Heavy fog delayed the quest of 139 Alabama B.A.S.S. Nation State Championship tournament anglers fishing for prizes, cash and a coveted place on the Alabama State Team. Launch on October 17 from Wind Creek Marina, Lake Martin, had to be held-back until 9:30 AM due to safety concerns due to a very heavy fog bank. However, the second day, competitors were able to launch at the scheduled early morning time.
The delayed start of day one did not affect the results for Chad Miller, Rumbling Waters Bass Anglers, who had a two day total of 24.63 pounds. Hank Golden, Kowaliga Bassmasters, made the first place finish a close one with 23.50 pounds.
Chad Miller, Rumbling Waters Bass Anglers, who had a two day total of 24.63 pounds with ABN Director Eddie Plemons.
– SFN photo
Tuscaloosa Bass Anglers Association member Marty Giddens had a strong third place total of 21.97 pounds. At fourth was Steven Ingram, Kowaliga Bassmasters, with 21.09 pounds of Lake Martin bass. Jonathan Edwards, ALA-Tenn Bass Club found 21.04 pounds of bass in the clear water to take fifth.
The big bass for day one went to Hank Golden for a 5.78 lb. fish. On day two, the big fish was brought in by Coby Carden. Big fish of year went to Mike Scroggins for a 6.98 pounder.
For a complete list of the results go to the Alabama B.A.S.S. Nation site at: http:// http://www.albassnation.com/tourny/2014/SC2014.pdf .
Patterns varied from angler to angler- widely. No particular lure or technique dominated the tournament. The closest to the “hot lures” were square bill crankbaits, shakyhead, jigs and topwater- being primarily buzzbaits.
Hank Golden said he caught two on a spinnerbait and flipped docks with a ½ oz. jig. He rotated jig colors between green pumpkin and peanut butter. Jonathan Edwards said, “We got to
Jonathan Edwards, fifth place, had a two day total of 21.04 pounds. -SFN photo
topwater fish today! They held us three hours yesterday (due to the fog). We caught some on a ghost shad Sammy topwater at Kowaliga and with a watermelon seed shaky worm.”
A green shakyhead was the lure for all of no-boater Eldred Lewis’ fish. Lewis fished anywhere from ten to twenty feet. Lee Byrd said he was catching bass from two feet to forty-five feet using a square bill crankbait, a jigging spoon, a DD22 and a topwater. Byrd said, “The best fish I caught today was over ninety feet of water on a topwater lure.” He added that the key was finding where the fish were and adapting with a lure for that kind of water. Topwater was the ticket for Steven Ingram who caught all of his fish in the first three hours on the second day of competition. Ingram used a buzzbait and a Zaraspook on points and seawalls.
Chuck Thurlow fished for spotted bass a little off the shoreline with jigs and crankbaits. Thurlow said his best fish on day two came on jigs but had 3 lbs. on day one which he said was not how you win. He added that the Alabama B.A.S.S. Nation was a wonderful organization that he was proud to be a part of. Coby Carden’s first fish of the day was the big fish on day two. Carden used a buzzbait. He also used chartreuse, square bill crankbait along with the black buzzbait.
Danny Grantham also went to a buzzbait over brush piles as well as a shakyhead and dropshot worm. Worm color was a green pumpkin and watermelon candy.
Colby Wells, a 17 year old high school tournament fisherman, took No-Boater Angler Of The Year honors. Jack White topped the points for Angler Of The Year. White took the AOY title without winning a single tournament during the year. Second place for AOY went to Hunter Ingram.
The bonus for the highest finishing B.A.S.S. Nation high school angler went to Ryan Shields. Chris Pope won a bonus for finishing as the highest weight no-boater.
Alabama B.A.S.S. Nation State Team. SFN photo
Several Alabama B.A.S.S. Nation members earned a spot for regional and possibly the national tournament by qualifying for the Alabama State Team.
The Lake Tuscaloosa Bassmasters took the club team competition. Members of the club fishing the championship were: George Crain; Jack White; Rickie Harp; Don Hogue; Tim Cornelius; and Joe Lay.
The championship event also had several high school anglers competing: Ryan Shields, HS Hazel Green Fishing Team; Laura Ann Foshee, Gardendale Rockets Bas Fishing Club; Samuel Evans, Russellville High School Golden Tiger Club; Tanner Jones, Tuscaloosa County High Bass Team; Billy Knapp, Huntsville Anglers; and DJ Barber, Gardendale Rockets Bass Fishing Club. All of the high school Anglers brought fish to the scales. The Alabama B.A.S.S. High School Championship will be on November 1.
Saxton Long, Ryan Shields and Samuel Evans were among the high school anglers that made a good showing at the championship. – SFN photo
The statistics from the championship event were 1,068 fish weighed with a total weight of 1,576.65 pounds and 100% of the bass released. The average weight per participant was 11.18 lbs. and the average weight was 1.48 pounds. Only one contestant failed to boat a legal limit fish both days of the tournament.
Take a look at the event’s photo album. The (long) URL to the album is: https://plus.google.com/…/111722…/albums/6072089766287787889
