HARDIN, Ky. (June 3, 2013) – Greg Sallee of Gilbertsville, Ky., weighed a five-bass limit totaling 20 pounds even Saturday to win the Bass Fishing League LBL Division tournament on Kentucky/Barkley lakes. For his victory, Sallee earned $4,009.
“I’ve come close a couple of times to winning one of these tournaments, but I was never able to close the deal,” said Sallee. “I was very happy and a little surprised. I thought I would need a few more pounds to win and I lost a big fish about an hour before weigh-in that I thought was going to hurt me, but I guess the only thing it hurt was my feelings.”
According to Sallee it was a nasty day on Kentucky Lake. It was rainy and windy all day long, however, the winds never picked up enough to get to a point where it was “really” rough.
“I was catching fish so I didn’t really pay attention to the weather,” Sallee went on to say. “I was fishing main lake ledges with Strike King crankbaits on a Kistler rod. Those are awesome rods and I have to say they have really helped improve my fishing. I was using a 7-foot 10-inch Z bone Crank Bait rod.
“All my fish were about 4-pounders. I did lose that big one at the end of the day that I thought was going to haunt me, but that is the nature of crankbait fishing; they all don’t come to the boat. I lost another fish first thing and one later on in the day when I was using a jig. But the last one I missed really hurt.”
Rounding out the top 10 pros were:
2nd: Charles Jones, Jackson, Tenn., five bass, 19-10, $2,005
3rd: Ben Johnson, Paducah, Ky., five bass, 19-0, $1,336
4th: Joey Henderson, Mayfield, Ky., five bass, 18-14, $935
5th: Chuck Callahan, Cincinnati, Ohio, five bass, 18-0, $802
6th: Billy Schroeder, Paducah, Ky., five bass, 17-12, $735
7th: Craig Dowling, Franklin, Tenn., five bass, 17-11, $668
8th: Logan Thomas, Gilbertsville, Ky., five bass, 17-3, $601
9th: Scott Wasson, Evansville, Ind., five bass, 17-2, $535
10th: Michael Wooley, Collierville, Tenn., five bass, 17-1, $468
Albert Schaaf Sr. of Waynesville, Ohio, weighed five bass totaling 19 pounds, 4 ounces Saturday to win the Co-angler Division. Schaaf Sr. earned $2,005 for his victory. Rounding out the top 10 co-anglers were:
2nd: Barry Baldwin, Waynesville, Ohio, five bass, 18-13, $1,002
3rd: Tim Huddleston, Paducah, Ky., five bass, 16-4, $668
4th: Mitchell Adams, Nashville, Tenn., five bass, 15-9, $468
5th: John Wilkerson, Nashville, Tenn., five bass, 14-14, $401
6th: Tom Anderson, London, Ohio, five bass, 14-9, $368
7th: Brendan Murphy, Cape Girardeau, Mo., five bass, 14-5, $334
8th: Orville Gowen, Leitchfield, Ky., five bass, 14-3, $301
9th: Steve Keller Jr., Bethel, Ohio, five bass, 13-14, $267
10th: Jerry Sterling, Jackson, Mo., five bass, 13-11, $234
The next BFL LBL Division tournament is scheduled for Sept. 21-22 on Kentucky/Barkley lakes in Gilbertsville, Ky. After the last divisional tournament is complete, the top 40 boaters and 40 co-anglers based on point standings will qualify for the Oct. 3-5 Regional Championship on Lake Guntersville in Guntersville, Ala. 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.