Kenney Focused on Docks for Bulldog Title

Grizzle nets co-angler title on Lake Oconee

Byron Kenney of Griffin, Georgia, weighed a five-bass limit totaling 12 pounds, 14 ounces Sunday to win the Walmart Bass Fishing League Bulldog Division Super Tournament on Lake Oconee with a two-day total of 10 bass weighing 29 pounds, 15 ounces. For his victory, Kenney earned $5,126.

“My strategy for this tournament was different from what I’ve done on this lake in the past,” said Kenney of his second career win in FLW competition. “I basically put my trolling motor down and fished as many docks as I could.

“I started at mid-lake areas on day one and worked my way south,” continued Kenney. “I targeted seawalls in the morning and docks for the remainder of the day using a green-pumpkin jig with a green-pumpkin Strike King Rage Craw as a trailer. I ended up weighing nine of my 10 bass that I brought to the scale off of it.”

Kenney said he followed a similar pattern on day two but focused on different areas of the lake.

“I caught nearly 10 keepers each day, but lost a few good bass as well,” said Kenney. “I thought the misses might cost me the tournament, but luckily, they didn’t.”

The top 10 boaters:

1^st:          Byron Kenney, Griffin, Ga., 10 bass, 29-15, $5,126

2^nd:         Michael Conley, Bainbridge, Ga., 10 bass, 27-3, $2,563

3^rd:          Mark Holloway, Madison, Ga., 10 bass, 22-1, $1,709

4^th:          Kip Carter, Social Circle, Ga., 10 bass, 21-15, $1,196

5^th:          Wendell Grantham, Macon, Ga., 10 bass, 20-9, $1,025

6^th:          Grant Kelly, Milledgeville, Ga., 10 bass, 20-8, $940

7^th:          Allen Armour, Cumming, Ga., seven bass, 17-2, $854

8^th:          David Millsaps, Ranger, Ga., eight bass, 17-0, $769

9^th:          Robert Dees, Bonaire, Ga., eight bass, 16-11, $683

10^th:        Jimmy Little, Macon, Ga., seven bass, 15-7, $598              

Complete results can be found here. 

Kenney also caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the pro division Friday. The fish weighed 6 pounds even and earned the day’s Big Bass award of $630.

Grizzle wins co-angler title

Harold Grizzle of Gainesville, Georgia, won the co-angler division and $2,563 with a two-day total of seven bass weighing 15 pounds, 12 ounces.

The top 10 co-anglers:

1^st:          Harold Grizzle, Gainesville, Ga., seven bass, 15-12, $2,563

2^nd:         Michael Wright, Covington, Ga., five bass, 12-9, $1,281

3^rd:          Jacob Thompson, Milledgeville, Ga., eight bass, 12-1, $853

4^th:          Jamie Brett, Milledgeville, Ga., five bass, 10-15, $598

5^th:          Erik Green, Tallahassee, Fla., four bass, 10-13, $513

6^th:          Thom Dickson, Cartersville, Ga., five bass, 10-10, $470

7^th:          Robert Fleming, McDonough, Ga., five bass, 10-5, $427

8^th:          Jamie Amerson, Savannah, Ga., four bass, 7-11, $384

9^th:          Jordan McDonald, Jackson, Ga., three bass, 7-1, $342

10^th:        Mike Mahady, Kennesaw, Ga., four bass, 5-12, $299

Daulton Smith of Dacula, Georgia, caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the co-angler division and earned the day’s Big Bass award of $315.

The top 50 boaters and 50 co-anglers based on point standings now qualify for the Oct. 22-24 Regional Championship on Neely Henry Lake in Gadsden, Alabama. 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.