Co-angler Flowers enjoys sweet smell of victory
No. 1 ranked TTT co-angler adds championship win to résumé
CONROE, Texas – Kevin Flowers is having quite a year.
The co-angler from Beaumont scored his first-ever victory earlier this season on Lake Amistad and went on to rank No. 1 in 2005 co-angler standings. He can now add 2005 TTT co-angler champion to his resume thanks to his hefty two-day catch of 21 pounds that gave him a 6-pound margin of victory.
Making Flowers’ win all the more impressive are his day-one numbers. Only 21 co-anglers caught fish yesterday, and Flowers was 17th out of 21 with a one-bass catch weighing 2 pounds, 7 ounces. He followed that up today with a limit of bass that weighed 18 pounds, 9 ounces that won him $5,000 cash, a new Ranger boat and $5,000 in Ranger contingency cash.
“I’ve had an unbelievable year,” he said. “It hasn’t sunk in yet. My total entry fees were $400, and as we stand here right now, I’ve made $75,000 this year. I’m shell-shocked right now.”
Flowers is indebted to his day-two partner, Ronnie Wagner, for his second victory of the year – so indebted he brought the seventh-place pro up on stage.
“I was fishing and drop-shotting in 8 to 10 feet of water in brush piles,” Flowers said. “My partner was throwing a crankbait, and it came unbuttoned. I caught my first 5-pounder, and he kept the boat right there. He’s a great sportsman.”
As evidenced by his remarkable financial return on investment, Flowers naturally believes TTT co-angler entry fees are a worthy use of funds for a variety of reasons.
“I put in a hundred dollars, and (to learn) by fishing with other guys … it’s a fun thing to do,” he said.
Joiner takes home second
Irving angler Danny Joiner caught 6 pounds, 7 ounces on day one and followed that up today with another 8 pounds, 9 ounces to earn $2,000 as the second-place co-angler with a 15-pound total catch. He also earned $2,500 in Ranger contingencies.
“It was tough,” he said. “Yesterday we threw around boat docks and had five or six bites. Today it seemed the fish were biting better, and we got 11 or 12 bites. The wind picked up a little bit.”
Joiner used a variety of baits and techniques to haul in his bass, including crankbaits, Texas-rigged worms and Carolina rigs. He was the 31st-ranked co-angler in 2005 standings and also took eighth place in the Co-angler Division at this year’s Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League All-American.
Best of the rest
Finishing third is yesterday’s leader Todd Lee of Grove, Okla. His two-day total catch of 14 pounds, 7 ounces earned him $1,500 plus $1,500 in Ranger money.
Taking fourth is William Herline of Silsbee with a two-day weight of 13 pounds, 3 ounces. His top-five finish earned him $1,250, and he took home another $1,100 in Ranger money.
Landing in fifth is Bill Rogers of Jasper with 10 pounds, 13 ounces of bass over two days. Rogers earned $1,000 plus $900 in Ranger money for the finish.