Neal Wins on Norris

Kelly takes co-angler title in Volunteer Division event

Larry Neal of Piney Flats, Tennessee, weighed a 17-pound, 11-ounce limit of bass Saturday to win the first T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Volunteer Division event of 2017 on Norris Lake. Neal’s five bass were enough to earn him the top prize of $4,743.

According to tournament reports, Neal caught his fish in the mid-lake area, fishing a hair jig in 20 feet of water.

The top 10 boaters:

1^st:          Larry Neal, Piney Flats, Tenn., five bass, 17-11, $4,743

2^nd:         Frankie Dople, Newcomb, Tenn., five bass, 16-10, $2,082

3^rd:          Archie Wilson Jr., Corryton, Tenn., five bass, 14-13, $1,587

4^th:          Bryan Leonard, Blountville, Tenn., five bass, 13-15, $1,071

5^th:          Jonathan Bowling, Harriman, Tenn., five bass, 13-14, $833

6^th:          Brandon Brock, Mayking, Ky., five bass, 13-6, $763

7^th:          Kevin Powers, Unicoi, Tenn., five bass, 12-10, $694

8^th:          Jordan Card, Knoxville, Tenn., five bass, 12-6, $625

9^th:          Peter Balishin, Sharps Chapel, Tenn., three bass, 11-15, $555

10^th:        James Dial, Jacksboro, Tenn., four bass, 11-7, $486

Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.  

Neal also weighed a 4-pound, 10-ounce bass – the largest of the event – which earned him the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $580.

Kelly wins co-angler title

Darren Kelly of Wartburg, Tennessee, weighed a five-bass limit totaling 10 pounds, 1 ounce Saturday to win the Co-angler Division and $2,000.

The top 10 co-anglers:

1^st:          Darren Kelly, Wartburg, Tenn., five bass, 10-1, $2,000

2^nd:         Talmadge Marcum, McKee, Ky., three bass, 9-12, $1,000

3^rd:          Doug Austin, Bristol, Va., three bass, 9-8, $666

4^th:          Matthew Speights, Mascot, Tenn., three bass, 6-8, $567

5^th:          Kibbee McCoy, Morristown, Tenn., two bass, 6-6, $450

6^th:          Curtis Hall II, Battle Creek, Mich., three bass, 5-11, $367

7^th:          Jordan McDeerman, Caryville, Tenn., two bass, 5-9, $333

8^th:          Jose Ramirez, Barbourville, Ky., three bass, 5-5, $300

9^th:          Doug Adkins, Gray Hawk, Ky., three bass, 5-2, $267

10^th:        Noah Newport, Knoxville, Tenn., three bass, 5-0, $233

Justin McGaha of Knoxville, Tennessee, caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the Co-angler Division, a fish weighing 3 pounds, 15 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $135.

The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the region based on point standings, along with the five winners in each qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 12-14 BFL Regional Championship on the James River in Williamsburg, Virginia. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard and $20,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard.