EUFAULA, Ala. – It was do or die and Rob Digh did it. (Three times fast – anyone?). The North Carolina standout entered the last day of the B.A.S.S. Nation Southern Divisional atop the field on Lake Eufaula. Trailing in second, Florida stick Chad Prough caught his biggest bag of the event – a 20-pound, 2-ounce limit – and put some serious heat on the winner. However, buoyed by his Day 2 weight of 22-13 – the tournament’s largest sack – Digh added 16-14 in the final round and surged across the finish line with a three-day total of 54-15 and a 2-pound, 1-ounce winning margin.
Fishing grass in about 6 inches to 3 feet of water, Digh was mostly targeting bed fish. He wasn’t sight fishing; rather, he was working areas where he knew Eufaula’s remaining spawners would position. Digh fished a ChatterBait with a Zoom Speed Craw trailer and he also pitched a 1/2-ounce Outlaw jig with a Zoom Big Salty Chunk trailer. Compared to his huge second-round sack, his Day 3 productivity dropped off a good bit. Digh, however, said he was happy with his catch.
“Anytime you catch 16 pounds, it’s a good day on the water,” Digh said. “I struggled a little bit with my bigger fish today, and I lost several nice fish. I had trouble getting them out of the grass. They’d come up and swipe at the bait and they’d (sometimes) miss it. We were around them; I just didn’t get all mine in the boat.”
Overall, the Day 3 weights were considerably better than the previous two days. The final day yielded five bags larger than 20 pounds, including a 21-pound, 4-ounce limit from the top high school team, Alabama’s Zeke Gossett and Hayden Bartee. Their catch was the tournament’s third largest. The average fish was a little less than 3 pounds. The Top 10 had 44 pounds, 9 ounces or more, but the vast majority of competitors brought in 25 to 34 pounds for their total weight. Day 3 saw 55 anglers catch limits.
The week’s weather was quite the see-saw, as an approaching cold front brought chilly rain the day before the tournament and then followed with high pressure and bright skies on Day 1. Air and water temperatures warmed on Day 2, while cloudy skies provided a welcome break from the previous day’s bluebird conditions. Rain returned for Day 3, as a downpour met anglers at the morning launch and stayed with them through the final weigh-ins. Digh said his fishing results offered a predictable reflection of these conditions.
“The cold weather hindered me the first day, and then the warming trend the second day really helped my fishing,” Digh said. “Today was very tough. It was a good thing for fishing, but mentally, it worked on you.”
In addition to winning the event, Digh was also the top angler for his team. The North Carolina B.A.S.S. Nation state team had three anglers in the Top 12 and placed second in the state competition with 465 pounds, 10 ounces. Alabama, the host state, won the state competition with 485-6, and Georgia placed third with 456-2.
With his Southern Divisional win, Digh earned an invitation to the 2014 B.A.S.S. Nation Championship, Nov. 6-8 on Louisiana’s Ouachita River. Other state winners, who also qualified for the Nation Championship with Digh, are Coby Carden, Alabama; Chad Prough, Florida; Waine Pittman, Georgia; Michael Boggs, Kentucky; Will Duncan, South Carolina; and Raleigh Todd, Tennessee. Carden competed in the 2014 Bassmaster Classic in Birmingham, Ala., via the Nation and is looking to go back in 2015.
Digh won $250 Thursday from Livingston Lures for being the Day 2 leader. Jack Smith, of Cadiz, Tenn., won the Carhartt Big Bass honors, a $500 prize awarded to the angler who caught the biggest bass of the tournament.
2014 BASS Nation Southern Divisional 4/16-4/18
Lake Eufaula, Lake Eufaula AL.
