Smith Wins Co-angler Crown
Tennessee angler mounts comeback to take championship
It’s not the start that matters, but the finish. Grayson Smith embraced this principle to overcome a modest opening-round performance and race up the standings to win the co-angler division and $28,700 at the Costa FLW Series Central Division event presented by Lowrance on Kentucky and Barkley lakes. Smith won Saturday with a three-day total of 54 pounds, 3 ounces.
After catching 11-14 on day one, the Clarksville, Tenn. co-angler rallied on day two and earned a spot in the final round with a 21-pound bag that moved him into 10th. On day three, Smith pulled off the elusive last-to-first comeback by adding 21-5 — the day’s heaviest co-angler bag —and outlasting nine other competitors for the win.
Notably, Smith tied for the day two 10th-place spot, but his heavier day two catch determined the final placement.
“It was two great days that did it,” Smith says. “I had a decent first day that kept me into it and then I squeaked in by winning the tie breaker to even be here. Then, to catch 21 pounds two days in a row — it was a great week. What can I say, you’re at the best lake in the country for catching fish out deep — it was amazing.”
Smith caught most of his fish on a drop-shot with a 1/4-ounce weight and a Roboworm in morning dawn color. He also caught a keeper on a Texas-rigged Strike King KVD Perfect Plastics Bull Worm.
“I used the drop-shot 95 percent of the time,” Smith says. “You could not work it too slowly. It was very pressured fish out here.
“With one of the big ones I caught yesterday, I was in the process of netting a fish for my pro when I looked down and my rod was screaming. I jumped up, grabbed the rod and caught a 4 1/2-pounder. That’s how slow they wanted it. They weren’t hitting it; you’d just lift the bait and it would be heavy.”
Smith fished with Winnsboro, Texas pro Mark Hall on day one, Royse City, Texas pro Tom Redington on day two, and Benton, Ky. pro Austin Brown on day three.
Top 10 co-anglers
1. Grayson Smith – Clarksville, Tenn. – 54-3 (15) – $28,700
2. Furman (Joe) Thompson – Clayton, Ga. – 52-2 (15) – $6,500
3. Tommy Sikes – Quitman, Texas – 51-6 (15) – $5,200
4. Mark Howard – Mesquite, Texas – 51-5 (15) – $4,150
5. Roger Olson Jr. – Eagle River, Wisc. – 50-4 (15) – $3,600
6. Malvin Steger – Millersville, Mo. – 48-12 (15) – $3,100
7. Christopher Lemon – Mooresville, Ind. – 47-15 (15) – $2,600
8. Robbie Bartoszek – Hampshire, Tenn. – 47-9 (15) – $2,050
9. Rob Crane – Fairview Heights, Ill. – 41-14 (12) – $1,620
10. Adam Lock – Metropolis, Ill. – 41-10 (13) – $1,370