BROOKELAND, Texas (Sept. 12, 2016) – Jason Bonds of Lufkin, Texas, weighed a five-bass limit totaling 22 pounds, 6 ounces, Sunday to win the FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Cowboy Division Super Tournament on Sam Rayburn Reservoir with a two-day total of 10 bass weighing 45 pounds, 3 ounces. For his victory, Bonds took home $8,595.
“I focused on a couple of structure-based areas near mid-lake points each day of the event,” said Bonds, who earned his first career win in FLW competition. “At my first stop, I got lined up and caught two keepers in two throws on a Texas-rigged Bug Bug-colored Double Z Custom Lures Bull Whip Worm on a Power Tackle Paragon Series rod. After catching four more on the Whip Worm, I had about 18 pounds in the boat.”
Around noon, Bonds said he went to some shallow areas on the main lake and used a Strike King Pop ‘N Perch in haygrass. He said he ended up with approximately 12 keepers by the end of the day.
“On Day Two I ran between my mid-lake points and was able to piece together a limit,” said Bonds. “At my fifth stop, I caught a 6½-pounder with the Bull Whip. That put me in a good position to win it all.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
1st: Jason Bonds, Lufkin, Texas, 10 bass, 45-3, $6,595 + $2,000 Ranger Cup Bonus
2nd: Albert Collins, Nacogdoches, Texas, 10 bass, 41-2, $3,148
3rd: Garret Whitley, Quinlan, Texas, 10 bass, 40-0, $2,096
4th: Clayton Boulware, Zavalla, Texas, 10 bass, 39-14, $1,669
5th: John Maddox, Lufkin, Texas, 10 bass, 39-0, $1,259
6th: Phil Marks, Dallas, Texas, 10 bass, 38-7, $1,154
7th: Keith Hawkins, Missouri City, Texas, 10 bass, 36-2, $1,049
8th: Charles Dubroc, Hessmer, La., 10 bass, 35-6, $944
9th: Joshua Guy, Texarkana, Texas, 10 bass, 35-5, $839
10th: Scotty Villines, Ponca, Ark., 10 bass, 34-2, $834
Bud Pruitt of Houston, Texas, caught a bass weighing 8 pounds even – the biggest of the tournament in the pro division – and earned the Boater Big Bass award of $877. Bill Fussell of Thibodaux, Louisiana, won the co-angler division and earned $3,148 with a two-day cumulative catch of 10 bass weighing 30 pounds, 9 ounces. The top 10 co-anglers were:
1st: Bill Fussell, Thibodaux, La., 10 bass, 30-9, $3,148
2nd: Jim Fortenberry, Zavalla, Texas, 10 bass, 27-8, $1,574
3rd: Jace Patterson, Ruston, La., 10 bass, 26-14, $1,050
4th: Charles Hogg, Haughton, La., 10 bass, 24-8, $734
5th: Justin Dubois, Deville, La., 10 bass, 22-14, $630
6th: Jason Chance, Houston, Texas, eight bass, 22-9, $677
7th: Jerry Riddle, Summit, Miss., 10 bass, 22-8, $525
8th: Cole Ashby, Bridge City, Texas, eight bass, 22-3, $472
9th: Kevin Smith, Dayton, Texas, 10 bass, 22-2, $420
10th: Chad Poulsen, Bossier City, La., nine bass, 21-9, $417
Bobby Liles of Texarkana, Arkansas, caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the co-angler division, a fish weighing 6 pounds, 13 ounces, and earned the Co-angler Big Bass award of $439.