Spinnerbait, Jig Combo Do It for Chandler

Roberts wins co-angler title on Lake Russell

Kevin Chandler of New London, North Carolina, weighed a five-bass limit totaling 18 pounds, 8 ounces, Saturday to win the third FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Savannah River Division tournament of 2016 on Lake Russell. For his victory, Chandler took home $5,466.

Chandler began his day targeting bass on the Savannah River. He split his efforts between a Hawg Caller spinnerbait and a chartreuse-colored Strike King spinnerbait.

“I slow rolled both along rocky points until about 10 a.m.,” says Chandler, who has three career wins in FLW competition. “I was able to bring in about 10 keepers before the bite slowed down. After that I decided to make a run for new cover and switch techniques.”

The North Carolina angler says he finished out his day flipping shallow brush in the backs of creeks using a green-pumpkin and brown-colored custom jig.

“I caught two of my heaviest fish on the jig – a 5½- and a 3½-pounder,” says Chandler. “I used a more subtle approach because the water was only about a foot deep. I ended up with five more keepers and figured I had enough to make a run for the win.”

The top 10 boaters:

1^st:          Kevin Chandler, New London, N.C., five bass, 18-8, $3,466 + $2,000 Ranger Cup Bonus

2^nd:         Joey Spradley, Gloverville, S.C., five bass, 17-1, $1,733

3^rd:          Darren Taylor, Lexington, Ga., five bass, 16-9, $1,155

4^th:          Jeremy Strong, Elberton, Ga., five bass, 16-8, $1,109

5^th:          B.J. Ballard, Abbeville, S.C., five bass, 15-5, $693

6^th:          Greg Glouse, Liberty, S.C., five bass, 15-4, $635

7^th:          Brian Callahan, Gainesville, Ga., five bass, 14-15, $578

8^th:          Mike Bouknight, Greenwood, S.C., five bass, 14-8, $520

9^th:          Justin McLeese, Iva, S.C., five bass, 14-7, $462

10^th:        Jason Duncan, Commerce, Ga., five bass, 14-6, $404

Complete results can be found here.  

Randall Spearman of Anderson, South Carolina, caught a 5-pound, 11-ounce bass – the biggest of the tournament in the pro division – and earned the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $435.

Roberts wins co-angler title

Sterling Roberts of Cleveland, Georgia, weighed in five bass totaling 16 pounds, 2 ounces, Saturday to win the co-angler division and earn $1,950.

The top 10 co-anglers:

1^st:          Sterling Roberts, Cleveland, Ga., five bass, 16-2, $1,950

2^nd:         Ronnie Cutshall, Piedmont, S.C., five bass, 14-8, $866

3^rd:          Michael Smith, Piedmont, S.C., five bass, 13-6, $577

4^th:          Kevin Landreth, Seneca, S.C., five bass, 12-9, $404

5^th:          Buddy Rice, Belton, S.C., five bass, 11-7, $347

6^th:          Willard Berry Smith Jr., Anderson, S.C., five bass, 10-15, $318

7^th:          David Winters, Rock Hill, S.C., four bass, 10-3, $289

8^th:          Bobby Smith, Asheville, N.C., five bass, 10-1, $260

9^th:          William Bryson, Greer, S.C., five bass, 9-13, $231

10^th:        Kaleb Turner, Hartwell, Ga., five bass, 9-10, $192

10^th:        Jeff Penland, Candler, N.C., five bass, 9-10, $192

Roberts also caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the co-angler division, a fish weighing 7 pounds, 2 ounces and earned the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $217.

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.