Mathews Wins Co-Angler Title
Florida fishing guide takes top honors with 42-1 total
Competing in just his second FLW Tour event as a co-angler, Jeffrey Mathews of Maitland, Fla., put together a monster last-day bag to take the co-angler crown and $20,000 at the FLW Tour event presented by Evinrude on Lake Okeechobee. The TK-year-old fishing guide followed up a 15-pound, 12-ounce day-one limit with a 26-pound, 5-ounce bag on day two. His 42-pound, 1-ounce two-day limit was good enough to beat out runner-up Tyler Woolcott of Port Orange, Fla., by more than 4 pounds.
Mathews, who fished with Longview, Texas, pro Christopher Brasher on day one and Tulsa, Okla., pro Andrew Upshaw on day two, used the same lure and tactic in the same area on both days.
“One day one we fished an area of hydrilla and reeds, throwing ChatterBaits and swimbaits,” says Mathews. “I used a half-ounce green pumpkin Z-Man/Evergreen ChatterBait Jack Hammer to catch every fish on day one.”
Mathews says the area both pros fished wasn’t exactly offshore, “but we certainly weren’t pitching reeds up on the bank. We were fishing fairly open water. Chris [Brasher] thought it was a staging area where fish were both coming and going.”
On day two, Mathews’ ChatterBait broke, so he tied on a vibrating jig a buddy of his makes.
“It had a different skirt that was bream-colored, and I think that made the difference today,” says Mathews.
Mathews, who finished 9th at the 2017 FLW Tour event on the Harris Chain, says he’ll be saving his winnings with an eye toward turning pro next year.
“Last year was my first year, but if I get another [win] I’m going to try to fish next year as a pro,” says Mathews. “My wife’s already said we’re going to put this away.”