Throwing crankbaits in deep water, Drew Sanford won the Boater Division of the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Weekend Series, operated by American Bass Anglers, North Alabama Division 1 tournament, held June 12, 2010, on Weiss Lake.
Sanford, a senior who fishes for the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, landed five bass weighing 18.97 pounds with a 6.12-pound kicker to collect $3,513 for the win. As a Triton boat owner, he added another $5,000 in bonus money from Triton. He fished channel drops where the water went from about nine to 20 feet deep. The tournament launched out of Weiss Mart Marina on the 30,200-acre Alabama Power Company hydroelectric impoundment along the northeast Alabama-Georgia line.
"In practice, I caught a lot of 2- and 3-pounders shallow," Sanford said. "Then, I caught a 7-pounder deep and stayed in deep water, running every piece of structure I could find. I caught two bass on a buzzbait early, but the rest of them came on crankbaits. I threw a DD-22 in white and gray. I caught both of my biggest fish between 10 a.m. and 11 a.m."
In second for the boaters, Terry Tucker of Gadsden landed a five-bass tournament limit weighing 18.73 pounds to collect $1,756. One of his fish weighed 5.86 pounds. Staying shallow, he flipped dark jigs in water less than 18 inches deep and even caught a 7.5-pound carp by flipping.
"I thought I could have done better," Tucker said. "I figured it would take about 22 pounds to win this event. It was a couple hours before I caught my first fish. Once I got on them, it worked out pretty good."
In third for the boaters, Wayne Boyd of Cedar Bluff landed a five-bass bag for 18.03 pounds. Fishing his home lake, he caught his fish on 1/2-ounce spinnerbaits worked around brush in two to 10 feet of water in the river.
In fourth for the 93 boaters, Alex Davis of Guntersville caught five bass for 17.86 pounds, followed by Tim Hurst of Oxford with five bass going 17.18 pounds. He anchored his bag with a 6.60-pound tournament lunker.
http://www.abaproam.com/storypics/al04co01.jpgIn the Co-Angler Division, Ryan Beaverson of Huntsville won with three bass weighing 14.51 pounds, including a 5.44-pound kicker. Fishing deep brush piles and river ledges in 12 to 20 feet of water, he collected $1,715 for the effort.
"I was fishing a football head jig on offshore brush piles," Beaverson explained. "The key was letting it soak. With the two big bites, the jig was probably in the brush pile for two minutes before the bass hit. I lost one fish that I couldn't turn. It just broke off."
Jason Metz of Temple, Ga., took second for the non-boaters with three bass weighing 12.28 pounds. He actually landed 12.78 pounds, but suffered a penalty. He anchored his bag with a 5.69-pounder. Throwing a Booyah football head jig in brown and pumpkin, he pocketed $857.
In third for the co-anglers, Danny Moss of Glencoe landed a division limit of three bass for 11.68 pounds with one 4.96-pounder. He took home a check for $572 and caught most of his fish on a worm.
"By 9:30 a.m., I was getting worried," Moss said. "Then, I caught a 5-pounder. My partner set the hook on a big one and missed. We came back through an hour later and I caught a 5-pounder."
Will Butler of Oneonta took fourth with three bass weighing 11.27 pounds, including a 6.26-pound kicker. Ron Montgomery of Rome, Ga., landed three bass for 10.84 pounds, followed by Eric Johnson of Cullman with three bass going 10.61 pounds. Cullman cashed a check for $223 for catching the division lunker, a 6.42-pound bucketmouth.
Complete Results
About American Bass Anglers: The Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Weekend Series provides weekend anglers a professionally operated competitive tour with a path the world championship of bass fishing the Bassmaster Classic. American Bass Anglers commitment is to provide low cost, close to home tournaments for the weekend angler and at the same time offer each competitor an upward path for individual angler progression. For more information about American Bass Anglers and the American Fishing Tour, The Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Weekend Series, The American 150 Series or the American Couples Series, visit www.americanbassanglers.com.
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