Davy Hite of Ninety Six took home his eighth BASS tournament title in early April by winning a Bassmaster Elite event on Alabama’s Lake Pickwick.
Hite’s 4-day total of 84 pounds, nine ounces, was good for the first-place prize money of $100,000. He led the final three days of the tournament and wound up with a winning margin of eight pounds
“I don’t take for granted winning No. 8, I promise you,” said Hite, who earned a spot in the 2012 Bassmaster Classic with the win. “This is as meaningful to me as the first one I ever won. It’s like a drug, I can’t describe the way it feels to win one of these things.”
Jason Quinn of York was the only other South Carolina angler to finish in the Top 20, taking 16th with 51-6. Andy Montgomery of Blacksburg was 29th with 46-4, and Jason Williamson of Aiken took 43rd with 43-8.
Hite had another Top 20 finish the next week in a BASS Elite event on Louisiana’s Lake Texoma, taking 19th place with 44-8 and moving to 13th in the BASS Angler of the Year standings. Montgomery had the best finish of any South Carolina pro, taking sixth with 66 pounds and winning $13,000. Marty Robinson of Lyman was 18th with 44-9. He and Hite won $10,000 each.
Casey Ashley of Donalds, Quinn and Williamson all finished in the money, winning $10,000 each. Ashley was 34th with 40-14, Quinn was 40th with 37-12 and Williamson was 44th with 36.14.
Dean Rojas won at Toledo Bend with 70-15, edging Gerald Swindle by one ounce.
Cannons are crappie champs
Ellis and Jon Cannon of Chapin won the Southern Crappie Tournament Trail’s season-ending “Classic” on Lake Hartwell in early April.
The Cannons’ 2-day total of 14 crappie weighed 25.32 pounds and was good for the $3,000 first-prize money, along with $700 in bonus money.
Randy Pope and Steve Dietz of Hickory, N.C., were second with 23.96 pounds, good for $1,000.
Dennis Outlaw of Camden and Steve Deason of Gray, Ga., finished third with 22.82 and $500. Leonard Frick and Lewis Marshall of Leesville won $300 for 21.44 pounds and fourth place, and Devin Brothers of Central and Chris Yonce of Anderson rounded out the top five with 18.76 pounds for $200.
Sakovich tops Jocassee field
Lee Sakovich won the April 16 Jocassee Outdoor Center Trout Tournament on Lake Jocassee with a 3.19-pound brown trout.
“The wind was brutal out there,” said Sakovich, who caught a rainbow trout early in the morning, then caught his big brown at 3:20 p.m. in the Whitewater River on a large minnow.
Matt McCreary of Easley took second with 1.97 pounds, and Leon Baker of Charlotte, N.C., was fourth with 1.88.
Rikard wins TBF event at Santee
Robert Rikard of Lexington won The Bass Federation event in early April with three bass that weighed 11.89 pounds.
Rikard, whose catch included a 5.78-pounder, won $967.
Bernie Dreher was second with 11.16 for $577, and Buddy Walden took third with 11.12 for $385.
Rich Gerken of Prosperity won $213 for winning the big-bass award with a 6.2-pound largemouth.
Shane Cantley of Camden, fishing in the co-angler division, had the day’s biggest catch, four bass weighing 16.67 pounds, worth $577. D.J. McEachern took second with 10.72 and had a 6.16-pound big bass, good for a total of $474. Nate Nienhuis of Lexington was third with 10.05 and won $230.
Keith gets Top 10 in FLW event
Jay Keith of Camden took home $15,000 for his eighth-place finish in an FLW Tour event on Tennessee’s Lake Chickamauga in mid-April.
Keith finished with 18 bass that weighed 57 pounds, doing most of his damage with a Texas-rigged craw.
Three other South Carolina pros finished in the money: Dearal Rodgers of Camden, 14th with 43.10 for $12,500; Michael Murphy of Gilbert, 16th with 32.02 for $11,000, and Todd Auten of Lake Wylie, 30th at 31.11 for $11,000.
Clifford Pirch of Arizona won with 77.03 pounds.
Anderson wins at Russell
Phillip Anderson of Saluda won the ABA District 96 tournament on Lake Russell on April 10 with a 5-fish limit that weighed 16.22 pounds.
Anderson, who caught most of his fish on spinnerbaits around wood and brushpiles, took home $753 in first-prize money.
John Axsom of Gray Court took second with 14.59 pounds, including the tournament’s big fish, a 5.2-pound lunker. His total winnings were $616.
Cason Nickles of Due West was third with 14.52 pounds, good for $132, plus 198 points.
BASS TOURNAMENTS
March of Dimes Benefit
Lake Keowee, April 2
1. Paul Subree (Pendleton)-Brad Gambrell (Seneca), 15.83 pounds, $1,000, plus 5.37-pound big fish. 2. Bradley Rhodes-Chris Dorlan, 14.20, $360; 3. Gerald Owens-Kyle Owens, 13.17, $200.
Walmart BFL Savannah River,
Lake Russell, April 2
1. Scott Browning (Franklin, N.C.), 5 bass, 19-5, $3,963, plus 7-3 big bass, $535; 2. Kerry Partain (Elberton, Ga.), 5, 17-1, $1,981; 3. Brandon Cobb (Greenwood), $1,322; 4. Travis Moon (Belton), 5, 15-4, $925; 5. Jack Corey (Lincolnton, Ga.), 14-11, $793. Co-Angler: 1. Jeremy Teal (Carnesville, Ga.), 5, 11-1, $1,981 plus $267 for 5-7 big bass; 2. Joe Anders (Easley), 5, 10-15; 3. Drew Williams (Clemson), 5, 10-7, $662.
