Team Fishers-of-Men weighed in two huge striped bass for a whopping 68.45 pounds to take first place in the Striped Bass Conservation Coalition/Christian Anglers Striper Trial tournament May 30 on Clarks Hill Lake.
Fishers-of-Men, captained by Mike Green of Huntersville, N.C., also took first place in the big-fish division of the tournament, weighing in a monster 37.65-pound striper. Their second fish, which weighed 30.81 pounds, would have taken second place in the big-fish contest, but the team only bought one big fish ticket, according to Warren Turner, president of the SBCC.
Green’s crew, a four-time Team of the Year (2002, 2003, 2005 and 2007) pulled baits on freelines and planer boards all day. Green said they found that by mixing up their presentation and offering the fish herring along with small and large gizzard shad, they got the combination of bites needed to win the tournament.
“We were fishing some big gizzard shad on planer boards and saw a big fish in some bait,” Green said. “I took a blueback herring and tossed it out on some very light line, and when it swam down into the bait, the big fish nailed it.”
Fishers-of-Men won $2,000 for their top two fish, plus $400 for the big-fish division.
Team Litl-Moments of Crawford, Ga., took second place and clinched 2009 Team of the Year honors with two fish that weighed 41.67 pounds. They won $650, plus $150 for the third big-fish at 22.11 pounds.
Litl-Moments, which also won the CAST 5-fish tournament with a total weight of 98.08 pounds, took a much different approach from Fishers-of-Men. They fished cut-bait in a secluded area, getting six bites all day and landing six stripers.
Team Mac-Mac, captained by Otho McLaughlin of Greer, finished third with two fish that weighed 37.98 pounds and won $350. They picked up another $50 with a fourth-place finish in the big-fish division with a 21.77-pound striped bass.
Capt. Rob Hedrick’s Team Bait Head finished fourth with two fish that weighed 36.58 pounds and won $300, but one of their fished weighed 30.05 pounds, good enough for second place and another $300 in the big-fish division.
Richardsons win CATT Classic
William and Mark Richardson, both of Irmo, won the May 30-31 Carolina Anglers Team Trail Classic on Lake Wateree by the smallest of margins — one ounce — to capture the largest first-place check awarded in CATT’s 12-year history: $5,980.
The Richardsons, who qualified through the Wateree Division, weighed in 10 bass for the two days at 39 pounds, eight ounces, to slip past Jim Smoak and Mike Watson, both of Sumter, who qualified through the Santee Cooper Division. Smoak and Watson weighed in 10 bass at 30-7 for second place and won $2,420.
The CATT Classic drew 61 teams.
The top 10 included:
3. Andy Owens (Camden), Wateree Division, 10 bass, 28-11, including first-day big fish, 7-3, $1,810; 4. Steve Pizzino-David Bellamy (Dalzell), Wateree Division, 10, 28-11, including second-day big fish, 5-2, $900; 5. Rusty White (Rock Hill), Wylie Division, 10, 27-12, $520; 6. Davey Whittington (Hudson, N.C.)-Don Poteat (Morganton, N.C.), 10, 27-4, $400; 7. Ray Dowey-Joey Outlaw (Lugoff), Wateree Division, 10, 25-14, $350; 8. Chad Gainey-Cleve Yarborough (Hartsville), Wateree Division, 10, 25-13, $300; 9. Jimmy McFarland-Calvin Griggs (Hartsville), Wateree Division, 25-8, $250; and 10. Josh McGregor (Timmonsville)-Larry McGregor (Hartsville), Wateree Division, 25-5, $225.
Knots wins ABA Championship
Kevin Knotts of Cross Hill weighed in a 2-day limit of 10 bass at 26.47 pounds to take first place and win $983 in the 2009 American Bass Anglers Division 96 Championship on Lake Greenwood June 13-14.
He managed to win even though he incurred a 1-pound penalty when he had to bring four dead fish to the first day weigh-in due to a failure in his livewell system. Knotts fished plastic worms in 15 feet of water on main-lake points around brushpiles and other cover.
Jeff Woods of Waterloo finished second with 10 fish that weighed 21.14 pounds. He won $663, including $90 for the second big fish at 5.54 pounds.
Sean Anderson of Saluda won the Division 96 Angler of the Year award and will compete against AOYs from other ABA divisions on Wilson Lake in Alabama in September for a Triton/Mercury boat package valued at $50,000.
Steve Wicker of Pomaria won the 2009 big-fish award for the 9.42-pound bass he caught in the Division 96 tournament Feb. 22 on Lake Greenwood.
The top five included:
3. Tony Sheppard (Lexington), 10 fish, 20.63 pounds, $263; 4. Sean Anderson (Saluda), 10, 19.21; 5. Phillip Anderson (Saluda), 10, 19.20, $65. Andy Lake of Saluda, who finished sixth with 18.61 pounds, had the big fish for the first day at 6.57 pounds and won $90.
