HARRISON TOWNSHIP, Mich. (Sept. 29, 2014) – Scott Dobson of Clarkston, Michigan, weighed a two-day total of 10 bass totaling 42 pounds even to win the Bass Fishing League Michigan Division Super Tournament on Lake St. Clair Sunday. For his victory, Dobson earned $7,932.
“Two BFL wins in one year is a big deal,” said Dobson, who had a previous BFL win this season on Lake St. Clair in June. “I would have won the Angler of the Year title, too, if I hadn’t bombed on St. Clair in August.
“I’ve had a lot of top -10 finishes in the BFLs, and St. Clair is in my backyard,” added Dobson. “But, it is always changing and always evolving. You have to adjust and find new stuff every time to have a chance to win.
“I focused on a break in about 12 feet of water that had perch, some cabbage and boulders on it,” Dobson explained. “There was a flurry first thing in the morning that lasted for about an hour and a half, and then it would be done. On both days I caught almost all of my weight in the first hour or so. Then I would cull up once or twice by bouncing around to other spots the rest of the day.”
Dobson said that he milked his primary spot with a chartreuse and blue-colored deep-diving jerkbait and a Rapala DT 10 crankbait in the morning. When the bite cooled down he would try to clean up the area with a green pumpkin-colored tube. As the day wore on and he moved around more, Dobson’s primary baits were the tube and the jerkbait.
“I had 22 pounds, 9 ounces on the first day,” said Dobson. “On Sunday, the bite was really tough for me. I had about 15 minutes to go and I was fishing by the boat ramp. I started popping a Yamamoto Senko around on some clean spots and caught a 3-pounder. I don’t know if that fish got me the win, but it culled a 2-pounder and it might have made the difference.”
Rounding out the top 10 pros were:
2nd: Douglass Lepper, Union City, Mich., 10 bass, 41-10, $2,816
3rd: Matt Vermilyea, Perrysburg, Ohio, 10 bass, 41-7, $1,877
4th: Mike Trombly, Perrysburg, Ohio, 10 bass, 41-1, $1,314
5th: John Tromley, St. Clair Shores, Mich., 10 bass, 40-7, $1,126
6th: John Devries, Fishers, Ind., 10 bass, 40-6, $1,033
7th: Wayne Macklin, Fenton, Mich., 10 bass, 39-10, $939
8th: William Cisler, Delton, Mich., 10 bass, 39-5, $845
9th: John Zubkoff, Monroe, Mich., 10 bass, 38-14, $751
10th: Patrick Stines, Granger, Ind., 10 bass, 38-9, $657
Terry Wilson of Tillsonburg, Ontario, weighed in a two-day total of 10 bass totaling 41 pounds, 5 ounces to win $2,816 in the co-angler division Sunday. Rounding out the top 10 co-anglers were:
2nd: Jermey Jenks, Grandville, Mich., 10 bass, 41-2, $1,408
3rd: Dave Hasty, Toledo, Ohio, 10 bass, 39-7, $941
4th: Paul Porento, Highland, Ind., 10 bass, 39-6, $657
5th: Tony Grubb, Ann Arbor, Mich., 10 bass, 37-4, $563
6th: Jason Wallace, Lizton, Ind., 10 bass, 36-3, $516
7th: Russell Martin, Canton, Mich., 10 bass, 34-15, $469
8th: Matt Carder, Toledo, Ohio, 10 bass, 34-5, $422
9th: Benny Gray, Ypsilanti, Mich., 10 bass, 34-5, $375
10th: Jon Swartz, Three Rivers, Mich., 10 bass, 34-4, $329
The top 40 boaters and 40 co-anglers based on point standings will qualify for the Oct. 16-18 Regional Championship on Kentucky Lake in Gilbertsville, Kentucky. 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.