Spradley Stayed Deep for Win

Chavis earns co-angler title on Clarks Hill

Joey Spradley of Gloverville, South Carolina, weighed a five-bass limit totaling 20 pounds, 7 ounces, Saturday to win the FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) South Carolina Division tournament on Clarks Hill Lake presented by Power-Pole. For his victory, Spradley took home $3,990.

Spradley focused on creek points on the lower end of the lake using a green pumpkin-colored Buckeye Lures Mop Jig with a Zoom Super Chunk trailer of the same color.

“I rotated through three different areas where fish were starting to pull up off of the river,” says Spradley, who earned his first win in BFL competition. “Everybody else was fishing shallow using crankbaits, but I figured bass wouldn’t be up that far yet. I opted to stay in around 30 feet of water which was deeper than everyone else.”

The South Carolina angler says that he caught around 10 keepers over the course of the event.

“I dragged the jig along the bottom very slowly,” continues Spradley. “I wanted the skirt to flair out. That’s important. You have to slow it down and let it do what it’s supposed to do.”

Spradley’s winning stringer was anchored by an 8-pound, 2-ounce kicker which he caught along a secondary point.

“If I hadn’t boated that 8-pounder, there’s no way I would’ve won,” says Spradley. “I couldn’t have asked for a better day on the water.”

The top 10 boaters:

1^st:          Joey Spradley, Gloverville, S.C., five bass, 20-7, $3,990

2^nd:         Chuck Howard, Elloree, S.C., five bass, 18-6, $2,073

3^rd:          Ken Ellis, Bowman, S.C., five bass, 18-0, $1,181

4^th:          Greg Rikard, Leesville, S.C., five bass, 17-11, $827

5^th:          Mel Long, Hampton, S.C., five bass, 17-10, $709

6^th:          Bart Blackburn, North Augusta, S.C., five bass, 17-4, $650

7^th:          Chris Hadden, North Augusta, S.C., five bass, 17-1, $591

8^th:          Charles Doyle, Augusta, Ga., five bass, 16-9, $532

9^th:          Chris Marshall, Forest City, N.C., five bass, 15-15, $443

9^th:          Chris Epting, Chapin, S.C., five bass, 15-15, $443

Complete results can be found here.

Spradley’s 8-pound, 2-ounce bass – the biggest of the tournament in the pro division – earned him the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $445.

Chavis wins co-angler title

Christopher Chavis of Rincon, Georgia, weighed in five bass totaling 17 pounds, 15 ounces Saturday to earn $1,773 and win the co-angler division.

The top 10 co-anglers:

1^st:          Christopher Chavis, Rincon, Ga., five bass, 17-15, $1,773

2^nd:         Scott Faile, Harlem, Ga., five bass, 13-5, $1,108

3^rd:          Rodney Tapp, North Augusta, S.C., five bass  , 13-0, $591

4^th:          Chad Hamm, Aiken, S.C., five bass, 12-12, $414

5^th:          Eddie Hall, Inman, S.C., five bass, 12-0, $355

6^th:          Michael Thomas, York, S.C., four bass, 11-3, $325

7^th:          David Smith, Anderson, S.C., five bass, 10-7, $295

8^th:          Beau Wilder, Charlotte, N.C., five bass, 10-4, $266

9^th:          Todd Sosebee, Bessemer City, N.C., five bass, 9-14, $236

10^th:        Mitchell Pare, Guyton, Ga., five bass, 9-13, $207

Faile caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the co-angler division, a fish weighing 6 pounds, 15 ounces and earned the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $222.

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.