BELLEFONTAINE, Ohio (Sept. 21, 2015) – Kyle Weisenburger of Ottawa, Ohio, weighed four bass totaling 6 pounds, 5 ounces Sunday to win the Bass Fishing League Buckeye Division Super Tournament on Indian Lake with a two-day total of eight bass weighing 12 pounds, 11 ounces. For his victory, Weisenburger earned $3,971.
“I started off the tournament by targeting channels and pockets, especially ones where there were baitfish crammed into the backs,” said Weisenburger of his third win in FLW competition. “I used a black spinnerbait and also flipped the grass with a green-pumpkin-colored Bass Shack Baits Boss Hog.”
Weisenburger said he was able to catch one fish before a storm moved through the area and then three more after it passed.
“On Sunday I focused on the pocket where I had caught my final three fish the day before,” said Weisenburger. “The wind had repositioned the grass so I needed to adjust my approach a bit. I found out how the baitfish were relating to the grass and brought in my first fish at 9 a.m. – a 3-pound kicker.”
After boating a couple of more keepers, Weisenburger said he casted a buzzbait to a grass edge and caught his final keeper around 2 p.m. before heading in to the scale. The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
1st: Kyle Weisenburger, Ottawa, Ohio, eight bass, 12-11, $3,971
2nd: Jeremie Barker, Middletown, Ohio, five bass, 10-2, $1,985
3rd: Bob Logan, Waynesfield, Ohio, four bass, 8-7, $1,324
4th: Jeremy Tenwalde , Fort Jennings, Ohio, seven bass, 8-7, $927
5th: Dick Shaffer, Rockford, Ohio, five bass, 7-8, $794
6th: Ronald Nutter, Newark, Ohio, three bass, 6-9, $728
7th: David Scales, Marysville, Ohio, three bass, 6-5, $662
8th: Jay Ellis, Celina, Ohio, three bass, 5-8, $596
9th: Charlie Smith, Union, Ky., three bass, 5-3, $529
10th: Levi Northup, Tipp City, Ohio, two bass, 4-8, $463
Northup caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the pro division, a fish weighing 3 pounds, 4 ounces and earned the day’s Big Bass award of $427. Logan Willoughby of New Philadelphia, Ohio, won the co-angler division and $1,986 with a two-day total of four bass weighing 7 pounds, 3 ounces. The top 10 co-anglers were:
1st: Logan Willoughby, New Philadelphia, Ohio, four bass, 7-3, $1,986
2nd: Bill Turvey, Oak Hill, Ohio, two bass, 3-15, $993
3rd: Daniel Shuga, Botkins, Ohio, two bass, 3-10, $660
4th: Kirk Mannon, Scottown, Ohio, two bass, 2-13, $463
5th: William Fieler, Cincinnati, Ohio, one bass, 2-9, $397
6th: Doyle Donnett, Minster, Ohio, two bass, 2-5, $364
7th: Gary Hoffman, Stoutsville, Ohio, one bass, 2-3, $331
8th: Rob Plummer, Waynesville, Ohio, one bass, 1-12, $298
9th: Dustin Bowers, Englewood, Ohio, one bass, 1-9, $265
10th: Brian Zelinskas, Beavercreek, Ohio, one bass, 1-5, $232
Willoughby also caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the co-angler division and earned the day’s Big Bass award of $214.
The top 50 boaters and 50 co-anglers based on point standings now qualify for the Oct. 8-10 Regional Championship on the Potomac River in Marbury, Maryland. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard and $20,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard.