Story Focused on Shallow Rocks for Win

Poore claims co-angler title on Clarks Hill

Charles Story of Evans, Georgia, weighed a five-bass limit totaling 25 pounds, 4 ounces, Saturday to win the second FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Savannah River Division tournament of 2016 on Clarks Hill Lake. For his victory, Story took home $6,244.

Story says he targeted rocks in shallow, stained water in three areas along the Savannah River.

“The larger fish were starting to move up to the beds,” says Story, who earned his first win in BFL competition. “They were only in certain creeks, though, so I had to cover a lot of water to dial in on them.”

Story used three different crankbaits throughout the day, but only divulged that he threw a Bill Lewis Rat-L-Trap. He split his time fairly evenly between each lure, but saved the Rat-L-Trap for the shallowest water.

“The key for me was covering long stretches of bank,” says Story. “I was able to get a limit in the boat fairly quickly but had to wait for the sun to come up in the afternoon to catch the big ones up shallow. All I had to do was keep moving.”

The Georgia angler went on to say that he caught around 15 keepers over the course of the one-day tournament.

The top 10 boaters:

1^st:          Charles Story, Evans, Ga., five bass, 25-4, $4,244 + $2,000 Ranger Cup Bonus

2^nd:         Marty Quesada Jr., Appling, Ga., five bass, 22-10, $2,422

3^rd:          Daniel Atkins, Anderson, S.C., five bass, 22-6, $1,413

4^th:          Robert Walser, Lexington, N.C., five bass, 22-0, $990

5^th:          Allen Murray, Reidsville, Ga., five bass, 20-1, $849

6^th:          Chris Nelson, Social Circle, Ga., five bass, 20-0, $778

7^th:          Josh Masters, Statesboro, Ga., five bass, 19-10, $707

8^th:          Liam West, Greenville, S.C., five bass, 19-8, $601

8^th:          Scott Browning, Franklin, N.C., five bass, 19-8, $601

10^th:        Chris Marshall, Forest City, N.C., five bass, 19-1, $495

Complete results can be found here.  

Masters caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the pro division, a fish weighing 7 pounds, 13 ounces and earned the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $600.

Poore wins co-angler title

Shannon Poore of Walhalla, South Carolina, weighed in five bass totaling 13 pounds, 6 ounces Saturday to earn $2,122 and win the co-angler division.

The top 10 co-anglers:

1^st:          Shannon Poore, Walhalla, S.C., five bass, 13-6, $2,122

2^nd:         Eduardo Pabon, Gainesville, Ga., four bass, 12-15, $1,061

3^rd:          Ray Pettit, Pacolet, S.C., five bass, 12-14, $542

3^rd:          Richard Young, Ellenboro, N.C., five bass, 12-14, $542

3^rd:          Westley Denny, Westminster, S.C., four bass, 12-14, $542

6^th:          Michael Smith, Piedmont, S.C., five bass, 12-2, $389

7^th:          Donnie Davis, Greer, S.C., five bass, 11-14, $354

8^th:          Everette Back, Mountain Rest, S.C., three bass, 11-11, $318

9^th:          James Akins, Cumming, Ga., five bass, 11-1, $283

10^th:        Edwin Pabon, Toccoa, Ga., three bass, 11- 0, $248

Barry Myers of Anderson, South Carolina, caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the co-angler division, a fish weighing 6 pounds, 15 ounces and earned the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $300.

The top 50 boaters and 50 co-anglers based on point standings will qualify for the Oct. 6-8 Regional Championship on Kerr Lake in Henderson, North Carolina. 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.