Finesse Jig Cleans Up for Washam

Best takes co-angler title on Pickwick

Jimmy Washam of Covington, Tennessee, weighed a five-bass limit totaling 18 pounds, 4 ounces, Saturday to win the FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Mississippi Division tournament on Pickwick Lake presented by Navionics. For his victory, Washam took home $7,273.

“I was able to dial in on fish that were in very specific transition areas,” says Washam, who logged the first win of his FLW career. “Basically, they were in small stretches of bank or cuts half way back into major creeks, including Yellow Creek.”

Washam hit 12 different areas, methodically working 50- to 75-yard stretches of bank.

“I focused on small spots that boats in front of me weren’t making multiple casts to,” says Washam. “It could’ve been between two docks or a subtle transition in the bank. At my first two stretches, I caught two 5-pounders and I built the rest of my catch around them.”

Washam's lure – a green-pumpkin-colored Buckeye Finesse Jig with a Zoom Ultra Vibe Speed Craw – was crucial to his pattern.

“There was a lot of boat pressure in the creeks, but with the finesse jig, I was able to get behind people and still catch them,” says Washam. “Several of the fish I weighed in came from spots directly behind people. That was a huge advantage for me.”

The top 10 boaters:

1^st:          Jimmy Washam, Covington, Tenn., five bass, 18-4, $5,273 + $2,000 Ranger Cup Bonus

2^nd:         Norman Foskey, Biloxi, Miss., five bass, 17-9, $2,636

3^rd:          Jason Foster, Ripley, Miss., five bass, 17-2, $1,756

4^th:          Jeremy Utley, Florence, Ala., five bass, 16-15, $1,230

5^th:          Larry Materia, Collierville, Tenn., five bass, 16-8, $1,055

6^th:          Andy Houpt, Mantachie, Miss., five bass, 15-10, $967

7^th:          Christopher Scribner, Eupora, Miss., five bass, 14-6, $879

8^th:          Charles Watts, Corinth, Miss., five bass, 13-14, $791

9^th:          Nathan Ashmore, Baldwyn, Miss., five bass, 13-9, $703

10^th:        Dennis Kirby, Lakeland, Tenn., five bass, 13-2, $615

Complete results can be found here.

Mike Jones of Brandon, Mississippi, caught a 7-pound, 6-ounce bass – the biggest of the tournament in the pro division – and earned the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $830.

Best wins co-angler title

David Best of Bartlett, Tennessee, weighed in three bass totaling 13 pounds, 5 ounces, Saturday to win the co-angler division and earn $2,636.

The top 10 co-anglers:

1^st:          David Best, Bartlett, Tenn., three bass, 13-5, $2,636

2^nd:         Valerie Harrelson, Glen, Miss., five bass, 12-6, $1,318

3^rd:          Benny Brown, Corinth, Miss., five bass, 11-9, $879

4^th:          Connor Martin, Marion, Ark., four bass, 10-7, $615

5^th:          Josh Hamilton, Maben, Miss., three bass, 10-1, $527

6^th:          Mike Allen, Crystal Springs, Miss., three bass, 8-13, $461

6^th:          Nick Churchill, Jackson, Miss., four bass, 8-13, $461

8^th:          Phil Bramlett III, Ripley, Miss., four bass, 8-6, $395

9^th:          Mark Lee, Starkville, Miss., three bass, 8-4, $352

10^th:        David Stevens, Smithville, Miss., three bass, 8-0, $308

Curtis Powell of Brandon, Mississippi, caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the co-angler division, a fish weighing 5 pounds, 13 ounces and earned the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $415.

The top 50 boaters and 50 co-anglers based on point standings will qualify for the Oct. 27-29 Regional Championship on Lake Dardanelle in Russellville, Arkansas. 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.