LA PLATA, Md. (June 21, 2014) – William Kemp of Scotland Neck, N.C., weighed a five-bass limit totaling 15 pounds, 14 ounces Saturday to win the Rayovac FLW Series Northern Division tournament on the Potomac River with a three-day total of 15 bass weighing 45 pounds, 9 ounces. For his victory, Kemp earned $38,936. Kemp, who weighed a tournament-best 19-2 on Thursday, moved up from fifth place on the final day to earn his second win in FLW competition.
“I caught most of my fish in the morning on a topwater bait,” said Kemp. “I was throwing a fry-colored Lobina Lures Rico. I threw it around matted grass at low tide. I fished all the way around the mat and caught one flipping and one on a ChatterBait, then I picked that topwater up and probably caught thirty fish on it.
“I flipped grass in the middle of the day and culled for ounces,” Kemp added. “Then, at the very end of the day, I hit one spot with some wood and I caught a 5-pounder and a 3-pounder on a black and blue-colored Strike King Bitsy Flip Jig with a NetBait Paca Craw trailer.
“When I had my big bag on the first day I had to go to lighter line and smaller baits,” Kemp explained. “I had to finesse them a little this week.
“After I caught my two big fish at the end of the day today, I thought I had a shot to win,” finished Kemp. “I wasn’t sure, but I knew I had a chance. It’s unbelievable to win. I have to thank my wife. I was considering not fishing this event, but she pushed me and it just worked out.”
The top 10 pros on the Potomac River were:
1st: William Kemp, Scotland Neck, N.C., 15 bass, 45-9, $38,936
2nd: Gregory Wilder, Brooklyn Park, Md., 15 bass, 44-5, $15,088
3rd: Chris Baumgardner, Gastonia, N.C., 15 bass, 44-4, $11,681
4th: Dave Lefebre, Erie, Pa., 15 bass, 43-15, $9,734
5th: Michael Hall, Annandale, Va., 15 bass, 42-6, $8,761
6th: Chris Novack, Mansfield Center, Con., 15 bass, 42-3, $7,787
7th: Otis Darnell, Linden, Va., 15 bass, 41-10, $6,814
8th: Robert Grike, Dumfries, Va., 15 bass, 41-9, $5,840
9th: Mike Hicks, Goochland, Va., 15 bass, 40-3, $4,867
10th: Walter Snider, Mount Airy, Md., 15 bass, 36-10, $3,894
Kemp also caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the pro division Thursday – a 6-pound, 10-ounce bass – that earned him the day’s Big Bass award of $286. Kermit Crowder of Matoaca, Va., won the co-angler division and a Ranger Z117C with an Evinrude or Mercury outboard motor, as well as $5,000 for being Ranger Cup qualified, with a three-day total of 15 bass weighing 39 pounds, 8 ounces. The top 10 co-anglers on the Potomac River were:
1st: Kermit Crowder, Matoaca, Va., 15 bass, 39-8, Ranger Z117C with a 90-horsepower outboard + Ranger Cup $5,000
2nd: Destin Demarion, Grove City, Pa., 15 bass, 36-0, $4,875
3rd: Marvin Reese, Gwynn Oak, Md., 15 bass, 34-14, $3,900
4th: Gabriel Scott, Ruckersville, Va., 15 bass, 34-6, $3,412
5th: Cort Gardner, Jessup, Md., 15 bass, 34-5, $2,925
6th: Ben Wright, Peru, N.Y., 15 bass, 33-8, $2,437
7th: Jeremy Ives, Burgaw, N.C., 15 bass, 31-4, $1,950
8th: Leroy Harriott, Woodbridge, Va., 14 bass, 31-1, $1,706
9th: Johnny Clark, Fredericksburg, Va., 13 bass, 29-8, $1,462
10th: David Sasser, Sneads Ferry, N.C., 11 bass, 25-9, $1,219
Ives caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the co-angler division Thursday – a 7-pound, 7-ounce bass – that earned him the day’s Big Bass award of $190.
The Rayovac FLW Series consists of five divisions – Central, Northern, Southeast, Texas and Western. Each division consists of three tournaments and competitors will be vying for valuable points in each division that could earn them the opportunity to fish in the FLW Series Championship, held Oct. 30-Nov.1 on Wheeler Lake in Rogersville, Ala.