Attaway wins Clarks Hill BFL
Norm Attaway of Clearwater weighed in five bass at 11 pounds, 6 ounces, to take first place in the Wal-Mart BFL South Carolina Division tournament at Clarks Hill on June 15.
Attaway won $3,592; he caught his fish on a green-pumpkin JymSu trick worm on a Shakey Head rig on shallow, rocky points from Georgia’s Little River back toward the dam in the Savannah River.
Rounding out the top five boaters were:
2. Danny Kirk (Bartow, Ga.), 5 bass, 11 pounds, 2 ounces, $1,796; 3. Brian Huskins (Mount Holly, N.C.), 4, 10-12, $1,201; 4. Ronnie McCoy (Lamar), 5, 10-7, $838; 5. Bo Reed (Lincolnton, Ga.), 4, 10-4, $718.
Joseph Toth of Richmond Hill, Ga., took home the Boater Division big bass award, $460, for a 4-pound, 15-ounce bass.
Michael Royals of Chapin won the Co-angler Division with five bass that weighed 9 -5, taking home $1,796.
Rounding out the top five co-anglers were:
2. Bobby Henderson (Charlotte, N.C.), 3 bass, 9-4, $898; 3. Daniel Jordan (Hartsville), 5, 8-3, $508; 4. Brian Ruppe (Irmo), 4, 8-3, $508; 5. Robert Derrick Jr. (Charlotte, N.C.), 3, 8-1, $359.
Henderson also won $230 for a 6-pound, 8-ounce bass that was the Co-angler Division big bass.
Rodgers has big AOY lead
Dearal Rodgers of Camden all but locked up the FLW Tour’s Co-Angler Angler of the Year title with a 14th-place finish in the FLW Tour event June 14 on the Kentucky/Barkley Lakes.
Rodgers weighed in two 5-fish limits at 28 pounds even and won $1,300, boosting his season winnings to $9,900 and giving him a 97-point lead over Jess Caraballo of Danbury, Conn., in the AOY race.
Rodgers said he caught fish on everything he threw during practice, but the biggest fish came on a big Texas-rigged worm.
One South Carolina angler who did not fare as well at Kentucky Lake was pro Anthony Gagliardi. He was in contention to win a second Angler of the Year title on the pro side, but he stumbled badly.
Gagliardi, who would have topped the $1 million mark in career winnings with a top 50 finish, managed only three bass that weighed a total of 8-6, finishing well out of the money. He dropped from fourth place out of contention
Ashley tops SC anglers in BASS
With just one regular-season tournament left in the Bassmaster Elite Series, Casey Ashley of Donalds appears ready to make his third-consecutive appearance in the Bassmaster Classic, while Davy Hite, the former Classic champion is back on the bubble.
After a 37th-place finish in an Elite tournament on Kentucky Lake in early June, Ashley was 21st in the Angler of the Year standings. A 19th-place finish in an Elite Series tournament on the Mississippi River a week later moved him up to 19th place.
Meanwhile Hite, from Ninety Six, was headed in the opposite direction. He finished 13th at Kentucky Lake and moved up to 27th place, but he finished out of the money in Iowa and was in 36th place with one tournament left on the schedule. The top 35 go to the Bassmasters Classic.
At seventh place, Britt Myers of Lake Wylie was the highest finisher of the South Carolina pro contingent on Kentucky Lake. He had a 4-day total of 20 bass that weighed 86 pounds, 9 ounces, and won $13,000.
Hite was next in 13th place with a 3-day total of 63-2, winning $9,506.
Two other South Carolina pros finished in the money: Jason Quinn of York, 20th with 15 bass, 58-11, $9,506; and Jason Williamson of Aiken, 31st with 15 bass, 53-14 for $9,506; and 37.
On the Mississippi River, Ashley finished 19th with 13 bass for 23 pounds, 12 ounces, and won $9,506; Todd Auten of Lake Wylie finished 33rd with 11 bass that weighed 19-13 and won $9,506.
Milligan is fourth in All-American
Although he did not weigh a fish the first day of the tournament, Tommy Milligan of Seneca finished with six that weighed 13 pounds, 6 ounces, to claim fourth place and win $6,000 in the Wal-Mart BFL All-American on the Mississippi River at Davenport, Iowa, in late May.
Davenport also collected an additional $4,500 in contingency awards: $2,250 from Ranger and $2,250 from Yamaha.
Watts fifth in Stren on Wheeler Lake
Ronnie Watts of Florence weighed in 15 bass over three days for a total of 36 pounds, 10 ounces, to finish fifth and win $5,121 in the Stren Series on Wheeler Lake June 6.
Three other fishermen from South Carolina finished in the money: Dane Odom of Chapin, 18th with 10 fish for 22-6 and $2,134; Ken Ellis of Bowman, 29th with 10 fish weighing 21-0 for $1,280; and Hal Cercopely of Alcolu, 36th with 10 fish for 19-14 and $1,067.
