Metzger by ounces on Kentucky/Barkley lakes - Major League Fishing

Metzger by ounces on Kentucky/Barkley lakes

Mills wins co-angler title at LBL Division event
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Kyle Metzger of Paducah, Ky., won the April 20 LBL Division event on Kentucky and Barkley lakes with a limit that weighed 19 pounds, 12 ounces. Metzger walked away with over $5,000 in prize money for his efforts.
April 20, 2013 • MLF • Archives

GILBERTSVILLE, Ky. – Kyle Metzger of Paducah, Ky., weighed a five-bass limit totaling 19 pounds, 12 ounces Saturday to win the Walmart Bass Fishing League LBL Division event on Kentucky/Barkley lakes. For his victory, Metzger earned $5,046.

When Metzger drew a mid-field number for takeoff on Saturday he was very nervous about getting to his first spot. When he pulled up to the area, a boat was right where he wanted to be. He decided to hang around the area fishing the opposite bank hoping his turn would come to get in the cove he thought would be productive.

He started throwing topwater baits on a spinning rod and caught a 5-pounder on his first cast. He followed that up with a 2-pounder and another 5-pounder, and then the bite died. He still wasn’t able to get to his primary spot, so he moved to another bay where he and his co-angler started throwing an Alabama rig and crankbaits.

“It was a lot of fun fishing this bay,” Metzger said. “Both my co-angler and I were catching a lot of fish, but none of them were keepers. I caught my fourth keeper and my co-angler caught three there, but for the most part they were all 6-inchers.

“I decided to run to the southeast side of the lake to see if we could get anything going down there, but nothing. I fished and fished and fished and didn’t even get a bite, so I made the run back to where I started, hoping I could get back into my cove.”

With an hour and a half left to go in the tournament Metzger pulled into the area where he started his day and was able to get into the cove he wanted. He immediately saw a fish on a bed and threw a homemade jig. On the second cast she bit, and he finished his limit with a 6-pounder that helped him win the tournament by 3 ounces.

Rounding out the top 10 pros:

2nd: Sam Lashlee, Dickson, Tenn., five bass, 19-9, $2,523

3rd: Gary Isgrigg, Mt. Washington, Ky., five bass, 18-4, $1,682

4th: Don Beckley Jr., Paducah, Ky., five bass, 18-0, $1,177

5th: Brad Ray, Noblesville, Ind., five bass, 17-14, $1,009

6th: John Morgan, Murray, Ky., five bass, 17-9, $925

7th: Andrew Powers, Paducah, Ky., five bass, 17-8, $841

8th: Jeffrey Hartman Jr., Paducah, Ky., five bass, 17-7, $715

8th: Keith White, Gilbertsville, Ky., five bass, 17-7, $715

10th: Danny Beavin, Evansville, Ind., five bass, 16-15, $559 + $300 Evinrude Bonus

10th: Neal Ramsey, Harrison, Ohio, five bass, 16-15, $559

Complete results can be found here.

Mills wins co-angler title

Co-angler Jason Mills of Calvert City, Ky., won the April 20 LBL Division event on Kentucky/Barkley lakes with 14 pounds, 15 ounces worth of bass. For his efforts, Mills earned a check worth nearly $3,000. Jason Mills of Calvert City, Ky., weighed five bass totaling 14 pounds, 15 ounces Saturday to win the co-angler division. Mills earned $2,490 for his victory.

Rounding out the top 10 co-anglers:

2nd: Bradley Smith, Jacob, Ill., five bass, 14-11, $1,245

3rd: Robby Ervin, Lavergne, Tenn., five bass, 14-4, $829

4th: Tony Todd, Robards, Ky., five bass, 14-1, $581

5th: Ronald Reeder, Murphysboro, Ill., five bass, 12-15, $498

6th: Charles Wheeler, Lexington, Tenn., five bass, 12-13, $457

7th: Jeff Johnston, Nashville, Tenn., five bass, 12-11, $415

8th: William Pearson, Shepherdsville, Ky., five bass, 12-9, $374

9th: Mike Anderson, Woodlawn, Ill., five bass, 12-7, $311

9th: Andrew Harper, Shelbyville, Ill., five bass, 12-7, $311

Complete co-angler results can be found here.

The next BFL LBL Division tournament is scheduled for May 11 on Barkley Lake in Kuttawa, Ky. After the last divisional tournament is complete, the top 40 boaters and 40 co-anglers based on point standings will qualify for the Oct. 3-5 Regional Championship on Lake Guntersville in Guntersville, 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 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 564 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.