MORRISTOWN, Tenn. (May 22, 2006) Boater Ken Vicchio of Bluff City, Tenn., earned $4,938 Saturday as winner of the Bass Fishing League Mountain Division bass fishing tournament on Cherokee Lake. The tournament was the fourth of five regular-season Mountain Division events and earned Vicchio 200 points in the Boater Division.
Vicchio also netted an additional $1,000 for being the first-place finisher enrolled in the Ranger Cup contingency program.
Vicchios winning catch of five bass weighed 19 pounds, 10 ounces. He was throwing a white jig in and around bushes and willow trees in 2 to 6 feet of water to catch his fish.
Rounding out the top five boaters are Rex Huff of Corbin, Ky. and Perry Neathery tied for second (five bass, 19 pounds, 7 ounces, $2,057); Jarrod Hembree of Berea, Ky. (five bass, 16 pounds, $1,152); and Tee Watkins of East Point, Ky. (five bass, 15 pounds, 10 ounces, $988).
Mike Williams of Lancaster, Ky., took Boater Division big-bass award honors, earning $362 for a 5-pound, 1-ounce bass. He caught his big bass on a green-pumpkin jig.
Dexter Mason of East Bernstadt, Ky., won the Co-angler Division to earn $2,403 thanks to five bass weighing 16 pounds, 12 ounces.
Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Michael Livesay of Dandridge, Tenn. (five bass, 12 pounds, 6 ounces, $1,201); Robert Reeder of Corbin, Ky. (four bass, 12 pounds, 4 ounces, $806); Steve Ward of Simpsonville, Ky. (three bass, 11 pounds, 11 ounces, $561); and Michael Casada of Pine Knot, Ky. (four bass, 9 pounds, 15 ounces, $481).
Randall Christopher of Irvine, Ky., earned $745 as the co-angler big-bass award winner with a 5-pound, 2-ounce bass.
The Mountain Divisions next event will be a two-day Super Tournament held Sept. 23-24 on the Barren River near Scottsville, Ky.