Jig, Crankbait Carry Gray to Victory

Birr claims co-angler trophy

Brandon Gray of Bullock, North Carolina, weighed a five-bass limit totaling 14 pounds, 3 ounces Sunday to win the Walmart Bass Fishing League Piedmont Division Super Tournament on Kerr Lake with a two-day total of 10 bass weighing 32 pounds, 14 ounces. For his victory, Gray earned $5,886.

Gray said he focused on managing fish in two main areas near Nutbush Creek in order to catch his fish and earn his fourth career win in FLW competition.

“I was running between spots where the fish were near stumps and rock, in the front of grass lines,” said Gray. “I was able to catch them in the grass but the bigger sized bass came right in front of it. I had a couple of other areas with similar cover where I caught several fish, but it really came down to two primary locations.”

Gray said he caught the majority of his bass on a green-pumpkin-colored Shooter Jig rigged with a Zoom Super Chunk and a green and white-colored Poe’s crankbait.

“On day one I brought in close to 30 keepers and about 11 on day two,” said Gray. “I just stayed focused. Luckily it all came together and worked out like I hoped.”

The top 10 boaters:

1^st:          Brandon Gray, Bullock, N.C., 10 bass, 32-14, $5,886

2^nd:         Scooter Lilley, Williamston, N.C., 10 bass, 29-12, $2,943

3^rd:          Chris Daves, Spring Grove, Va., 10 bass, 27-9, $1,964

4^th:          Shane Burns, Durham, N.C., 10 bass, 26-15, $1,373

5^th:          Greg Lahr, Fayetteville, N.C., 10 bass, 26-8, $1,177

6^th:          William Shelton III, La Crosse, Va., 10 bass, 26-7, $1,079

7^th:          Brian Calloway, Danville, Va., 10 bass, 26-1, $981

8^th:          Ryan Harrell, Emporia, Va., 10 bass, 25-5, $883

9^th:          Dennis Burdette, Lindside, W. Va., 10 bass, 25-4, $785

10^th:        Mike May, Sims, N.C., 10 bass, 24-2, $687              

Complete results can be found here.  

Jeffrey Thomas of Broadway, North Carolina, caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the pro division, a fish weighing 5 pounds, 2 ounces and earned the day’s Big Bass award of $795.

Birr wins co-angler title

Michael Birr of Franklinton, North Carolina, won the co-angler division and $2,943 with a two-day total of 10 bass weighing 26 pounds, 8 ounces.

The top 10 co-anglers:

1^st:          Michael Birr, Franklinton, N.C., 10 bass, 26-8, $2,943

2^nd:         Conner Davis, Bear Creek, N.C., seven bass, 24-11, $1,472

3^rd:          Pat Kendrick, Bumpass, Va., 10 bass, 21-4, $980

4^th:          Brian Stack, Nanjemoy, Md., eight bass, 20-3, $687

5^th:          Tony Toombs, Drakes Branch, Va., nine bass, 19-1, $589

6^th:          Rob Hilliard, Roanoke, Va., nine bass, 18-9, $540

7^th:          Brian Langford, Petersburg, Va., seven bass, 17-12, $491

8^th:          James Stowers, Narrows, Va., seven bass, 17-9, $441

9^th:          Dexter Andrews, Louisburg, N.C., seven bass, 16-1, $392

10^th:        Derek Brown, Charlottesville, Va., eight bass, 15-6, $343

Davis caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the co-angler division and earned the day’s Big Bass award of $397.

The top 50 boaters and 50 co-anglers based on point standings will now qualify for the Oct. 8-10 Regional Championship on the Potomac River in Marbury, Maryland. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard and $20,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard.