BFL Mississippi Division tournament is scheduled for March 16 on Pickwick Lake in Iuka, Miss. After the last divisional tournament is complete, the top 40 boaters and 40 co-anglers based on point standings will qualify for the Oct. 10-12 Regional Championship on Kentucky Lake in Gilbertsville, Ky. 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 2013 BFL All-American is being held June 27-29 on the Nickajack Lake in Chattanooga, Tenn. 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 anglers of all skill levels the opportunity to compete for millions in prize money nationwide in 2013 over the course of 220 tournaments across five tournament circuits, four of which provide an avenue to the sport’s richest payday and most coveted championship trophy – the Forrest Wood Cup. FLW tournament fishing can be seen on the Emmy-nominated “FLW” television show and is broadcast to more than 559 million households worldwide, making it the most widely distributed weekly outdoors-sports television show in the world. FLW is committed to providing a lifestyle experience that is the “Best in Fishing, On and Off the Water.” For more information about FLW visit FLWOutdoors.com and look for FLW on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and YouTube.