Morgan Targeted Staging Fish

Brandenburg wins co-angler title on Dale Hollow

Mark Morgan of Somerset, Kentucky, weighed a five-bass limit totaling 21 pounds, 1 ounce, Saturday to win the second FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Mountain Division tournament of 2016 on Dale Hollow Lake. For his victory, Morgan took home $6,830.

Morgan spent his day focusing on bass that were congregating in shallow water, near steep banks. He says he ran to multiple sections of the lake and rotated between seven points.

“My boat was in deep water, between 15 and 20 feet, but the bait was shallow,” says Morgan, who notched his third win in FLW competition. “A lot of bass were up very shallow and spawning, but mine were still staging and getting ready to spawn. I spent around 45 minutes in each section and after my first rotation I had my winning weight in the boat.”

Morgan used one bait to catch his limit – a green-pumpkin-colored Cumberland Pro Lures jig rigged with a green-pumpkin Strike King Rage Tail Craw.

“The water was very clear so I didn’t want anything with flash,” says Morgan. “The small profile of the lure was crucial for my catch as well.”

Morgan finished by saying he was able to catch approximately 14 keepers throughout the event.

The top 10 boaters:

1^st:          Mark Morgan, Somerset, Ky., five bass, 21-1, $4,830 + $2,000 Ranger Cup Bonus

2^nd:         Richard Cobb, Berea, Ky., five bass, 19-2, $2,415

3^rd:          Terry Ledford, Gray, Ky., five bass, 18-8, $1,234

3^rd:          Tim McDonald, Prestonsburg, Ky., five bass, 18-8, $1,234

3^rd:          Jason Cooper, Shelbyville, Tenn., five bass, 18-8, $1,234

6^th:          Todd Beaty, Rickman, Tenn., five bass, 18-7, $885

7^th:          Brandon Wallen, Monticello, Ky., five bass, 18-2, $805

8^th:          Charlie Crisp Jr., Catlettsburg, Ky., five bass, 17-13, $724

9^th:          Josh Gaffney, Crab Orchard, Ky., five bass, 17-11, $644

10^th:        Adam Militana, Nashville, Tenn., five bass, 17-7, $563

Complete results can be found here.  

Ron Foss of Berea, Kentucky, caught a 6-pound, 4-ounce bass – the biggest of the tournament in the pro division – and earned the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $720.

Brandenburg wins co-angler title

Larry Brandenburg of Richmond, Kentucky, weighed in five bass totaling 16 pounds, 11 ounces, Saturday to win the co-angler division and earn $2,415.

The top 10 co-anglers:

1^st:          Larry Brandenburg, Richmond, Ky., five bass  , 16-11, $2,415

2^nd:         Josh Boone, London, Ky., five bass, 16-8, $1,207

3^rd:          Tracy Helton, London, Ky., five bass, 15-15, $684

3^rd:          Brent Clark, Bowling Green, Ky., five bass, 15-15, $684

5^th:          Doug Adkins, Gray Hawk, Ky., five bass, 15-10, $483

6^th:          Joshua Jernigan, Rocky Top, Tenn., five bass, 15-0, $443

7^th:          Steven Brown, Bowling Green, Ky., five bass, 14-14, $402

8^th:          Brian Copeland, Rickman, Tenn., five bass, 13-11, $362

9^th:          Timothy Ernst, Mount Eden, Ky., four bass, 13-3, $682

10^th:        Walter Smith, Hardy, Ky., four bass, 12-7, $282

Ernst caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the co-angler division, a fish weighing 5 pounds, 1 ounce and earned the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $360.

The top 50 boaters and 50 co-anglers based on point standings will qualify for the Oct. 6-8 Regional Championship on Lake Chickamauga in Dayton, Tennessee. 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.