For three years, Johnny Burke, a 63-year-old retired county commissioner from Creek County, Oklahoma, has been fishing the Costa FLW Series as a co-angler just hoping he might score a top 10.
Today, Burke not only scored his first top-10 finish, but he took it all the way to the top spot for the win.
“This is really special,” he says. “I’ve been fishing these for several years just trying to make a top 10, and today I ended up winning it.”
Over the week, Burke fished with pros Holt Markum, Brandon Mosley and Tommy Dickerson. His biggest day happened on day two when Burke caught three bass weighing 9 pounds, 6 ounces while fishing with Mosley. With that, Burke took a 5-pound, 7-ounce lead into the final day.
Today, he caught just one bass while fishing with Dickerson, but he did not even need it to claim his $5,000 cash winnings as well as a new Ranger Z175 with 90-hp motor. His three-day total of 17 pounds, 2 ounces dominated the co-angler division. He won by 6-2.
All week Burke relied on a one-two combination of a Carolina-rigged Zoom Speed Craw (green pumpkin magic) and a Texas-rigged Zoom Baby Brush Hog (green pumpkin). He dyed the tips of both baits chartreuse.
“If I drew a pro fishing out on the main lake on points, I threw the Carolina-rigged Speed Craw,” Burke says. “If I drew a guy fishing back in creeks in close quarters, I pitched the Brush Hog. Both rigs helped me win this week.
“I always try to do something different from the pro,” he adds. “If he is throwing moving baits, I go to soft plastics and vice versa.”
Top 10 co-anglers
1. Johnny Burke – Bristow, Okla. – 17-2 (7) – $27,100 + Ranger Cup ($5,000)
2. Mason Roach – Willis, Texas – 11-0 (5) – $4,309
3. Tate Brumnett – Wagoner, Okla. – 10-5 (4) – $3,407
4. David See – Beggs, Okla. – 10-1 (4) – $2,982
5. Charles Parker – Broken Arrow, Okla. – 9-14 (4) – $2,556
6. Robin Babb – Tulsa, Okla. – 9-14 (3) – $2,130
7. Johnny Horton – Collinsville, Okla. – 9-5 (3) – $1,857
8. Phillip McBrien – Fairland, Okla. – 9-5 (4) – $1,491
9. Toby Wallace – Tolar, Texas – 8-14 (3) – $1,431
10. Ronnie Kane – Gravois Mills, Mo. – 7-14 (3) – $1,065