GILBERTSVILLE, Ky. (Oct. 19, 2015) – Brent Anderson of Kingston Springs, Tennessee, weighed five bass totaling 12 pounds, 2 ounces Saturday to win the Bass Fishing League (BFL) Regional tournament on Kentucky and Barkley lakes with a three-day total of 15 bass weighing 44 pounds, 1 ounce. For his win, Anderson earned $20,000, a new Ranger Z518C boat with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard and a berth into the 2016 BFL All-American Championship.
Anderson said he targeted shallow schools of main-lake bass in an area 25 miles south of the takeoff ramp. He made long casts using a Heddon Zara Spook with 65-pound-test braid line. Despite catching nearly 30 keepers on day one, Anderson wasn’t sure that his pattern would hold up.
“Normally if I catch that many fish this time of year on Kentucky Lake I’ll have 25 pounds, but that wasn’t the case this time,” said Anderson about his 17-pound day one limit.
On day two Anderson returned to the same area but found that his schools had moved onto nearby flats. The Tennessee angler said he reached for a variety of baits to try and dial in on the bite.
“I almost left the area to try a completely different approach altogether,” Anderson said. “I raised my Power-Poles and drifted about 35 yards up onto a bar. As I was getting ready to leave, I threw the Spook out there and a 2½-pounder hit it. I casted again and another one grabbed. Those bites told me right where the school was.”
After the bite slowed down on the Zara Spook, Anderson said he pulled out a Yo-Zuri Rattl’n Vibe.
“I never catch them on a Vibe this time of year on Kentucky Lake,” said Anderson. “But, I threw it out there to where the school was and nabbed a 3-pounder. After that I ran to two additional schools near the area and caught about 18 more keepers – all on the Vibe. God wanted me to use that bait.”
On day three, Anderson said he continued to focus on schooling fish and ran the exact same water from days one and two.
“The schools were even more broken up,” said Anderson. “Day three was pretty much a tougher version of day two. I didn’t get as many bites and lost a few 3-pounders. I ended up with one keeper on the Spook and four on a Rat-L-Trap. Luckily it was enough to maintain the lead and get the win.”
The top six boaters that qualified for the 2016 BFL All-American were:
1st: Brent Anderson, Kingston Springs, Tenn., 15 bass, 44-1, $20,000 + Ranger Z518C w/ 200-horsepower outboard
2nd: Jim Vitaro, Wooster, Ohio, 15 bass, 36-13, $5,000
3rd: Ken Garbe, Loveland, Ohio, 14 bass, 36-3, $4,000
4th: Jeremy Lawyer, Sarcoxie, Mo., 14 bass, 35-11, $3,000
5th: Mark Tucker, Kirkwood, Mo., 13 bass, 33-5, $2,000
6th: Travis Brueggen, Cashton, Wis., 11 bass, 31-9, $1,800
Rounding out the top-10 boaters were:
7th: Rick Bosshard, Hartland, Wis., 14 bass, 31-9, $1,600
8th: Mike Pickett, Brandenburg, Ky., 12 bass, 31-2, $1,400
9th: Talmadge Marcum, McKee, Ky., 12 bass, 29-3, $1,200
10th: Todd Hensley, New Albany, Ind., eight bass, 29-1, $1,000
Ryan Sykes of Hamilton, Ohio, won the co-angler division and a Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower outboard with a three-day total of 11 bass totaling 27 pounds, 8 ounces. The top six co-angers that qualified for the 2016 BFL All-American were:
1st: Ryan Sykes, Hamilton, Ohio, 11 bass, 27-8, Ranger Z518C w/ 200-horsepower outboard
2nd: Lucas Devere, Berea, Ky., nine bass, 22-15, $2,500
3rd: Billy Gardner, Livingston, Tenn., seven bass, 22-8, $2,000
4th: Travis Smith, Corbin, Ky., seven bass, 16-13, $1,500
5th: Ronald Smith Jr., Kansas City, Kan., six bass, 16-3, $1,000
6th: Brody Campbell, Oxford, Ohio, six bass, 14-0, $900
Rounding out the top-10 co-anglers were:
7th: Bill Haunert, Blue Ash, Ohio, five bass, 13-12, $800
8th: Tyler Sheffield, Dry Ridge, Ky., five bass, 13-4, $700
9th: Glen Ruth, Frankfort, Ky., five bass, 12-10, $600
10th: Rick Lanier, Grove, Okla., four bass, 11-9, $500
The BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 120 tournaments throughout the season, five in each division. The top 50 boaters and co-anglers from each division qualify for a regional tournament and are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the Walmart BFL All-American. Top winners in the BFL can move up to the Rayovac FLW Series or even the Walmart FLW Tour.