New Water Pays for Kenney

Harris takes co-angler title on Lake Lanier

Byron Kenney of Griffin, Georgia, weighed a five-bass limit totaling 16 pounds, 7 ounces, Saturday to win the FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Bulldog Division tournament on Lake Lanier presented by Power-Pole. For his victory, Kenney took home $4,763.

Kenney started his day by running south to target bass in ditches that were 8- to 30-feet deep. He said he used a shad-colored Sworming Hornet Fish Head Spin and was able to get three spotted bass in the boat fairly quickly.

“The fish I caught were mostly from water that I had never been in before,” says Kenney, who earned his third career win in FLW competition. “They just happened to be in the type of structure that I was targeting and it worked out.”

Kenney fished the ditches for about an hour, then moved to shallower water and focused on wood and docks using a Citrus Shad-colored Strike King KVD HC Square Bill Silent Crankbait. He caught his fourth fish – a 5-pounder – near a laydown.

“It was so deep in there that I have no idea how I caught it,” says Kenney. “I was very fortunate that I didn’t lose it when I was pulling up.”

The Georgia angler says he then went nearly five hours without a bite before catching his fifth and final keeper at 2:45 p.m. on a custom jig near some rock.

“After the day I had, I didn’t think I would have enough weight to win,” states Kenney. “I was quite surprised when I ended up on top. I guess it was meant to be.”

The top 10 boaters:

1^st:          Byron Kenney, Griffin, Ga., five bass, 16-7, $4,763

2^nd:         Brad Stalnaker, Milledgeville, Ga., five bass, 15-9, $2,381

3^rd:          Karey Dickerson, Dahlonega, Ga., five bass, 14-3, $1,585

4^th:          John Christopher, Watkinsville, Ga., five bass, 13-6, $1,111

5^th:          Phil Sanders, Hoschton, Ga., five bass, 13-5, $953

6^th:          William Rogers, Hiram, Ga., five bass, 12-12, $873

7^th:          Todd Goade, Suwanee, Ga., four bass, 12-9, $1,094

8^th:          Josh Maddox, Gainesville, Ga., five bass, 12-6, $674

8^th:          Pat Wallace, Lizella, Ga., five bass, 12-6, $674

10^th:        Tony Couch, Buckhead, Ga., five bass, 12-4, $505

10^th:        Rodger Beaver, Dawson, Ga., five bass, 12-4, $505

10^th:        Brad Wiley, Alto, Ga., five bass, 12-4, $505

Complete results can be found here.  

Phil Johnson of Cumming, Georgia, caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the pro division, a fish weighing 5 pounds, 10 ounces and earned the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $710.

Harris wins co-angler title

Ronald Harris of Jefferson, Georgia, weighed in five bass totaling 15 pounds, 13 ounces Saturday to earn $2,381 and win the co-angler division.

The top 10 co-anglers:

1^st:          Ronald Harris, Jefferson, Ga., five bass, 15-13, $2,381

2^nd:         Wayne Hancock, Cumming, Ga., five bass, 12-6, $1,191

3^rd:          Noah Rega, Douglasville, Ga., four bass, 11-15, $1,146

4^th:          Scott Edwards, Jefferson, Ga., five bass, 10-14, $556

5^th:          Isaac Clemmons, Fitzgerald, Ga., five bass, 10-7, $476

6^th:          Harold Grizzle, Gainesville, Ga., five bass, 9-15, $437

7^th:          Emory Walden, Newnan, Ga., three bass, 9-2, $397

8^th:          Michael Wilder, Macon, Ga., four bass, 9-1, $357

9^th:          Tony Dimauro, Watkinsville, Ga., four bass, 8-9, $318

10^th:        Daniel Buswell Jr., Fayetteville, Ga., five bass, 8-8, $278

Rega caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the co-angler division, a fish weighing 5 pounds, 4 ounces and earned the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $355.

The top 50 boaters and 50 co-anglers based on point standings will qualify for the Oct. 13-15 Regional Championship on Lake Seminole in Bainbridge, Georgia. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard and $20,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard.