SMYRNA, Tenn. (Sept. 30, 2013) – John Hopkins of Hendersonville, Tenn., weighed in a two-day total of 10 bass totaling 30 pounds, 3 ounces Sunday to win the Bass Fishing League Music City Division Super Tournament on Lake Percy Priest. For his victory, Hopkins earned $2,687.
John Hopkins bested the field by nearly 6 pounds to claim the win by capitalizing on a quirky bluegill behavior.
“Second place was probably doing the same thing,” said Hopkins. “I’ve got a little deal that I do every year right before the water falls. Every year the bream a little bit bigger than your thumb get up on the bank right before the drawdown. I don’t know how they know it. And I just flip a jig into every little crack and piece of wood and rock.
“I’m fishing flats right off of main-lake channel swings,” continued Hopkins. “I caught them all from 0 to 2 feet deep. Saturday was the perfect day; the cloudy skies hurt me a little on the second day.
“My co-angler caught one in the net for me,” said Hopkins. “It was a 3-pound fish, and it was the first fish of the first day. It felt good to win. I told my buddy that the bite was on and that I was going to win about a week ago.”
Hopkins said he caught his fish flipping a Hoppy’s Rattling Brush Bug. Rounding out the top 10 pros were:
2nd: Adam Wagner, Cookeville, Tenn., 10 bass, 24-9, $1,343
3rd: Donnie Rubel, Murfreesboro, Ill., eight bass, 21-3, $896
4th: Andrew Crabtree, Cane Ridge, Tenn., 10 bass, 20-5, $627
5th: Chad Johnson, Sparta, Tenn., seven bass, 17-0, $537
6th: Shawn Strader, Rockwood, Tenn., five bass, 10-9
7th: Michael Penix, Spring Hill, Tenn., four bass, 8-2
8th: Brandon Edel, Hendersonville, Tenn., four bass, 7-10
9th: Clifford Dunn, Lascassas, Tenn., three bass, 7-2
10th: Brandon Eddings, La Vergne, Tenn., four bass, 6-14
Ken Best of Murfreesboro, Tenn., weighed in a two-day total of seven bass weighing 16 pounds, 8 ounces Sunday to win $1,343 in the co-angler division. Rounding out the top 10 co-anglers were:
2nd: Matt Allen, Bloomington Springs, Tenn., five bass, 12-12, $672
3rd: Matt Farrar, Hermitage, Tenn., three bass, 8-4, $448
4th: Jeff Johnston, Nashville, Tenn., three bass, 7-3, $313
5th: Joey Kelly, Portland, Tenn., three bass, 5-4, $269
6th: Matthew Elrod, Sparta, Tenn., one bass, 4-6
7th: John Fitzpatrick, Baxter, Tenn., two bass, 4-4
8th: Charles Bennington, Scottsville, Ky., two bass, 3-14
9th: J.P. Sims, Cookeville, Tenn., two bass, 3-12
10th: Robert Bobbitt, Mount Juliet, Tenn., one bass, 3-4
The top 40 boaters and 40 co-anglers based on point standings will qualify for the Oct. 10-12 Regional Championship on Lake Lanier in Gainesville, Ga. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518 with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard and a Chevy Silverado, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518 with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard.