OSAGE BEACH, Mo. (Oct. 3, 2009) - Pro Shane Long of Sarcoxie, Mo., caught a five-bass limit weighing 14 pounds, 11 ounces Saturday to win the Stren Series Central Division bass fishing tournament on Lake of the Ozarks with a three-day total of 15 bass weighing 47 pounds, 6 ounces. For his victory, Long earned $15,843 cash and a fully rigged Ranger boat.
"The fishing was a lot tougher today," Long said. "I've been fishing shallow all week ... churning mud with the trolling motor. It seemed like as the week went they just kept getting shallower and shallower. By the end of the day today they were all the way in the backs of the pockets.
"I wasn't getting a lot of bites, but I was catching some good quality fish," Long added.
Long said he caught a total of 10 fish on the last day of competition. Long said his key baits were a 4 1/2-inch shad-pattern swimbait and a green pumpkin finesse jig with a large brown Guido Bug trailer. Long said the larger trailer helped slow the descent of his finesse jig in the shallow water.
"This is just a dream come true to win a big tournament," Long said. "In other circuits I've been the bridesmaid way too many times. It feels really good to get over the hump."
Rounding out the top five pros were Zack Bull of Arlington, Tenn. (13 bass, 44-5, $6,337); Jeremy Lawyer of Sarcoxie, Mo. (15 bass, 41-8, $5,070); Mark Tucker of Kirkwood, Mo. (15 bass, 41-5, $4,436); and Joe Bennett of Independence, Mo. (15 bass, 39-14, $3,802).
Jason Weast of Camdenton, Mo., caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the Pro Division Thursday - a 5-pound, 14-ounce bass - that earned him the day's Big Bass award of $229.
Justin Moore of Portage, Mich., won the Co-angler Division and a 177TR Ranger boat and trailer, with a three-day total of 13 bass weighing 28-8.
Moore caught five bass weighing 12-10 Thursday while fishing with pro Scott Nelson of Lake Ozark, Mo., to open the tournament in first place. On Friday he added five more bass weighing 8-13 to make the top-10 cut in first place while fishing with pro Richard Stevens of Galatia, Ill. Finally, on Saturday, he sealed the win with three bass weighing 7-1 while fishing with Bull.
Rounding out the top five co-anglers were Rick Brame of Festus, Mo. (seven bass, 22-8, $2,770); Brien Vaughn of Kinmundy, Ill. (10 bass, 22-8, $2,078); Derek Brown of Osage Beach, Mo. (eight bass, 19-8, $1,731); and Craig Brown of Powell, Ohio (seven bass, 18-12, $1,558).
Brame caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the Co-angler Division Thursday - a 5-pound, 15-ounce bass - that earned him the day's Big Bass award of $114.