Kevin Chandler of New London, North Carolina, weighed a five-bass limit totaling 18 pounds, 8 ounces, Saturday to win the third FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Savannah River Division tournament of 2016 on Lake Russell. For his victory, Chandler took home $5,466.
Chandler began his day targeting bass on the Savannah River. He split his efforts between a Hawg Caller spinnerbait and a chartreuse-colored Strike King spinnerbait.
“I slow rolled both along rocky points until about 10 a.m.,” says Chandler, who has three career wins in FLW competition. “I was able to bring in about 10 keepers before the bite slowed down. After that I decided to make a run for new cover and switch techniques.”
The North Carolina angler says he finished out his day flipping shallow brush in the backs of creeks using a green-pumpkin and brown-colored custom jig.
“I caught two of my heaviest fish on the jig – a 5½- and a 3½-pounder,” says Chandler. “I used a more subtle approach because the water was only about a foot deep. I ended up with five more keepers and figured I had enough to make a run for the win.”
The top 10 boaters:
1st: Kevin Chandler, New London, N.C., five bass, 18-8, $3,466 + $2,000 Ranger Cup Bonus
2nd: Joey Spradley, Gloverville, S.C., five bass, 17-1, $1,733
3rd: Darren Taylor, Lexington, Ga., five bass, 16-9, $1,155
4th: Jeremy Strong, Elberton, Ga., five bass, 16-8, $1,109
5th: B.J. Ballard, Abbeville, S.C., five bass, 15-5, $693
6th: Greg Glouse, Liberty, S.C., five bass, 15-4, $635
7th: Brian Callahan, Gainesville, Ga., five bass, 14-15, $578
8th: Mike Bouknight, Greenwood, S.C., five bass, 14-8, $520
9th: Justin McLeese, Iva, S.C., five bass, 14-7, $462
10th: Jason Duncan, Commerce, Ga., five bass, 14-6, $404
Complete results can be found here.
Randall Spearman of Anderson, South Carolina, caught a 5-pound, 11-ounce bass – the biggest of the tournament in the pro division – and earned the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $435.
Roberts wins co-angler title
Sterling Roberts of Cleveland, Georgia, weighed in five bass totaling 16 pounds, 2 ounces, Saturday to win the co-angler division and earn $1,950.
The top 10 co-anglers:
1st: Sterling Roberts, Cleveland, Ga., five bass, 16-2, $1,950
2nd: Ronnie Cutshall, Piedmont, S.C., five bass, 14-8, $866
3rd: Michael Smith, Piedmont, S.C., five bass, 13-6, $577
4th: Kevin Landreth, Seneca, S.C., five bass, 12-9, $404
5th: Buddy Rice, Belton, S.C., five bass, 11-7, $347
6th: Willard Berry Smith Jr., Anderson, S.C., five bass, 10-15, $318
7th: David Winters, Rock Hill, S.C., four bass, 10-3, $289
8th: Bobby Smith, Asheville, N.C., five bass, 10-1, $260
9th: William Bryson, Greer, S.C., five bass, 9-13, $231
10th: Kaleb Turner, Hartwell, Ga., five bass, 9-10, $192
10th: Jeff Penland, Candler, N.C., five bass, 9-10, $192
Roberts also caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the co-angler division, a fish weighing 7 pounds, 2 ounces and earned the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $217.
The top 50 boaters and 50 co-anglers based on point standings will qualify for the Oct. 6-8 Regional Championship on Kerr Lake in Henderson, North Carolina. 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.