N.C.’s Hank Cherry wins Bassmaster Classic

Bassmaster Classic
Hank Cherry of Lincolnton, N.C. won the 2020 Bassmaster Classic in dominating fashion.

Hank Cherry led Bassmaster Classic from start to finish

Hank Cherry, who took a commanding lead on day one of the 2020 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Huk, won the tournament with a whopping total weight of 65 pounds, 5 ounces. He led the tournament on all three days.

Cherry, of Lincolnton, N.C., brought a limit of five fish to the scale on all three days of the tournament, and won by more than six pounds. His win added $307,500 to his bank account. This pushed his career BASS winnings to just shy of a million dollars.

Cherry’s win marks the first time a North Carolina angler has won the Bassmaster Classic since 1993, when David Fritts of Lexington, N.C. won it. The 46-year-old, fishing in his fifth Bassmaster Classic, spent most of the tournament in a small area. He used just a handful of lures, including a Z-Man Jack Hammer Chatterbait and a Megabass jerk bait with a Berkley MaxScent Chunk trailer. And his own Hank Cherry Signature Series Jig from Picasso did much of the heavy lifting.

South Carolina angler takes second place

Todd Auten of Lake Wylie, S.C. took the second spot with a three-day total of 58 pounds, 10 ounces. Like Cherry, he caught a five-fish limit on all three days of the tournament. Auten, who was fishing in his fourth Bassmaster Classic, pocketed a total of $54,500 for his showing. That pushes his career BASS winnings to $562,023.

Auten’s total weight included a 7-pound, 9-ounce bass he caught on Friday, which was the big fish of the tournament.

Jason Williamson of Wagener, S.C. was the third angler from the Carolinas to make it to Championship Sunday for this year’s Classic. He finished 11th with a three-day total weight of 48 pounds, 14 ounces. Williamson received $15,000 for his efforts.

Click here for complete results from bassmaster.com.

About Brian Cope 2725 Articles
Brian Cope is the editor of Carolina Sportsman. He has won numerous awards for his writing, photography, and videography. He is a retired Air Force combat communications technician, and has a B.A. in English Literature from the University of South Carolina. You can reach him at brianc@sportsmannetwork.com.

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