SMYRNA, Tenn. (March 24, 2014) – Matt Stanley of Alexandria, Tenn., weighed a five-bass limit totaling 22 pounds, 6 ounces Saturday to win the Bass Fishing League Music City Division tournament on Percy Priest Lake. For his victory, Stanley earned $3,386. Stanley earned his second career BFL victory on a day when he caught the tournament Big Fish and estimated that he caught four separate limits that would each have weighed at least 13 pounds.
“I practiced on Wednesday and Friday and had over 20 pounds both days,” said Stanley.
“I was fishing in the mid-lake area and I was targeting the colder water because the warmer water had all of the other tournament boats in it. When I would fish in the warmer water I would catch 2- and 3-pounders, but I was catching 4-pounders in the colder water.
“On the day of the tournament I had 18 pounds by about 8:30 a.m.,” continued Stanley. “I lost a 6-pounder at about 1 o’clock, so I could have weighed in around 25 pounds. I had a pretty good day.
“I caught my big fish, a 7-pounder, off of a spot that I didn’t even fish in practice. I looked at it and thought it just looked too good to not have fish. It seemed like every time I caught a big fish, it was a loner. If I ever caught more than one 2- or 3-pounder, I would leave that spot.”
Stanley said that he used jigs, crankbaits, spinnerbaits and jerkbaits on rock banks to tally his impressive catch. Rounding out the top 10 pros were:
2nd: Josh Tramel, Smithville, Tenn., five bass, 17-11, $1,693
3rd: Scott Lefevers, Hermitage, Tenn., five bass, 17-2, $1,129
4th: Scott Towry, Lawrenceburg, Tenn., five bass, 16-12, $790
5th: William Merrick, Mount Juliet, Tenn., five bass, 16-9, $677
6th: Rodney Clawson, Nashville, Tenn., five bass, 15-13, $621
7th: Eric Blankendaal, Madison, Tenn., five bass, 15-3, $564
8th: Thomas O’Bryant, Cedar Grove, Tenn., four bass, 14-10, $508
9th: Noel Smith, Ashland City, Tenn., five bass, 14-9, $451
10th: Bryan Montgomery, Lebanon, Tenn., five bass, 14-0, $395
Darryl Humphrey of Murfreesboro, Tenn., weighed a five-bass limit totaling 16 pounds, 15 ounces Saturday to win $1,693 in the co-angler division. Rounding out the top 10 co-anglers were:
2nd: John Wilkerson, Nashville, Tenn., four bass, 15-10, $846
3rd: Chris Tarpley, Murfreesboro, Tenn., five bass, 12-15, $564
4th: Jerry Armstrong, Shelbyville, Tenn., five bass, 12-4, $395
5th: Craig Allen, Kingston Springs, Tenn., five bass, 11-14, $339
6th: Brandon Adcock, McMinnville, Tenn., four bass, 11-6, $310
7th: Daniel Crockett, Old Hickory, Tenn., four bass, 11-5, $282
8th: Matt Wooten, West Point, Miss., four bass, 11-3, $254
9th: Tildon Drake, Jasper, Ala., four bass, 9-6, $212
9th: Matt Farrar, Hermitage, Tenn., two bass, 9-6, $212
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, Ala. 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.