Stevens wins co-angler title
COLUMBIANA, Ala. (June 27, 2016) – Coby Carden of Shelby, Alabama, weighed a five-bass limit totaling 18 pounds, 2 ounces, Saturday to win the fourth FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Bama Division tournament of 2016 on Lay Lake. For his victory, Carden took home $5,009.
Carden said he began his day fishing shallow willow grass on the upper end of the lake.
“I hit four areas and caught two 4-pound largemouths on a Spro Dean Rojas Bronzeye Poppin’ Frog 60,” said Carden, who earned his second win in FLW competition. “Around 9 a.m., I went out deep to main-river ledges to fill out my limit.”
Carden said he rotated between a Citrus Sparkle-colored Livingston Lures Dive Master crankbait and a Junebug Red-colored Big Bite Baits Kriet Tail Worm on the ledges.
“I had six ledges where I let the crankbait dive 10 feet down and ran the worm near stumps,” said Carden. “They were my sweet spots. I had my limit-fish by 1 p.m. and didn’t do much upgrading after that. I was just in the right place at the right time Saturday. It was a great tournament.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
1st: Coby Carden, Shelby, Ala., five bass, 18-2, $5,009
2nd: David Gaston, Sylacauga, Ala., five bass, 17-2, $2,005
3rd: Chris Rutland, Wetumpka, Ala., five bass, 15-5, $1,336
4th: Terry Tucker, Gadsden, Ala., five bass, 14-0, $935
5th: Shawn Marquis, Fortson, Ga., five bass, 13-13, $802
6th: Kenny Malone, Columbiana, Ala., five bass, 13-5, $1,285
7th: Bobby Jones, Fayetteville, Ga., five bass, 13-4, $668
8th: Jeff Carreker, Locust Grove, Ga., five bass, 13-1, $601
9th: Joe Wikoff, Phenix City, Ala., five bass, 12-15, $535
10th: Clabion Johns, Covington, Ga., five bass, 12-9, $468
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Malone caught a bass weighing 6 pounds even – the biggest of the tournament in the pro division – and earned the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $550.
Garrett Stevens of McDonough, Georgia, weighed in three bass totaling 11 pounds, 2 ounces, Saturday to win the co-angler division and earn $2,135.
The top 10 co-anglers were:
1st: Garrett Stevens, McDonough, Ga., three bass, 11-2, $2,135
2nd: Danny Smith, Tyrone, Ga., five bass, 10-12, $1,000
3rd: Jeffrey Ford, Trion, Ga., five bass, 9-12, $666
4th: Chance Hebert, Norcross, Ga., five bass, 8-15, $467
5th: Slaton Jemison, Mathews, Ala., five bass, 8-14, $400
6th: Larry Purdie, Columbus, Ga., three bass, 8-6, $367
7th: Michael Donaldson, Thorsby, Ala., four bass, 8-0, $333
8th: Todd Radney, Oxford, Ala., four bass, 7-15, $300
9th: Michael Smith, Piedmont, S.C., five bass, 7-10, $250
9th: Hayden Tilley, Ider, Ala., five bass, 7-10, $250
Rodney Thompson of Highland Home, Alabama, caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the co-angler division, a fish weighing 5 pounds, 11 ounces and earned the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $135.
The top 50 boaters and 50 co-anglers based on point standings will qualify for the Oct. 27-29 Regional Championship on Lake Hartwell in Seneca, South Carolina. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard and $20,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard.
The BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 120 tournaments throughout the season, five in each division. The top 50 boaters and co-anglers from each division qualify for a regional tournament and are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American. Top winners in the BFL can move up to the Costa FLW Series or even the Walmart FLW Tour.
