GREENVILLE, Miss. (June 30, 2014) – Jeff Johnston of Marion, Ark., weighed a five-bass limit totaling 17 pounds, 9 ounces Saturday to win the Bass Fishing League Mississippi Division tournament on Lake Ferguson. For his victory, Johnston earned $3,426.
“It wasn’t so much how I caught them as where I caught them,” said Johnson.
Johnston said that he caught most of his fish on the deep side of a flooded road bed that had current running over it.
“The water level was key,” Johnston explained. “It was falling and the day before I fished that spot and there were just white bass there. The water fell a little bit over night and the largemouth moved in.
“It feels good to win,” finished Johnston. “Whenever you win everything has to go perfectly.”
Johnston said that he caught six fish throughout the day on a Berkley Havoc Pit Boss and a white Pepper Custom Baits spinnerbait. Rounding out the top 10 pros were:
2nd: Jonathan Sultan, Grenada, Miss., five bass, 16-14, $1,713
3rd: Jay Carroll, Tupelo, Miss., five bass, 16-9, $1,141
4th: Wayne Foreman, Magnolia, Miss., four bass, 13-14, $799
5th: Danny Mosley, Collinsville, Miss., five bass, 11-9, $685
6th: Tim Fox, Meridan, Miss., four bass, 11-3, $628 + $300 Evinrude Bonus
7th: Tony Owen, Carthage, Miss., five bass, 11-1, $571
8th: Jason Cordell, Pelahatchie, Miss., four bass, 10-7, $514
9th: Marty Torrence, Crystal Springs, Miss., four bass, 10-4, $457
10th: Gene Bishop, Ridgeland, Miss., three bass, 9-12, $380
10th: Timothy Smith, Shaw, Miss., three bass, 9-12, $380
Randall Gilmore of Brandon, Miss., weighed in a five-bass limit totaling 12 pounds, 10 ounces Saturday to win $1,713 in the co-angler division. Rounding out the top 10 co-anglers were:
2nd: Jim Pierce, Bolivar, Tenn., three bass, 8-4, $856
3rd: Larry Chastain, Laurel, Miss., two bass, 7-15, $571
4th: Mike Allen, Crystal Springs, Miss., four bass, 7-11, $400
5th: Chris Milling, Decatur, Miss., two bass, 7-9, $328
5th: Kenneth Tree, Madison, Miss., two bass, 7-9, $328
7th: Tim Davis, Laurel, Miss., two bass, 7-3, $285
8th: Marcus Miller, Florence, Miss., two bass, 7-0, $257
9th: Larry McNeal, Ridgeland, Miss., three bass, 6-12, $228
10th: Ben Blaschke, Muldrow, Okla., two bass, 6-3, $200
The top 40 boaters and 40 co-anglers based on point standings will qualify for the Oct. 16-18 Regional Championship on Sam Rayburn Reservoir in Jasper, Texas. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard and a Chevy Silverado, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard.