A weather change forced a change in tactics, but didn't stop John Hutchins from winning the 2010 American Fishing Tour Angler of the Year Final Round Fish Off, presented byTriton Boats and Mercury Marine.
Held Oct. 2, on Lake Barkley out of Dover, Tenn., the tournament pitted the top point leaders from the AFT divisions nationwide. In the no-fee invitational tournament, anglers earned the right to compete by accumulating points in at least four one-day tournaments and a two-day division championship in their respective divisions. They also qualified for the ABA National Championship tournament, slated for Oct. 6-8 on Kentucky Lake.
When it ended, the 34-year-old angler from Culpeper, Va., finished with five bass weighing 14 pounds. Representing Division 11 of Maryland, Hutchins practiced only one day. He found an area and caught some fish with crankbaits, but then a cold front came through the area, forcing Hutchins to revise his plans.
"Because I had limited time in practice, I focused on one specific area," Hutchins said. "I found something similar to what I like to fish back home and stayed there dissecting every little piece of structure in that creek. In the tournament, I went back to that area to try to catch them on crankbaits like I did in practice. When that didn't work, I threw an 1/8-ounce shaky head with a NetBait red bug worm. I caught them exactly where I caught them with crankbaits in practice, a foot off the bank on rocks. After the cold front, they were just a little more sluggish."
Anglers could fish that part of Lake Barkley south of Highway 80 in Canton, Ky. For the national championship tournament, anglers can fish any waters of Lake Barkley north of Highway 80 and all of Kentucky Lake. Hutchins fished about 15 miles north of the marina. For the effort, he won a fully rigged Triton 21XS bass boat powered by a 200-horsepower Mercury Optimax ProXS outboard and a MotorGuide trolling motor, a package worth about $53,000.
Tom O'Bryant of Cedar Grove, Tenn., also landed a five-bass tournament limit weighing 12.19 pounds to take second. In third, Carl Cox of Aldrich, Mo., landed three bass going 12.02 pounds. Sean Anderson of Leesville, S.C., finished fourth with five bass at 11.68 pounds, followed by Danny Hudson of Carbon Hill, Ala., with four bass for 10.63 pounds. Jimmy R. Matthews of Tarboro, N.C., only landed one bass, but took the tournament big bass honors with a 5.67-pounder.
The anglers caught and released 59 bass for a total weight of 152.72 pounds. The bass averaged 2.59 pounds.
The American Fishing Tour Series is sponsored by Triton Boats, Mercury Marine, Royal Purple, ProBass Networks, BioEdge, Rejuvenade and Carlisle Tire. For more information about ABA or the AFT, call 888-203-6222. On line, visit www.americanbassanglers.com.
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 or call 888-203-6222.
Top 20
Name Hometown Fish Wgt Pnlty B/F Total
1 John Hutchins Culpeper VA 5/5 14.00 14.00
2 Tom O'Bryant Cedar Grove TN 5/5 12.19 12.19
3 Carl Cox Aldrich MO 3/3 12.02 12.02
4 Sean Anderson Leesville SC 5/5 11.68 11.68
5 Danny Hudson Carbon Hill AL 4/4 10.63 10.63
6 Brian Cox Woodstock GA 5/5 10.44 10.44
7 Bruce Frank Saucier MS 3/3 8.98 8.98
8 George Kunkle III Corpus Christi TX 4/4 8.50 8.50
9 Norman Ligon Moulton AL 3/3 8.40 8.40
10 Chad Everett Burkburnett TX 2/2 7.44 7.44
11 Chris Bullock Fountain NC 3/3 6.79 6.79
12 Clint Nail Sterrett AL 3/3 6.72 6.72
13 Jimmy R Matthews Tarboro NC 1/1 5.67 5.67 5.67
14 Miles Hair Elizabethtown NC 2/2 5.03 5.03
15 Bobby Clark Macclesfield NC 2/2 3.82 3.82
16 Mike Pappas Lagrange IL 1/1 2.88 2.88 2.88
17 Gary Argo Winchester TN 1/1 2.71 2.71 2.71
18 Joe Wikoff Phenix City AL 1/1 2.62 2.62 2.62
19 Dennis Budzitowski Delran NJ 1/1 2.44 2.44 2.44
20 Mark Fagg Arkansas City KS 1/1 2.13 2.13 2.13
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