Johnson earns Co-Angler of the Year title
The race for Walmart FLW Tour Co-Angler of the Year was even closer than the race for AOY, with the final outcome decided by a tie-breaker. When the numbers were finally crunched, Jason Johnson of Gainesville, Ga., walked away victoriuos over Braxton Setzer of Auburn, Ala. The tie-breaker that decided the co-angler crown was determined based on cumulative weight throughout the season.
“Braxton [Setzer] and I are good friends and have roomed together a lot this year – including this tournament,” said Johnson. “Last night I shook hands with Braxton and said ‘Well, at least the trophy [Co-Angler of the Year] will be coming back here tomorrow.’”
Johnson set out three years ago to fish the Walmart FLW Tour as a co-angler in order to learn more about the art of shallow-water fishing.
“I live right near Lake Lanier in Georgia so I have a pretty good understanding of how to fish out deep,” described Johnson. “I wanted to give myself three years to learn from the best pros out of the back of the boat before I made the transition up front. It has been a great learning experience.”
Johnson began the season with a decent start on Okeechobee with 57th place. From there he took 37th, 12th and 31st from Hartwell, Rayburn and Beaver, respectively. Johnson took 4th at Pickwick which set him up for the potential to win the title on Kentucky Lake where he would end up in 11th.
Like most of the co-anglers, it took Johnson a while to figure out how to fish from the back of a bass boat. He had a major learning curve to overcome in his first season which led to an 11 th-place finish in the points. In year two, Johnson figured it out and brought home a top-five finish in the COY race. Winning the title in his final season was simply the icing on the cake.
“I was going to make the move to the pro side in 2015 regardless of how I finished this year. But it is very cool to end my co-angler career on a high note.
"I especially need to thank my mom and dad for all of their support. My mom was truly my biggest push to step up next year and I can't thank her enough."
Johnson’s sponsors include: Luxaire Heating and Cooling, Dawson Heat ‘n’ Air, Hack Supply, Gambler, G Money Jigs, Hammond’s Fishing Center and Ranger Boats.