Davis Works Grass Mats for Title

Neuner claims co-angler victory on Chickamauga

FLW Tour pro Alex Davis of Albertville, Alabama, weighed a five-bass limit totaling 11 pounds, 10 ounces, Sunday to win the FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Volunteer Division Super Tournament on Lake Chickamauga, with a two-day total of 10 bass weighing 28 pounds, 6 ounces. For his victory, Davis earned $8,006.

“I spent the tournament targeting smaller, isolated grass mats on the lower end of the lake,” says Davis, who earned his third win in FLW competition. “In the fall, on a grass lake, you’re going to win by either flipping, punching or throwing a frog, and that’s what I did.

“On Saturday, I caught four keepers by 9 a.m. on a bluegill-colored Jackall Iobee Frog out of a 40- by 40-yard mat,” Davis continues. “After that, I caught my fifth punching a mat with a black-and-blue Jackall Archelon. I probably had 15 pounds by noon.”

Davis says he made the same milk run on Sunday, using the same baits on the lower end of the lake.

“I caught a keeper on the Iobee, and then two more from a punching spot with the Archelon,” says Davis. “By 1:30 p.m., I only had four in the boat and a storm was on the way. I decided to run back to my frogging area for one more chance. I threw out the Iobee and a fish blew up on it. That was my fifth, and I headed into the scales.”

The top 10 boaters:

1^st:          Alex Davis, Albertville, Ala., 10 bass, 28-6, $6,006 + $2,000 Ranger Cup Bonus

2^nd:         Nick Huff, Corbin, Ky., nine bass, 23-3, $2,503

3^rd:          Buddy Gross, Ringgold, Ga., eight bass, 21-3, $1,603

4^th:          Steve Barnes, Harrison, Tenn., nine bass, 19-6, $1,121

5^th:          Adam Johnston, Loudon, Tenn., four bass, 18-2, $1,538

6^th:          Brad Napier, Harts, W. Va., eight bass, 16-5, $1,181

7^th:          Burton Bryan, Sevierville, Tenn., five bass, 15-7, $801

8^th:          Dean Iles, Knoxville, Tenn., six bass, 14-5, $721

9^th:          Norm Attaway, Clearwater, S.C., four bass, 13-3, $641

10^th:        Matthew Rock, Crossville, Tenn., five bass, 12-6, $561

Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com. 

Johnston caught a bass weighing 9 pounds, 8 ounces – the biggest of the tournament in the pro division – and earned the Boater Big Bass award of $577.

Neuner wins co-angler title

Jerry Neuner of Rutherfordton, North Carolina, won the co-angler division and earned $2,403 with a two-day cumulative catch of six bass weighing 10 pounds, 9 ounces.

The top 10 co-anglers:

1^st:          Jerry Neuner, Rutherfordton, N.C., six bass, 10-9, $2,403

2^nd:         Ted Ridley, Maryville, Tenn., three bass, 9-13, $1,491

3^rd:          Tony Brown, Harriman, Tenn., four bass, 8-15, $801

4^th:          Don Bible, Knoxville, Tenn., three bass, 8-2, $561

5^th:          Chris Darby, Hot Springs, Ark., three bass, 7-4, $581

6^th:          Stacey Newberry, Maryville, Tenn., three bass, 6-14, $441

7^th:          Wayne Musick, Lebanon, Va., two bass, 6-5, $401

8^th:          Joseph Renfro, Kingsport, Tenn., three bass, 6-1, $360

9^th:          Randall Hillyer, Summerville, S.C., two bass, 6-0, $370

10^th:        Dennis Lewis, Powell, Tenn., two bass, 5-9, $280

Ridley caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the co-angler division, a fish weighing 5 pounds, 11 ounces, and earned the Co-angler Big Bass award of $289.

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.