Midlands Striper Club tournament

Conrad Bolt of Seneca was the big winner at the SC BASS Federation Tournament on Lake Russell in early June.

He climbs from 19th place with final-day catch

Nick Gainey of Charleston closed in a hurry, moving from 19th to second place on the final day of the EverStart Series Northern Division tournament on North Carolina’s Kerr Lake in mid-June.

Gainey checked in a 5-fish limit the final day that weighed 12 pounds, 12 ounces and that left him just seven ounces out of first place with a 3-day total of 35-11.

His runnerup check was worth $9,000, and his second-place finish moved him to second place in the Angler of the Year standings.

Three other fishermen from South Carolina finished in the money. Ryan Bowman of Seneca was 12th with 12-9 and won $566. Cecil Wolf of Cross finished 14th with 11-12 and won $566, and David Kelly of Goose Creek took 28th with nine pounds and won $445.

Two S.C. pros finish in top 10 at Toledo Bend

Two bass pros from South Carolina finished in the top 10 in a Bassmaster Elite Series tournament on Louisiana’s Toledo Bend Reservoir in mid-June.

Marty Robinson of Lyman finished third with 77.11 pounds and won $20,000, and Casey Ashley of Donalds finished ninth with 65 pounds and won $12,000.

Davy Hite of Ninety Six also finished in the money, taking 39th with 37.1 pounds, worth $10,000.

Kansan Brent Chapman won the tournament with 83.9 pounds. Cliff Pace of Petal, Miss., was second with 79.5 pounds.

Lexington team wins striper tournament

Team “Something Fishy” of Lexington — Weston Thomas, Phillip Morris and Matt Blackwell — won the May 19 Midlands Striper Club event on Clarks Hill and took the youth trophy and big-fish award.

Thomas’ crew finished the tournament with two fish that weighed 52.1 pounds. Their big fish weighed 32.1 pounds.

Team “Reel Time” of Van Cook and Tom Gitto of Irmo took second with four fish weighed 27-3. Team “Wildman” of Donnie Christopher, Justin Christopher, Skip Morgan, Thomas Higgins of Rock Hill and Dan Young of Sumter was third with one fish that weighed 23-6.

Bolt wins on Seneca

Conrad Bolt of Seneca won the Angler Division of the South Carolina B.A.S.S. Federation on Lake Russell June 9 with five bass weighing 11.79 pounds, and he had the day’s big fish, a 3.87-pound bass.

Bolt was fishing deep with a Strike King 6XD crankbait and a half-ounce football jig with a yellow Yamamoto twintail grub off main-river points.

Edward Singleton of Anderson was second with a 5-fish limit weighing 11.19 pounds. Chris Blanchette of Irmo was third with 9.80, James Clements of Hartsville was fourth with 9.75 pounds, and Kim Neal of Easley finished fifth with 9.3.

In the co-angler division, Louis Engel won with a 7.77-pound limit.

St. Andrews wins junior state championship

The St. Andrews Junior Bass Anglers won the May 19 Youth Angler State Championship.

The Bass Federation (TBF) of South Carolina hosted the tournament, which drew with 98 anglers from 17 schools and clubs across the state.

Tanner Lindler of St. Andrews won the 11-14 age group, and Clayton Lowder of the Santee Junior Bass Club won the 15-18 age group. Both qualified to fish the Juniors World Championship on Georgia’s Lake Lanier this fall, competing for $5000 in scholarship money.

Lindler, from Lexington, had four bass that weighed 7.84 pounds. Lowder, from Mayesville, caught a 5-fish limit that weighed 14.30 pounds. Both won $500 to help with the expenses for their trip to Lake Lanier.

St. Andrews’ team of Lindler, Kyle Black, Chris Blanchette, Michael Dial, Shane Cantley and David Bradley, had a cumulative weight of 45.21 pounds. The Mid-Carolina Junior Anglers were second with 27.11 pounds.