Fortner, Fulmer win initial Calcutta
Al Fortner and Kevin Fulmer of Prosperity weighed in five bass at 19.23 pounds to take first place in the first-ever Calcutta Open on Lake Murray May 16.
They won $1,759, which included two wins in side pots and two places in the Calcutta.
With 42 teams entered, the Calcutta paid back 123 percent due to great sponsor support, said organizer Brett Mitchell of Timmonsville.
“A Calcutta is a regular bass tournament with a twist,” said Mitchell, explaining that in addition to the regular tournament, teams are put on an auction block and sold to the highest bidder — anglers or observers.
Jarrod Nelson and Wayne Nelson of Gray Court finished second with 16.81 pounds, anchored by the second big fish, a 7.37-pound bass. Their total winnings were $1,016.
Ronnie Mueller of Prosperity and Al Odom of Chapin finished third with 15.71 to win a total of $479. Mark McCormick and Joey Sabbagha of Little Mountain weighed in 15.69 pounds for fourth place and $334. Darryl Starkey and Law Murdock of Little Mountain finished fifth with 14.99 pounds and won a total of $200. Tommy Thompson of Greer and Monty McGuffin of Westminster won $350 for the big fish of the day at 7.60 pounds.
BASS TOURNAMENTS
Bassmaster Weekend Series, SC District 9, Santee Cooper, March 28
Boater Division: 1. Terry Morris (Prosperity), 5, 21.37, $5,000; 2. Mark Hutson (Moncks Corner), 5, 19.13, $1158; 3. Ronnie Watts (Florence), 5, 18.57, $772; 4. Cecil Wolfe III (Hanahan), 5, 16.90, $541; 5. Jerry Montjoy (Eutawville), 5, 15.51, $463. Big Fish — Ray Winans (Manning), 7.97, $250.
Co-angler Division: 1. Rod Wren (Bonneau), 3, 10.31, $1,105; 2. David Cunningham (Summerville), 3, 8.75, $553; 3. Joe Crane (McCormick), 2, 7.98, $368; 4. Wes Brickle (Reevesville), 3, 7.09, $258; 5. Troy Wolffe (Charleston), 1, 6.95, $221, plus co-angler big bass, $110.
Bassmaster Weekend Series, N.C. District 5, Lake Wylie, June 20, 2009
Boater Division: 1. Eric Weir (Belmont, N.C.), 5, 19.71, $5,500; 2. Parks Jones (York), 5, 17.61, $1,302; 3. Jerry Goble (Sherrills Ford, N.C.), 5, 14.89, $868; 4. Tracy Schiff (McConnells), 5, 14.58, $607; 5. David Williams (Maiden, N.C.), 5, 13.69, $521.
Co-angler Division: 1. Brad Wright (Granite Falls, N.C.), 3, 10.92, $1,158; 2. Gordon Smith (Lake Wylie), 3, 10.52, $579; 3. Andrew Beachley (Charlotte), 3, 9.59, $386; 4. Charles Wood (Thomasville, N.C.), 3, 8.77, $270; 5. Kerry Murphy (Mooresville, N.C.), 3, 8.39, $232.
Carolina Anglers Team Tournaments
Lake Wateree, June 6, 2009
1. Travis Kelly (Camden)-Mickey Hayes (Kershaw), 5, 16-7, including 4-15 big fish, $1,096; 2. Scott Peavy (Ridgeway)-Lee Royson (Blythewood), 5, 14-14, $320; 3. Chad Gainey-Cleve Yarborough (Hartsville), 5, 14-11 $250; 4. Allen Fletcher (Hartsville), 5, 14-1, including 4-4 second big fish, $214; 5. Carlton Thompkins-Timmy Thompkins, (Myrtle Beach), 5, 13-7, $100.
Carolina Anglers Team Tournaments
Lake Wateree, June 27, 2009
1. Steve Phillips (Lugoff), 5, 17-0, $865; 2. Paul Wells-Donald Wells (Ridgeway), 5, 16-6, $300; 3. Joey Bramlett- Freddie Gibbs (Darlington), 5, 14-5, $200; 4. Glen Altman (Marion) 5, 14-3, $120; 5. Walt Almond-Chad Rabon, 13-14. Big Fish: Phillip Anderson-Jamie Singleton (Saluda), 5-11, $161.
STRIPER TOURNAMENTS
Midlands Striper Club
Lake Murray, June 20, 2009
1. Team Catchall, Lee Thomas and Kreg Frady (Leesville), 4 fish, 29-0, including 12-15 big fish; 2. Team Wildman, Danny Young (Sumter)-Skip Morgan (Rock Hill), 18-11; 3. Team Cowcatcher, Rick Kellemeyer and Bobby Sammons (Chapin), 13-14.
Tournament directors: Send your schedules and your tournament results in the format shown as soon as possible after your tournaments. Be sure to include names, hometowns, number of fish caught, total weight, prize money and big fish information. Email to Pat Robertson: patrob@upthecreek.net.
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