Mixed Bag Takes Steadman to Top
Brinson grabs co-angler title on Tims Ford
David Steadman Jr. of Normandy, Tennessee, won the T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Music City Division tournament on Tims Ford Lake Saturday with a five-bass limit weighing 14 pounds, 13 ounces. Steadman pocketed $2,648 for his win.
“I fished the main-lake area with a shad-colored crankbait and caught about 20 fish total,” says Steadman, who logged his first career win in FLW competition. “I focused on transition banks where postspawn fish were heading back out into the lake. Some of the spots had rocks, some had gravel and some were a mix. They were fairly typical locations where I’ve caught postspawners in the past.”
Steadman worked through 11 different areas to craft his limit.
“I hit a lull during the day from around 10:30 (a.m.) until noon, but I stuck with it and caught two of my biggest late in the day,” says Steadman.
Steadman says the fish in his areas were all smallmouth in practice, but on the day of the tournament there were largemouth present as well.
“I think I caught five largemouth during the event and ended up weighing four smallmouth and one largemouth.”
The top 10 boaters:
1st: David Steadman Jr., Normandy, Tenn., five bass, 14-13, $2,648
2nd: John Wilkerson, Nashville, Tenn., five bass, 14-3, $1,524
3rd: Matt Stanley, Alexandria, Tenn., five bass, 13-13, $982
4th: Tony Eckler, Lebanon, Tenn., five bass, 13-4, $574
4th: Cornell Creciun III, Nolensville, Tenn., five bass, 13-4, $574
6th: Adam Wagner, Cookeville, Tenn., five bass, 12-9, $485
7th: Mark Condron, Wilton, Conn., five bass, 12-7, $441
8th: Josh Tramel, Smithville, Tenn., five bass, 12-6, $397
9th: Hunter Bouldin, McMinnville, Tenn., five bass, 11-13, $353
10th: Daniel Johnson, Lebanon, Tenn., five bass, 11-12, $293
10th: Gerald Williams, Scottsville, Ky., five bass, 11-12, $293
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Rocco Simeri of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, brought a 4-pound, 11-ounce bass to the scale – the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division – and earned the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $285.
Brinson wins co-angler title
Bryan Brinson of Hendersonville, Tennessee, won the Co-angler Division and $1,324 Saturday after catching five bass weighing 12 pounds, 5 ounces.
The top 10 co-anglers:
1st: Bryan Brinson, Hendersonville, Tenn., five bass, 12-5, $1,324
2nd: Marty Barnes, Crossville, Tenn., four bass, 9-9, $662
3rd: Eric Eden, Hartsville, Tenn., five bass, 9-1, $440
4th: Ryan Cross, Murfreesboro, Tenn., four bass, 7-15, $309
5th: Sam Loveless, Somerset, Ky., four bass, 7-6, $265
6th: Jake May, La Vergne, Tenn., three bass, 7-1, $243
7th: Gregory Goodwin, Louisville, Ky., three bass, 6-10, $221
8th: Austin Mitchell, Antioch, Tenn., three bass, 6-5, $199
9th: Devin Bargatze, Nashville, Tenn., two bass, 5-6, $377
10th: Blake Balent, Gallatin, Tenn., two bass, 5-4, $154
Jordan Young of Hillsboro, Tennessee, caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division weighing in at 4 pounds, 3 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $142.
The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the region based on point standings, along with the five winners in each qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 18-20 BFL Regional Championship on Lake Norman in Huntersville, North Carolina. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard and $20,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard.