Carter gets ‘wacky’ for Co-angler Division win

Local Co-angler sticks with one technique for victory at Seminole

BAINBRIDGE, Ga. – Seldom is it that a co-angler can use one technique for three days, with three different pro partners in different parts of the lake under various weather conditions and come out a winner.

But that’s exactly what Allen Carter of Bainbridge, Ga., did this week to win the Co-angler Division of the American Fishing Series on Lake Seminole.

Carter, who is widely renown as a shellcracker guide on Seminole, took a break from the bream poles this week and tied a wacky rig to a spinning rod to catch daily weights of 13-9, 14-15 and 8-8 to win from the back of the boat with a three-day total of 37 pounds.

“It feels good to win again,” said Carter, who collected $7,752 for his win. “I haven’t won a tournament out here in a good long time so I’m pleased.”

Carter’s magic lure all week was a Zoom Trick Worm (watermelon red) wacky-rigged and tied to 10-pound test braided line.

“It works anywhere, anytime on this lake,” Carter said. “I just throw it out there and let it sink, twitch it a couple of times and let it sink again. When the line tightens up, just pull back nice and easy and you got him.”

Bladow second

Jamie Bladow of Houston, Ala., finished second with a three-day total of 34-8 worth $3,101.

Unlike Carter, Bladow had to do something completely different everyday to catch daily weights of 5-4, 18-11 and 10-9.

“The first day I flipped and used a swim jig,” Bladow said. “The second day I used a rattle trap and a swim jig and today I did a little bit of everything.”

Day two was by far Bladow’s best day when he caught the biggest co-angler limit of the tournament weighing 18 pounds, 11 ounces.

Poitevint third

Howard Poitevint of Bainbridge, Ga., finished third in the Co-angler Division with a three-day total of 31-10 worth $1,550.

Poitivent’s key bait during the week was a Zoom Ultra-Vibe Speedworm in junebug and blackberry.

Nunnally, Reynolds round out top five

Lee Nunnally of Monroe, Ga., finished fourth in the Co-angler Division with a three-day total of 30-6 worth $1,357.

Mitch Reynolds of Petal, Miss., finished fifth in the Co-angler Division with a three-day total of 28-13 worth $1,163.

Rest of the best

6th: Carrie Bronson of Polk City, Fla., three-day total of 28-3, $969

7th: Steve Harwood of Weaverville, N.C., three-day total of 28-2, $775

8th: Ernie Hillebrandt of Natchez, Miss., three-day total of 28-1, $698

9th: George Kapiton of Inverness, Fla., three-day total of 26-12, $620

10th: Mark Svendsen of Doraville, Ga., three-day total of 25-8, $543