PALATKA, Fla. (Sept. 19, 2005) - Boater Jason McKinnie of Umatilla, earned $4,953 Saturday as winner of the Bass Fishing League Seminole Division Super Bass Fishing Tournament on the St. John's River. The tournament earned McKinnie 300 points in the Boater Division.
McKinnie's winning catch of 10 bass weighed 26 pounds, 14 ounces. McKinnie alternated between a Carolina-rigged junebug Paca Craw and a topwater lure to catch his bass. He received an additional $1,000 for meeting the Ranger Cup guidelines.
Finishing second was Christopher Lane of Winter Haven, with 10 bass weighing 25 pounds, 4 ounces that earned him $2,417. Deryl Williams of Lake City, claimed $1,179 as the third-place finisher thanks to seven bass weighing 24 pounds, 7 ounces. In fourth was Bobby Smith of Panama City, with nine bass weighing 22 pounds, 5 ounces worth $1,061, and finishing fifth and earning $943 was Bryan Hudgins of Orange Park, with 10 bass weighing 21 pounds, 9 ounces.
Roger Helm of Green Cove Springs, took Boater Division big-bass award honors, earning $820 for a 6-pound, 3-ounce bass. He caught his big bass on a junebug Zoom Trick worm.
Robert Dice, bested the other Co-angler Division competitors to earn $2,476 as the co-angler winner, thanks to 10 bass weighing 26 pounds, 3 ounces that he caught on a Bagley Bang-O-Lure.
Rounding out the top five co-anglers were Kenneth Hunnicutt of Jacksonville (10 bass, 23 pounds, 3 ounces, $1,209); Michael Hopper of San Mateo (10 bass, 22 pounds, 6 ounces, $590); Michael Catt of Jacksonville (seven bass, 21 pounds, 1 ounce, $531); and Matt Smith of Lynn Haven (eight bass, 18 pounds, 5 ounces, $472).
Catt earned $410 as the co-angler big-bass award winner with a 6-pound, 4-ounce bass he caught on a Zoom Super Fluke.
Lane earned and additional $1,000 as the Yamaha "Be the Best" points champion in Seminole Boater Division. Mark Gunter of Gainesville earned $500 as the Yamaha "Be the Best" points champion in the Co-angler Division.
The top 40 Seminole Division boaters and co-anglers based on year-end points standings will advance to the Lake Toho Regional near Kissimmee, Fla., Oct. 4-8 where they will compete against Bama, Bulldog and South Carolina division anglers for one of six slots in the 2006 All-American.