GALLATIN, Tenn. (July 20, 2015) – Rus Snyders of Nashville, Tennessee, weighed a five-bass limit totaling 16 pounds, 6 ounces Saturday to win the Bass Fishing League Music City Division tournament on Old Hickory Lake. For his victory, Snyders earned $2,703.
“It’s exciting to finally come out on top in one of these tournaments,” said Snyders, who has logged five career top-10 finishes in FLW competition. “There are a lot of talented anglers here so I’m very happy with the results.
“To catch my fish I focused on rocks and some docks on the main river, as well as secondary points in the creek arms,” continued Snyders. “The bass were really active from the bank out to 10-foot depths.
Snyders said he had a decent limit by noon and was able to cull throughout the rest of the day.
“I only threw two baits during the tournament,” said Snyders. “The first was a black buzzbait, which I caught a few fish on in the morning, and then a black and blue-colored jig, which I finished up with.”
Snyders said he went after bigger bass up shallow and was able to catch a 4-pound kicker with 15 minutes left in the tournament.
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
1st: Rus Snyders, Nashville, Tenn., five bass, 16-6, $2,703
2nd: Clark Cowley, Lebanon, Tenn., five bass, 15-7, $1,352
3rd: Adam Wagner, Cookeville, Tenn., five bass, 14-8, $901
4th: Drew Boggs, Lebanon, Tenn., five bass, 12-7, $631
5th: Brandon Maynard, Cookeville, Tenn., four bass, 11-13, $518
5th: Tim Staley, Dowelltown, Tenn., five bass, 11-13, $518
7th: Matt Henry, Milledgeville, Ga., five bass, 10-13, $451
8th: Brandon Suggs, Sparta, Tenn., five bass, 10-5, $382
8th: Charles Watts, Corinth, Miss., five bass, 10-5, $382
10th: William Merrick, Mount Juliet, Tenn., five bass, 9-15, $299
10th: Robert Reagan, Byrdstown, Tenn., five bass, 9-15, $299
Dwight Fox of Gainesboro, Tennessee, caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the pro division, a fish weighing 6 pounds even and earned the day’s Big Bass award of $300. Alan Woodford of Winslow, Indiana, weighed in five bass totaling 6 pounds, 11 ounces Saturday to win $1,352 in the co-angler division. The top 10 co-anglers were:
1st: Alan Woodford, Winslow, Ind., five bass, 6-11, $1,352
2nd: Perry Crague, Hendersonville, Tenn., two bass, 5-13, $563
2nd: Sam Loveless, Somerset, Ky., three bass, 5-13, $563
4th: Brandon Russell, Murfreesboro, Tenn., four bass, 5-4, $315
5th: Mike Beasley, Cookeville, Tenn., three bass, 5-0, $259
5th: Ken Fresh, Sparta, Tenn., three bass, 5-0, $259
7th: Chris Tarpley, Murfreesboro, Tenn., three bass, 4-8, $225
8th: Rick Mayberry, Harriman, Tenn., three bass, 4-3, $203
9th: Jason McCanless, Lebanon, Tenn., two bass, 3-15, $180
10th: Billy Gardner, Livingston, Tenn., three bass, 3-14, $158
Crague caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the co-angler division and earned the day’s Big Bass award of $150.
The top 50 boaters and 50 co-anglers based on point standings will qualify for the Oct. 8-10 Regional Championship on Lake Sinclair in Milledgeville, Georgia. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard and $20,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard.