MONTICELLO, Ky. – Mark Morgan of Somerset, Ky., weighed a five-bass limit totaling 16 pounds, 4 ounces Saturday to win the Bass Fishing League Mountain Division tournament on Lake Cumberland. For his victory, Morgan earned $6,009.
“The fish stayed in exactly the same spots where I found them in practice,” said Morgan. “That doesn’t happen very often, so it was really a great day for me. I found two spawning areas during practice late on Friday that I wanted to target during the tournament. I went back to the first area right away in the morning, and caught three on my first pass. Once it slowed down, I moved to the second bank, and on one pass through I had culled a few times and I had my weight. I had 16 pounds by noon.
“I was throwing a green pumpkin-colored Cumberland Pro jig. That was really my key to victory,” Morgan continued. “I picked up a spinnerbait and a crankbait, but couldn’t get any bites on them. They really liked that jig though, so I threw it from the beginning of the day to the end. I was fishing in the lower end of the lake, near Beaver Creek. I caught around 17 to 18 fish throughout the day. These tournaments are not easy to win - I’m happy I was finally able to win one.”
Rounding out the top 10 pros were:
Boater Mark Morgan of Somerset, Ky., took first place in the April 14 BFL Mountain Division event on Lake Cumberland with a total weight of 16 pounds, 4 ounces.
2nd: Rex Huff, Corbin, Ky., five bass, 12-12, $2,005
3rd: Jonathan Green, East Bernstadt, Ky., five bass, 12-10, $1,336
4th: Shannon Devere, Berea, Ky., five bass, 11-15, $935
5th: Jerry Reagan, Byrdstown, Tenn., four bass, 11-12, $802
6th: Jeff Carman, Liberty, Ky., five bass, 11-7, $735
7th: Dan Ison, Salyersville, Ky., four bass, 11-6, $634
7th: Wade Jenkins, Corbin, Ky., five bass, 11-6, $634
9th: Brandon Wallen, Monticello, Ky., five bass, 11-4, $535
10th: Randy Alexander, London, Ky., five bass, 11-1, $468
Wayne Crouch of Jamestown, Tenn., weighed a five-bass limit totaling 10 pounds, 10 ounces Saturday to win $2,005 in the co-angler division.
Rounding out the top 10 co-anglers were:
2nd: Bob Wiles, Huntington, W. Va., five bass, 9-11, $1,002
3rd: Randy Walden, Tompkinsville, Ky., three bass, 9-5, $668
4th: Brett Graham, Alexandria, Ky., four bass, 9-3, $468
5th: Jason Ratcliff, Eubank, Ky., five bass, 8-8, $401
6th: Brandon Maynard, Cookeville, Tenn., four bass, 8-6, $368
7th: Kris Kordenbrock, Covington, Ky., five bass, 8-1, $334
8th: Kevin Morrow, Bronston, Ky., five bass, 7-12, $301
9th: Brandon Moberly, Berea, Ky., four bass, 7-7, $267
10th: Kevin King, Byrdstown, Tenn., three bass, 7-4, $234
The next BFL Mountain Division tournament is scheduled for May 5 on Laurel Lake in London, Ky. After the fifth Mountain Division tournament is complete, the top 40 boaters and 40 co-anglers based on point standings will qualify for the Oct. 11-13 Regional Championship on Kerr Lake in Henderson, N.C. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518 with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard and a Chevy Silverado, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518 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 40 boaters and co-anglers from each division qualify for a regional tournament and compete to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for the BFL All-American. The 2012 BFL All-American is being held May 17 – 19 on the Potomac River in National Harbor, Md. Top winners in the BFL can move up to the EverStart Series or even the FLW Tour.