Anderson sacks ’em on Kentucky/Barkley lakes

Bean nets co-angler title

GILBERTSVILLE, Ky. – Brent Anderson of Kingston Springs, Tenn., weighed in a two-day total of 10 bass for 43 pounds, 9 ounces Sunday to win the Walmart Bass Fishing League LBL Division Super Tournament on Kentucky and Barkley lakes. For his victory, Anderson earned $5,517.

Anderson parlayed a massive day of topwater action coupled with an intimate knowledge of the lake’s famous ledges into a blowout win on Kentucky Lake.

“I had found about nine places that were holding big 5- to 8-pound fish,” said Anderson. “The first day the wind trashed all but two of my places. It was a slow bite, but I stayed with it and ended up catching five good ones on a Strike King KVD Sexy Dawg.

“I was targeting main-lake flats and bars,” continued Anderson. “The fish were in about 3 feet of water. I had about 34 pounds the day before. I was actually disappointed on the first day. In practice, small ones were 5-pounders and big ones were 8-pounders.

“Going into the second day with the wind laying down, I really thought I could catch them good,” said Anderson. “In the first hour my co-angler caught a 5 (pounder) and I lost a 5-pound smallmouth, but I hadn’t had another bite by 10 a.m.

“I didn’t want to abandon the topwater pattern because I had caught so many big fish on it in practice and the tournament. But I noticed the current was ripping, and that gave me the confidence to switch to ledges because I knew the fish would be grouped up and feeding.

“The biggest key catching fish the first day were my Power-Poles,” said Anderson. “There were 3-foot waves, and I was fishing in 3 feet of water, and they let me really pick the area apart.

“This win means more to me than any of the others,” continued Anderson. “I’ve had the fish to win six or seven others, and for a while it seemed like it was never going to happen again.”

Anderson said he used a Strike King KVD Sexy Dawg, a ¾-ounce Strike King Spinnerbait and a Strike King Shadalicious swimbait on a ¾-ounce jig head.

Rounding out the top 10 pros:

2nd: Craig Hipsher, Benton, Ky., 10 bass, 33-14, $2,759

3rd: Sam Boss, Paducah, Ky., 10 bass, 31-11, $1,839

4th: Tim Griggs, Paducah, Ky., eight bass, 31-5, $1,287

5th: Ronnie Smith, Walton, Ky., 10 bass, 31-4, $1,103 + $300 Evinrude Bonus

6th: Craig Dowling, Franklin, Tenn., 10 bass, 31-0, $1,012

7th: Jackson Ryley, Clinton, Ind., 10 bass, 28-1, $920

8th: Harry Barber, Earlington, Ky., 10 bass, 27-1, $828

9th: Don Beckley, Paducah, Ky., nine bass, 27-1, $736

10th: Chris Beaudrie, Sheperdsville, Ky., 10 bass, 24-2, $644

Complete results can be found here.

Bean wins co-angler title

Jason Bean of Scottsville, Ky., weighed in a two-day total of 10 bass totaling 29 pounds, 5 ounces Sunday to win $2,759 in the co-angler division.

Rounding out the top 10 co-anglers:

2nd: Steve Keller Jr., Bethel, Ohio, nine bass, 27-0, $1,379

3rd: Ed Daniell, West Frankfort, Ill., 10 bass, 26-0, $919

4th: Daniel Crockett, Old Hickory, Tenn., eight bass, 19-3, $644

5th: Mark Bouchie, Evansville, Ind., five bass, 17-12, $552

6th: Derek Marvel, Mount Vernon, Ind., seven bass, 16-4, $506

7th: Lauris Ackerman, Bowling Green, Ky., six bass, 16-2, $460

8th: Bryan Henry, Lexington, Ky., seven bass, 15-12, $414

9th: Charles Wheeler, Lexington, Ky., seven bass, 13-2, $368

10th: Tim Huddleston, Paducah, Ky., five bass, 12-12, $322

Complete co-angler results can be found here.

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. 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.