LAWRENCEBURG, Ind. (Sept. 29, 2014) – Brandon Houston of Burlington, Kentucky, weighed a two-day total of 10 bass totaling 18 pounds, 10 ounces to win the Bass Fishing League Hoosier Division Super Tournament on the Ohio River at Tanner’s Creek Sunday. For his victory, Houston earned $5,077.
“I stayed in one creek the whole time,” said Houston, who earned the first BFL win of his career. “I caught all my fish from two key banks. The first day they were eating spinnerbaits and crankbaits. The second day I started out with spinnerbaits and crankbaits, but they didn’t want them. So, I picked up my flippin’ stick and a green pumpkin-colored tube and started flipping laydowns, or anything that would hold fish on those same banks. That’s how I caught them on day two.”
Houston said that the spinnerbait he threw was made by War Eagle and that his tube was made by Strike King, but declined to elaborate about his crankbait. He said that the key to his productive areas was finding larger shad than were present in the rest of the creek.
“Heading back to weigh-in on day two I was feeling pretty good,” said Houston about his tournament-best 10-pound, 7-ounce limit. “I caught a 3-pounder and a 4-pounder to start the day. I knew after I filled out my limit that those other boys would have to whack them. It feels great to win. I’ve been close before, but this is a lot better than second.”
Rounding out the top 10 pros were:
2nd: Todd Hensley, New Albany, Ind., nine bass, 13-12, $2,539
3rd: Thomas Foster, Terre Haute, Ind., 10 bass, 13-9, $1,694
4th: Chris Wilkinson, Farmersburg, Ind., 10 bass, 13-7, $1,185
5th: Craig Mills, Hamilton, Ohio, 10 bass, 12-3, $1,015
6th: James Pickett, Trafalgar, Ind., nine bass, 11-13, $931
7th: Larry Dowell, Louisville, Ky., seven bass, 10-12, $846
8th: Ken Garbe, Loveland, Ohio, 10 bass, 10-11, $762
9th: Lincoln Bowen, Crothersville, Ind., seven bass, 10-10, $677
10th: Dan Pardue, Morgantown, Ind., eight bass, 9-6, $592
Gary Hoffman of Stoutsville, Ohio, weighed in a two-day total of five bass totaling 9 pounds, 4 ounces to win $2,532 in the co-angler division Sunday. Rounding out the top 10 co-anglers were:
2nd: Gerald Shaw, Pendleton, Ind., six bass, 8-10, $1,266
3rd: Mark Dehart, Brownstown, Ind., five bass, 8-6, $846
4th: Brandon Knapmeyer, Florence, Ky., six bass, 8-4, $591
5th: Jared Robinson, Vallonia, Ind., seven bass, 8-2, $506
6th: Matt Orschell, Lawrenceburg, Ind., seven bass, 8-1, $464
7th: Charlie Kuebler, Jasper, Ind., three bass, 6-1, $422
8th: James Mullanix, Anderson, Ind., four bass, 5-12, $380
9th: Dylan Christenberry, Spencer, Ind., four bass, 5-5, $338
10th: Joshua Jenkins, Indianapolis, Ind., three bass, 5-4, $295
The top 40 boaters and 40 co-anglers based on point standings will qualify for the Oct. 9-11 Regional Championship on Pickwick Lake in Florence, Alabama. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard and a Chevy Silverado, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard.