OKEECHOBEE, Fla. (Sept. 24, 2018) – Boater Gary Milicevic of Labelle, Florida, won the Bass Fishing League (BFL) Gator Division tournament on Lake Okeechobee Sunday with a two-day cumulative catch of 10 bass weighing 53 pounds, 2 ounces. For his win, Milicevic earned $8,374.
Milicevic was unable to be reached for details, but according to post-tournament reports he caught his fish near Harney Pond, flipping a Medlock Jig in the cloudy and rainy conditions to catch his limits.
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
1st: Gary Milicevic, Labelle, Fla., 10 bass, 53-2, $6,374 + $2,000 Ranger Cup
2nd: Larry Cahan, East Palatka, Fla., 10 bass, 48-0, $2,937
3rd: Bryan Honnerlaw, Moore Haven, Fla., 10 bass, 45-10, $2,057
4th: Donny Bass, Naples, Fla., 10 bass, 40-14, $1,371
5th: Jared McMillan, Belle Glade, Fla., 10 bass, 40-7, $1,175
6th: Fred Chivington Jr., Welaka, Fla., 10 bass, 40-3, $1,077
7th: Chuck Webb, Sarasota, Fla., 10 bass, 39-12, $979
8th: Jim Joseph, Oakland Park, Fla., 10 bass, 39-1, $881
9th: Chris Keith, Gainesville, Fla., 10 bass, 36-13, $783
10th: Mason Boylan, Melbourne, Fla., 10 bass, 36-3, $685
Steve Broughton of Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, caught a largemouth weighing 8 pounds, 11 ounces – the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division. The catch earned him the Boater Big Bass award of $780. John Panozzo of Palm Springs, Florida, caught a two-day total of nine bass weighing 36 pounds even to win the Co-angler Division and $2,937.
The top 10 co-anglers were:
1st: John Panozzo, Palm Springs, Fla., nine bass, 36-0, $2,937
2nd: James Bullard, Glen Saint Mary, Fla., nine bass, 33-1, $1,568
3rd: Vince Owen, Coral Springs, Fla., nine bass, 29-12, $979
4th: Christian Greico, Tampa, Fla., 10 bass, 27-0, $685
5th: Jackie Barber, Cocoa, Fla., nine bass, 24-7, $587
6th: Christopher Gardner, Leesburg, Fla., nine bass, 23-0, $538
7th: Alex Mut, Miami, Fla., seven bass, 23-0, $929
8th: Cody Farnham, Port St. Lucie, Fla., 10 bass, 21-15, $441
9th: General Johnson, Fort Myers, Fla., eight bass, 20-13, $392
10th: Moses Wilson, Clewiston, Fla., 10 bass, 20-10, $343
Mut caught the largest largemouth bass in the Co-angler Division weighing 8 pounds, 15 ounces – and earned the Co-angler Big Bass award of $390.