NEW TAZEWELL, Tenn. (March 20, 2017) – Larry Neal of Piney Flats, Tennessee, weighed a 17-pound, 11-ounce limit of bass Saturday to win the FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Volunteer Division tournament on Norris Lake. Neal’s five bass were enough to earn him the top prize of $4,743.
According to tournament reports, Neal caught his fish in the mid-lake area, fishing a hair jig in 20-feet of water.
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
1st: Larry Neal, Piney Flats, Tenn., five bass, 17-11, $4,743
2nd: Frankie Dople, Newcomb, Tenn., five bass, 16-10, $2,082
3rd: Archie Wilson Jr., Corryton, Tenn., five bass, 14-13, $1,587
4th: Bryan Leonard, Blountville, Tenn., five bass, 13-15, $1,071
5th: Jonathan Bowling, Harriman, Tenn., five bass, 13-14, $833
6th: Brandon Brock, Mayking, Ky., five bass, 13-6, $763
7th: Kevin Powers, Unicoi, Tenn., five bass, 12-10, $694
8th: Jordan Card, Knoxville, Tenn., five bass, 12-6, $625
9th: Peter Balishin, Sharps Chapel, Tenn., three bass, 11-15, $555
10th: James Dial, Jacksboro, Tenn., four bass, 11-7, $486
Neal also weighed a 4-pound, 10-ounce bass – the largest of the event – which earned him the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $580. Darren Kelly of Wartburg, Tennessee, weighed a five-bass limit totaling 10 pounds, 1 ounce Saturday to win the Co-angler Division and $2,000.
The top 10 co-anglers were:
1st: Darren Kelly, Wartburg, Tenn., five bass, 10-1, $2,000
2nd: Talmadge Marcum, McKee, Ky., three bass, 9-12, $1,000
3rd: Doug Austin, Bristol, Va., three bass, 9-8, $666
4th: Matthew Speights, Mascot, Tenn., three bass, 6-8, $567
5th: Kibbee McCoy, Morristown, Tenn., two bass, 6-6, $450
6th: Curtis Hall II, Battle Creek, Mich., three bass, 5-11, $367
7th: Jordan McDeerman, Caryville, Tenn., two bass, 5-9, $333
8th: Jose Ramirez, Barbourville, Ky., three bass, 5-5, $300
9th: Doug Adkins, Gray Hawk, Ky., three bass, 5-2, $267
10th: Noah Newport, Knoxville, Tenn., three bass, 5-0, $233
Justin McGaha of Knoxville, Tennessee, caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the Co-angler Division, a fish weighing 3 pounds, 15 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $135.