Big-fish awards went to Jacob Gray of Abbeville in the 11-14 group for his 5.28-pound fish, and to Michael Morris in the 15-18 group for his 4.96-pound fish.

BASS TOURNAMENTS

American Couples Series,

Lake Hartwell, June 9

1. Scott Asbill-Windy Asbill (Clinton), 5, 17.49, $713; 2. Trent Gober-Laura Gober (Pendergrass), 16.30; 3. Randy Childers-Lesley Childers (Anderson), 15.16; 4. Chris Powell-Misty Powell, 14.97; 5. Vince Smith-Amanda Smith (Westminster), 12.70, plus 4.55 pound men’s big fish. Women’s big fish: Lenora Key (Trenton), 4.77 pounds.

BFL, SC DIvision, Lake Wateree, June 2

1. Steve Phillips (Lugoff), 5, 17-1, $3,028; Scott Peavy (Lugoff), 5, 13-13, $1,500; 3. Mark Inman (Greensboro, N.C.), 5, 13-7; 4. Rick McLean (Dalzell), 5, 12-14, $707; 5. Roby Kelley (Sumter), 5, 12-8, $606. Co-anglers: 1. DJ McEachern (Columbia), 5, 13-2, $1,514; 2. Vernie Haltiwanger (Lexington), 5, 9-5, $757; 3. Jerry Lineberger (Lincolnton, N.C.), 4, 8-14, $505; 4. Stuart Toney (Raeford, N.C.), 3, 8-11; $353; 5. Bobby Henderson (Charlotte), 5, 8-10. $303.

CATT Summer Final, Lake Murray, June 23

1. Howard Stephens-Mark McCormick, 5 bass, 17.19 pounds, plus second big fish, 3.94 pounds, $921; 2. Johnny Mayer-Clay Riddle, 16.81, plus first big fish, 4.69 pounds, $509.

CATT Summer Trail, Lake Wateree, June 16

1. Mickey Hayes-Travis Kelly, 5, 16.06, plus second big fish, 5.26 pounds, $1,051; 2. Alan Fletcher-Danny Johnson, 5, 15.93, plus first big fish, 6.19 pounds, $539; 3. Rodney Cromer-Will Anderson, 15.03, $225; 4. Andy Owens, 15.03, $125; 5. Donald Hinson-Jeff Hatfield, 14.82, $100.

CATT Summer Trail, Lake Murray, June 16

1. Clay Riddle-Johnny Mayer, 5, 18.88 pounds, plus first big fish, 5.05, $340; 2. Rhett Manus-Doug Lown, 5, 17.69, plus second big fish, 4.75, $15.

CATT Summer Trail, Santee Cooper, June 16

1. Perry Holloway-Tim Sox, 5, 20.04, plus first big fish, 7.24, $641; 2. Chase Wiles-Shane Wiles, 17.41, $200; Joe Avin-Larry Avin, second big fish, 6.40, $39.

CATT Summer Trail, Santee Cooper, June 9

1. Brett Mitchell-Jerry Montjoy, 5 bass, 21.24, plus second big fish, 6.92, $396; 2. Ronnie-Lee Morris, 18.89, plus first big fish, 7.87, $264.

CATT Summer Trail, Lake Murray, June 9

1. Howard Stephens-Mark McCormick, 5, 20.02, plus first big fish, 6.01, $363; 2. Johnny Mayer-Clay Riddle, 5, 19.05, plus second big fish, 5.11, $307.

CATT Summer Trail, Lake Wateree, June 9

1. Donald Wells-Paul Wells, 5, 15.01, $550; 2. Chad Rabon-Walt Almond, 5, 14.76, plus second big fish, 4.99, $775; 3. Kane Simpson-Tracy Simpson, 14.50, plus first big fish, 5.67, $375; 4. Mickey Hayes-Travis Kelly, 5, 14.35, $110; 5. Max Price, 14.04, $100.