(ANGLER) Standings Day 3
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts
1. Rob Digh Denver, NC (NC) 15 54-15 0
2. Chad Prough Bonifay, FL (FL) 15 52-14 0
3. Raleigh Todd Lexington, TN (TN) 15 50-07 0
4. Will Duncan Conway, SC (SC) 15 48-13 0
5. Michael Boggs Portsmouth, OH (KY) 14 48-05 0
6. Randy Groves Creedmore, NC (NC) 15 47-15 0
7. Coby Carden Shelby, AL (AL) 15 46-12 0
8. Dave Turner Crystal River, FL (FL) 15 45-08 0
9. Waine Pittman Villa Rica, GA (GA) 15 45-05 0
10. Brent Long Iron Station, NC (SC) 15 44-09 0
11. Ray Covington Chatom, AL (AL) 15 44-07 0
12. Jody Wright Ellenboro, NC (NC) 15 44-05 0
13. Danny Allen Loris, SC (SC) 15 42-06 0
14. John Roth Lawrenceburg, IN (KY) 15 42-02 0
15. George Crain Cropwell, AL (AL) 15 41-11 0
16. HS-AL Gossett/ Bartee Cropwell, AL (AL) 10 41-10 0
17. Richard Cobb Richmond, KY (KY) 13 41-01 0
18. Wes Logan Springville, AL (AL) 14 40-14 0
19. James Clements Charlotte, NC (SC) 12 40-09 0
20. Kyle Christopher Irvine, KY (KY) 14 39-09 0
21. Travis Mcdermott Kennesaw, GA (GA) 15 38-11 0
22. Jack Tibbs Eufaula, AL (AL) 14 37-10 0
23. Michael Carson Gastonia, NC (SC) 15 37-05 0
24. Brendan Smith Roswell, GA (GA) 15 37-05 0
25. Danny Murphy Granite Falls, (NC) 11 37-01 0
26. Mark Pierce Radcliff, KY (TN) 12 36-14 0
27. Jeffrey Allison Jr. Gaffney, SC (SC) 12 36-08 0
28. Marvin Cross Eastover, SC (SC) 13 35-13 0
29. James Hardy Jacksonville, AL (AL) 11 34-15 0
30. David Pair Abbeville, AL (AL) 13 34-14 0
31. Brian Fritts Raleigh, NC (NC) 13 34-12 0
32. Brian Hickey Cadiz, KY (KY) 13 34-03 0
33. Andrew Presley Harriman, TN (TN) 13 34-03 0
34. Joe Eubanks Marietta, GA (GA) 13 34-02 0
35. David Presley Kingston , TN (TN) 13 33-13 0
36. Dean Harcourt Sebastain, FL (FL) 14 33-08 0
37. Chris Jones Conway, SC (SC) 10 33-03 0
38. Tony Beck Social Circle, GA (GA) 15 33-01 0
39. Brent Tullis Acworth, GA (GA) 12 32-15 0
40. Tim Hennemann Florence, KY (KY) 13 32-13 0
41. HS-NC Shaw/ Carnes Randleman, NC (NC) 10 32-07 0
42. William Wood W Palm Beach, FL (FL) 13 32-04 0
43. Gregory Weber Louisville, KY (KY) 13 32-01 0
44. Jeff Hager Alexis, NC (NC) 12 31-09 0
45. Eric Blankendaal Madison, TN (TN) 12 31-01 0
46. HS-KY Brown/ Elliott Corbin, KY (KY) 10 30-13 0
47. Bowman Gray Winterville, NC (NC) 12 30-12 0
48. Chris Moody Fayetteville, GA (GA) 12 30-11 0
49. David Morton Suwanee, GA (GA) 11 30-09 0
50. Stewart Weber Louisville, KY (KY) 10 30-08 0
51. Elliot Reedy Piedmont, AL (AL) 12 30-03 0
52. Carson Orellana Mooresville, NC (NC) 12 29-13 0
53. Chase Hancock Douglasville, GA (GA) 10 29-10 0
54. Capt. Jim Keith Newberry, FL (FL) 13 29-10 0
55. Mark Robertson Henderson, NC (NC) 11 29-05 0
56. Chad Mcmurrian Perry, GA (GA) 11 28-15 0
57. Don Errthum Clarksville, TN (TN) 10 28-14 0
58. Patrick Currie Millry , AL (AL) 12 28-14 0
59. Rickey Dunn Tuscaloosa, AL (AL) 9 28-09 0
60. Darryl Halbert Enoree, SC (SC) 11 28-06 0
61. Eric Silverstrim Indian Mound, TN (TN) 9 27-06 0
62. Bradley Durden Chamblee, GA (GA) 9 27-02 0
63. Joshua Norris Spring City, TN (TN) 12 26-03 0
64. Jack Smith Cadiz, TN (TN) 10 25-14 0
65. Eric Holder Canton, GA (GA) 10 25-12 0
66. Todd Mallicoat Tazewell, TN (TN) 11 25-08 0
67. Raymond Trudeau Saint Cloud, FL (FL) 10 25-07 0
68. Patrick King Lincolnton, NC (NC) 10 25-07 0
69. Willie Manning West Palm Beach, FL (FL 9 25-05 0
70. Paul Burchfield Suwanee, GA (GA) 12 25-02 0
71. Randall Christopher Irvine, KY (KY) 8 25-02 0
72. Benny Beckham Newberry, FL (FL) 9 25-01 0
73. Chris Blair Newnan, GA (GA) 11 24-08 0
74. Brian Prowant Moore Haven, FL (FL) 9 24-04 0
75. Sam Sanders Oviedo, FL (FL) 11 22-13 0
76. Larry Franks Wilsonville, AL (AL) 9 22-10 0
77. Brian Hatfield Spring City, TN (TN) 8 22-05 0
78. Shawn Perrigo Rienz, MS (AL) 8 22-00 0
79. James Willis Jr Fountain Inn, SC (SC) 9 21-02 0
80. Omar De Jesus Ashland, TN (TN) 9 21-01 0
81. HS-FL Penuel/ Odor Ocala, FL (FL) 10 21-00 0
82. Steve Vann Goldsboro, NC (NC) 10 20-13 0
83. HS-SC Goodson/ Younginer Florence, SC (SC) 9 20-08 0
84. Corey Lewis Liberty, SC (SC) 8 20-04 0
85. Robert Dennie Shelbyville, KY (KY) 9 18-14 0
86. Brian Nash Jacksonville, FL (SC) 9 18-11 0
87. Lee Byrd Birmingham, AL (AL) 9 18-09 0
88. HS-TN Sands/ Swafford Calhoun , TN (TN) 6 17-07 0
89. Jerry Craig Hiddenite, NC (NC) 6 16-14 0
90. Mike Mayes Frankfort, KY (KY) 6 16-14 0
91. Joey Von Hoene Erlanger, KY (KY) 9 16-03 0
92. Todd Daniel Valdosta, GA (FL) 5 16-00 0
93. James Lanier Branford, FL (FL) 7 15-11 0
94. Jeff Narron Sims, NC (NC) 7 15-02 0
95. John McDonald Thomasville, NC (NC) 7 14-08 0
96. Shawn Lehr Clarksville, TN (TN) 7 14-04 0
97. Chris Blanchette Irmo, SC (SC) 7 14-00 0
98. HS-GA Hunter/ Mobley Winston, GA (GA) 5 12-06 0
99. Rickie Harp Cottondale, AL (AL) 7 11-12 0
100. Mike Gerald Conway, SC (SC) 7 10-05 0
101. KJ Jordan Panama City, FL (FL) 5 09-00 0
102. John Crisp Mount Washington, KY (K 3 07-03 0
103. Scott Wise Clermont, FL (FL) 2 06-00 0
104. William Jackson Aurora, IN (KY) 3 05-08 0
105. Aaron Fox Harrogate, TN (TN) 2 03-10 0
106. Hayden Bartee Pell City, AL (AL) 0 00-00 0
106. Chris Carnes York, SC (NC) 0 00-00 0
106. Jeremy Elliott Corbin, KY (KY) 0 00-00 0
106. Trevor Mobley Douglasville, GA (GA) 0 00-00 0
106. Shawn Odor Laurel Hill, FL (FL) 0 00-00 0
106. Brett Swafford Cleveland, TN (TN) 0 00-00 0
106. Steven Younginer Florence, SC (SC) 0 00-00 0
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Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 47 355 928-00