Carolina Anglers Tournament Trail
Santee April 16
1. Nelson Walker (Manning)-Chris Brunson (Sumter), 5 bass, 25.54 pounds, $550; 2. Randall Driggers (Turbeville)-Josh McGregor (Timmonsville), 5, 23.64, $690; 3. Jim Smoak-Mike Watson (Sumter), 5, 23.49, 2nd big fish, 7.92, $306; 4. Bob-Judy Whitgreave (Manning), 5, 23.13, $125; 5. Craig McFadden-Jeff Cantey (Salter), 5, 23.11,, $100; 1st place big fish, Rodney-Chris Wren, 8.17, $189.
Lake Wateree April 2
1. Chad Gainey-Cleve Yarborough (Hartsville), 5 bass, 23.36 pounds, $7,123; 2. Wayne King (Sumter)-Jimmy Bass (Florence) 5, 20.61, $1,932; 3. Brian Holmes (Ridgeway)-Vic Stillinger (Thomason, Ga.), 5, 18.34, $1,000; 4. Ronnie McCoy (Lamar)- Lin Langston (Bishopville), 5, 18.24, $700; 5. Donald Hinson-Pat Clark (Lugoff), 5, 17.87, plus 2nd big fish, 6.07, $677; 6. Freddie Faulkenberry-Trent McLaughlin, 17.81, $300; 7. Nicky Hill-Terry Coleman, 17.80, $250; 8. Van Smith-Jason Watkins, 17.08, $200; 9. Andy Owens, 16.99, $175; 10. Mark Richardson-William Richardson, 16.87, $150,
Lake Murray April 2
1. Howard Stephens (Columbia)-Mark McCormick (Chapin), 5 bass, 19.25 pounds, plus 1st big fish, 5.5 pounds, $739; 2. Randall Driggers (Tubreville)-Josh McGregor (Timmonsville), 5, 18.06, $670; 3. Jeremy Wilson (Lincolnton, NC), 16.88, $225; 4. Gene Gibbs (Columbia)- Danny Jorgenson (Lexington),16.38, $125; 5. Casey Logan-Jim Sims (Hopkins), 14.13, $100; Brian-Bobby Purvis, 2nd big fish, 5.25, $81.
Lake Wylie Mar 26
1. Clay Williams (Charlotte, NC)-David Redman (Concord, NC), 5 bass, 18.69 pounds, 2nd place big fish, 4.19 pounds, $1,128; 2. Tim Chapman (Kings Mountain, NC)-Marc Leech (Gastonia, NC), 5, 16.06, $360; 3. Brian-Hunter Key (Pomaria), 16.31, plus 1st place big fish, 4.88, $477; 4. James Buchanon-Warren Wylie (Charlotte, NC), 15.88, $140; 5. Jay Adams-Greg Clayton (York), 15.8, $110; 6. Jim- Zach Davis, 14.31, $100.
Lake Wateree, March 26
1. Greg Sigmon-Tracy Pope (Lancaster), 5 bass, 21.58 pounds, 2nd place big fish, 5.97 pounds, $1,721; 2. Ron Catoe (Lugoff), 5, 19.15, $500; 3. David Ethridge-Mike Catoe (Lancaster),18.99, $350; 4. Scott Floyd-Bob Weaver (Sumter), 18.84, $260; 5. Ken McFarland (Morganton, NC)- Darryl Watson (Mathews, NC ), 5, 18.43, $165; 6. Chad Gainey -Cleve Yarborough, 18.24, $130; 7. Barry Holloman-Joey Bramlett, 17.62, $120; 8. Sam Dowey-Tommy Moak, 17.32, $115; 9. Larry Hastings-Jack Gilmore, 17.21, $90; Mark-William Richardson, 1st place big fish, 6.47, $329.
Lake Murray, March 19
1. Randall Driggers (Turbeville)-Josh McGregor (Timmonsville), 5 bass, 19.31 pounds, 2nd place big fish, 5.06, $1,084; 2. Jake Frick-Mike Powers (Lexington), 5, 18.31, plus 1st big fish, 6.13, $546; 3. Clay-Mike Riddle (Chapin), 5, 17.56, $250; 4. Gene Gibbs (Columbia)-Danny Jorgenson (Lexington), 16.69, $130; 5. Charlie Sansbury (Chapin)-Tim Huffstetler (Little Mountain), 14.5, $100.
Santee Cooper, March 19
1. Art Lance-Mike Stewart (Sumter), 5 bass, 24.62 pounds, $820; 2. Mark Williams-Patrick Williams (Blythewood), 5 bass, 24.59 pounds, 1st big fish, 9.23 pounds, $696; 3. Nelson Walker (Manning)-Chris Brunson (Sumter), 5, 24.05, $320;. 4. John Howard (Elloree)- Kenneth Ellis (Bowman), 21.96, bonus, $590; 5. Terry and Corey Barr (Summerton), 21.29, $140; 6. Robert Ross-William Davis, 21.65, $110; 7. Rodney Wren-Rod Wren, 20.83, $100; 2nd big fish, Jess Williams-Richard Smith, 8.35 pounds, $114.
Glenn “Teach” Corley grew up in Seneca and returned to Oconee County to teach high school and also began his career as a freelance writing. Now retired from the classroom, he has had more than 200 articles and/or photos published in newspapers and magazines, including: Bassmaster, Field & Stream, and Sports Afield.
To have your tournament results or schedule published, email captteachcorley@hotmail.com.
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