Howard Works Docks for Title

Hunt claims co-angler award on Wateree

Chuck Howard of Elloree, South Carolina, weighed a five-bass limit totaling 17 pounds, 11 ounces, Saturday to win the fourth FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) South Carolina Division tournament of 2016 on Lake Wateree. For his victory, Howard took home $5,718.

Howard started out his day running a swimjig through mid-lake grass. He says he fished a long stretch, dialing in on specific spots he knew fish were congregating.

“I swam a black and blue-colored Dirty Jigs Swim Jig through the grass and caught a limit before 9 a.m.,” says Howard, who earned his second win in BFL competition. “After the sun came up and the air got hot, I started pitching a worm around docks.”

The South Carolina angler hit more than 50 docks using a Junebug-colored Zoom Trick Worm.

“I probably brought in 10 keepers over the course of the day,” says Howard. “They all came in less than 3 feet of water. I ended up weighing in three on the Trick Worm and two on the swimjig.”

The top 10 boaters:

1^st:          Chuck Howard, Elloree, S.C., five bass, 17-11, $3,718 + $2,000 Ranger Cup Bonus

2^nd:         Ronnie McCoy, Lamar, S.C., five bass, 17-2, $1,709

3^rd:          Charles Story, Evans, Ga., five bass, 16-13, $1,138

4^th:          Steve Phillips, Lugoff, S.C., five bass, 16-5, $798

5^th:          James Buchanan, Monroe, N.C., five bass, 15-11, $684

6^th:          Wendell Causey Jr., Irmo, S.C., five bass, 15-9, $627

7^th:          Tom Rubbo, Lexington, S.C., five bass, 15-6, $570

8^th:          Brett Collins, Ridgeway, S.C., five bass, 14-4, $513

9^th:          Dustin Henson, Landrum, S.C., five bass, 13-10, $456

10^th:        Steve Thornhill, Pineville, S.C., five bass, 13-3, $399

Complete results can be found here.

Joey Sabbagha of Prosperity, South Carolina, caught a 5-pound, 13-ounce bass – the biggest of the tournament in the pro division – and earned the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $420.

Hunt wins co-angler title

David Hunt of Camden, South Carolina, weighed in five bass totaling 17 pounds, 11 ounces, Saturday to win the co-angler division and earn $1,709.

The top 10 co-anglers:

1^st:          David Hunt, Camden, S.C., five bass, 17-11, $1,709

2^nd:         Ronald Harrell, Mitchell, Ga., five bass, 12-9, $1,065

3^rd:          Ezell Mullinax Jr., Gaffney, S.C., five bass, 11-14, $570

4^th:          Ron Figueroa, Appling, Ga., five bass, 11-5, $399

5^th:          Adam Fincher, Roebuck, S.C., four bass, 10-11, $342

6^th:          Jonathan Stokes, Camden, S.C., four bass, 10-4, $313

7^th:          Jack Daniel Hoy, Hollywood, S.C., four bass, 10-3, $285

8^th:          Michael Thomas, York, S.C., four bass, 10-1, $256

9^th:          Mitchell Pare, Guyton, Ga., four bass, 9-12, $228

10^th:        Shawn Bailey, Starr, S.C., four bass, 9-4, $199

Harrell caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the co-angler division, a fish weighing 5 pounds, 3 ounces and earned the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $210.

The top 50 boaters and 50 co-anglers based on point standings will qualify for the Oct. 13-15 Regional Championship on Lake Seminole in Bainbridge, Georgia. 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.