BUCHANAN, Tenn. (June 20, 2015) – Curtis Richardson of Belleville, Ontario, Canada, brought a 19-pound, 9-ounce five-bass limit to the scale Saturday to win the BFL All-American tournament on Kentucky Lake and the $120,000 payday. Richardson’s three-day cumulative weight of 15 bass totaling 66-5 gave him a 3-pound, 6-ounce edge over second-place angler Jeremy Lawyer of Sarcoxie, Missouri, in the nationally-televised event which hosted the nation’s top weekend anglers.
“I’m absolutely speechless right now,” said Richardson, who also qualified for the 2015 Forrest Wood Cup – the world championship of bass fishing – via his win Saturday. “This win means a lot for my family and I, and my fishing career. I’m still trying to take it all in.”
Richardson said he secured his winning stringer by targeting a shell bed and a point littered with stumps - a pattern he’s stuck to over the three-day tournament.
“I knew those two areas had big ones. I ran to each of my three main spots before 9 a.m.,” said Richardson. “I used a silver Nichols Lures Ben Parker Magnum Spoon and was only able to get five bites, four of which I lost.
“After that I really pushed for big fish by working my way back through those spots,” continued Richardson. “During my second trip to the point, I switched to a wacky-rigged Red Bug-colored Zoom Magnum Trick Worm on a drop-shot.”
Around 10:30 a.m. Richardson said he caught three of his winning fish using the Trick Worm at his third spot.
“The drop-shot rig was the only way to get a bite,” Richardson said. “At 12:30 I returned to the point and shell bed for a third time and caught a fish at each location, including the giant 6-pounder that gave me the win.”
Richardson estimated he had around a dozen bites over the course of his final day on the water.
“I didn’t think I had anywhere close to the weight I brought in,” said Richardson. “I actually started thinking about how much prize money second place would take home on my way to the scale. I guess being in that mindset made the victory that much sweeter.”
The top 10 boaters that finished the tournament:
1st: Curtis Richardson , Belleville, Ontario, Canada, 15 bass, 66-5, $120,000 + 2015 Forrest Wood Cup entry
2nd: Jeremy Lawyer, Sarcoxie, Mo., 15 bass, 62-15, $20,000 + $9,000 Ranger Cup Bonus
3rd: Billy Schroeder, Paducah, Ky., 15 bass, 62-6 , $15,000 + $8,000 Ranger Cup Bonus
4th: John Hopkins, Hendersonville, Tenn., 15 bass, 61-0, $14,000
5th: Chris Daves, Spring Grove, Va., 15 bass, 59-2, $13,000
6th: Chris Martinkovic, Hamilton, Ohio, 14 bass, 58-11, $12,000 + $5,000 Ranger Cup Bonus
7th: Bobby Padgett, LaGrange, Ga., 15 bass, 58-9, $11,000 + $4,500 Ranger Cup Bonus
8th: J.R. Henard, Rogersville, Tenn., 14 bass, 56-0, $10,000 + $4,000 Ranger Cup Bonus
9th: Jeff Johnston, Marion, Ark., 14 bass, 49-7, $9,000
10th: Zach Grounds, Fortville, Ind., 12 bass, 41-2, $8,000
Bob Burgess of Charleston, West Virginia, won the co-angler division Saturday with a three-day total of 13 bass weighing 52 pounds, 6 ounces followed by Ryan Sykes of Hamilton, Ohio, in second place with 15 bass weighing 46-15. The top 10 co-anglers finished the tournament:
1st: Bob Burgess, Charleston, W. Va., 13 bass, 52-6, $50,000 + 2015 Forrest Wood Cup entry
2nd: Ryan Sykes, Hamilton, Ohio, 15 bass, 46-15, $15,000
3rd: Joe Eubanks, Marietta, Ga., 15 bass, 43-13, $6,000
4th: Cole Huskins, Mount Holly, N.C., 15 bass, 43-8, $5,000
5th: Will Treadwell, Buford, Ga., 12 bass, 41-7, $4,500
6th: Charles Hardin, Evansville, Ind., 13 bass, 41-0, $4,000
7th: Gant Conley, Lyons, Ga., 13 bass, 40-6, $3,500
8th:: Dennis Burdette, Lindside, W. Va., 12 bass, 38-8, $3,000
9th: Jonathan Semento, Okahumpka, Fla., 12 bass, 33-1, $2,500
10th: James Hatch, Gainesville, Fla., eight bass, 28-7, $2,000