2 46 373 967-14
3 55 403 1168-00
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148 1131 3063-14
TEAM STANDINGS Day 3
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State Lbs-Oz
1 ALABAMA 485-06
2 NORTH CAROLINA 465-10
3 GEORGIA 456-02
4 SOUTH CAROLINA 452-06
5 KENTUCKY 421-03
6 TENNESSEE 398-14
7 FLORIDA 384-05
INDIVIDUAL STANDINGS Day 3
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GEORGIA
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Waine Pittman Villa Rica, GA 15 45-05 0
2 Travis Mcdermott Kennesaw, GA 15 38-11 0
3 Brendan Smith Roswell, GA 15 37-05 0
4 Joe Eubanks Marietta, GA 13 34-02 0
5 Tony Beck Social Circle, GA 15 33-01 0
6 Brent Tullis Acworth, GA 12 32-15 0
7 Chris Moody Fayetteville, GA 12 30-11 0
8 David Morton Suwanee, GA 11 30-09 0
9 Chase Hancock Douglasville, GA 10 29-10 0
10 Chad Mcmurrian Perry, GA 11 28-15 0
11 Bradley Durden Chamblee, GA 9 27-02 0
12 Eric Holder Canton, GA 10 25-12 0
13 Paul Burchfield Suwanee, GA 12 25-02 0
14 Chris Blair Newnan, GA 11 24-08 0
15 HS-GA Hunter/ Mobley Winston, GA 5 12-06 0
16 Trevor Mobley Douglasville, GA 0 00-00 0
SOUTH CAROLINA
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Will Duncan Conway, SC 15 48-13 0
2 Brent Long Iron Station, NC 15 44-09 0
3 Danny Allen Loris, SC 15 42-06 0
4 James Clements Charlotte, NC 12 40-09 0
5 Michael Carson Gastonia, NC 15 37-05 0
6 Jeffrey Allison Jr. Gaffney, SC 12 36-08 0
7 Marvin Cross Eastover, SC 13 35-13 0
8 Chris Jones Conway, SC 10 33-03 0
9 Darryl Halbert Enoree, SC 11 28-06 0
10 James Willis Jr Fountain Inn, SC 9 21-02 0
11 HS-SC Goodson/ Younginer Florence, SC 9 20-08 0
12 Corey Lewis Liberty, SC 8 20-04 0
13 Brian Nash Jacksonville, FL 9 18-11 0
14 Chris Blanchette Irmo, SC 7 14-00 0
15 Mike Gerald Conway, SC 7 10-05 0
16 Steven Younginer Florence, SC 0 00-00 0
FLORIDA
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Chad Prough Bonifay, FL 15 52-14 0
2 Dave Turner Crystal River, FL 15 45-08 0
3 Dean Harcourt Sebastain, FL 14 33-08 0
4 William Wood W Palm Beach, FL 13 32-04 0
5 Capt. Jim Keith Newberry, FL 13 29-10 0
6 Raymond Trudeau Saint Cloud, FL 10 25-07 0
7 Willie Manning West Palm Beach, FL 9 25-05 0
8 Benny Beckham Newberry, FL 9 25-01 0
9 Brian Prowant Moore Haven, FL 9 24-04 0
10 Sam Sanders Oviedo, FL 11 22-13 0
11 HS-FL Penuel/ Odor Ocala, FL 10 21-00 0
12 Todd Daniel Valdosta, GA 5 16-00 0
13 James Lanier Branford, FL 7 15-11 0
14 KJ Jordan Panama City, FL 5 09-00 0
15 Scott Wise Clermont, FL 2 06-00 0
16 Shawn Odor Laurel Hill, FL 0 00-00 0
ALABAMA
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Coby Carden Shelby, AL 15 46-12 0
2 Ray Covington Chatom, AL 15 44-07 0
3 George Crain Cropwell, AL 15 41-11 0
4 HS-AL Gossett/ Bartee Cropwell, AL 10 41-10 0
5 Wes Logan Springville, AL 14 40-14 0
6 Jack Tibbs Eufaula, AL 14 37-10 0
7 James Hardy Jacksonville, AL 11 34-15 0
8 David Pair Abbeville, AL 13 34-14 0
9 Elliot Reedy Piedmont, AL 12 30-03 0
10 Patrick Currie Millry , AL 12 28-14 0
11 Rickey Dunn Tuscaloosa, AL 9 28-09 0
12 Larry Franks Wilsonville, AL 9 22-10 0
13 Shawn Perrigo Rienz, MS 8 22-00 0
14 Lee Byrd Birmingham, AL 9 18-09 0
15 Rickie Harp Cottondale, AL 7 11-12 0
16 Hayden Bartee Pell City, AL 0 00-00 0
NORTH CAROLINA
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Rob Digh Denver, NC 15 54-15 0
2 Randy Groves Creedmore, NC 15 47-15 0
3 Jody Wright Ellenboro, NC 15 44-05 0
4 Danny Murphy Granite Falls, 11 37-01 0
5 Brian Fritts Raleigh, NC 13 34-12 0
6 HS-NC Shaw/ Carnes Randleman, NC 10 32-07 0
7 Jeff Hager Alexis, NC 12 31-09 0
8 Bowman Gray Winterville, NC 12 30-12 0
9 Carson Orellana Mooresville, NC 12 29-13 0
10 Mark Robertson Henderson, NC 11 29-05 0
11 Patrick King Lincolnton, NC 10 25-07 0
12 Steve Vann Goldsboro, NC 10 20-13 0
13 Jerry Craig Hiddenite, NC 6 16-14 0
14 Jeff Narron Sims, NC 7 15-02 0
15 John McDonald Thomasville, NC 7 14-08 0
16 Chris Carnes York, SC 0 00-00 0
KENTUCKY
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Michael Boggs Portsmouth, OH 14 48-05 0
2 John Roth Lawrenceburg, IN 15 42-02 0
3 Richard Cobb Richmond, KY 13 41-01 0
4 Kyle Christopher Irvine, KY 14 39-09 0
5 Brian Hickey Cadiz, KY 13 34-03 0
6 Tim Hennemann Florence, KY 13 32-13 0
7 Gregory Weber Louisville, KY 13 32-01 0
8 HS-KY Brown/ Elliott Corbin, KY 10 30-13 0
9 Stewart Weber Louisville, KY 10 30-08 0
10 Randall Christopher Irvine, KY 8 25-02 0
11 Robert Dennie Shelbyville, KY 9 18-14 0
12 Mike Mayes Frankfort, KY 6 16-14 0
13 Joey Von Hoene Erlanger, KY 9 16-03 0
14 John Crisp Mount Washington, KY 3 07-03 0
15 William Jackson Aurora, IN 3 05-08 0
16 Jeremy Elliott Corbin, KY 0 00-00 0
TENNESSEE
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Raleigh Todd Lexington, TN 15 50-07 0
2 Mark Pierce Radcliff, KY 12 36-14 0
3 Andrew Presley Harriman, TN 13 34-03 0
4 David Presley Kingston , TN 13 33-13 0
5 Eric Blankendaal Madison, TN 12 31-01 0
6 Don Errthum Clarksville, TN 10 28-14 0
7 Eric Silverstrim Indian Mound, TN 9 27-06 0
8 Joshua Norris Spring City, TN 12 26-03 0
9 Jack Smith Cadiz, TN 10 25-14 0
10 Todd Mallicoat Tazewell, TN 11 25-08 0
11 Brian Hatfield Spring City, TN 8 22-05 0
12 Omar De Jesus Ashland, TN 9 21-01 0
13 HS-TN Sands/ Swafford Calhoun , TN 6 17-07 0
14 Shawn Lehr Clarksville, TN 7 14-04 0
15 Aaron Fox Harrogate, TN 2 03-10 0
16 Brett Swafford Cleveland, TN 0 00-00 0