Holcomb Makes the Right Call
Viers claims Volunteer Division co-angler title on Watts Barr
Brian Holcomb of Madisonville, Tennessee, won the T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Volunteer Division tournament on Watts Bar Lake Sunday with a two-day cumulative catch of nine bass weighing 22 pounds, 1 ounce. For his win, Holcomb pocketed $6,804.
Holcomb says he started out the event fishing mid-lake pockets near Euchee Marina and Resort.
“I caught them on Saturday throwing a white 3/8-ounce buzzbait,” says Holcomb, who earned his first career-victory in FLW competition. “I targeted isolated milfoil clumps and caught four keepers in less than 2 feet of water.
“On Sunday I went back to the same area, but I couldn’t get a bite on the buzzbait,” continues Holcomb. “I switched to a (Gambler Cane) toad and was able to put together a limit.”
Holcomb worked through numerous pockets between 10 a.m. and 2:30 p.m., and caught seven keepers to finish out the tournament.
“There had to be a transition on the bottom to the grass,” says Holcomb. “That was the key for me. If there wasn’t deeper water in front of the grass, they wouldn’t be there. I just kept relying on my judgement and it worked out for me.”
The top 10 boaters:
1st: Brian Holcomb, Madisonville, Tenn., nine bass, 22-1, $4,804 + $2,000 Ranger Cup Bonus
2nd: Kevin Edwards, Knoxville, Tenn., 10 bass, 19-15, $2,302
3rd: Tommy Brown, Louisville, Tenn., seven bass , 19-8, $1,636
4th: Joshua Short, Bean Station, Tenn., seven bass, 17-12, $1,074
5th: Glenn Carter, Rockwood, Tenn., nine bass, 17-8, $921
6th: Kyle Smith, Elizabethton, Tenn., seven bass, 16-14, $844
7th: Jesse Burnett, Knoxville, Tenn., 10 bass, 16-13, $767
8th: Jack Faulkner II, Jacksboro, Tenn., seven bass, 15-6, $691
9th: Derrick Blake, Rockwood, Tenn., seven bass, 15-4, $614
10th: Cody Seeber, Clinton, Tenn., four bass, 14-11, $1,077
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Seeber caught a 6-pound, 10-ounce bass – the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division – and earned the Big Bass award of $540.
Viers wins co-angler title
Chris Viers of Haysi, Virginia, caught a two-day total of four bass weighing 14 pounds, 4 ounces, to win the Co-angler Division and $2,270.
The top 10 co-anglers:
1st: Chris Viers, Haysi, Va., four bass, 14-4, $2,270
2nd: Cameron Crider, Dwale, Ky., five bass, 12-2, $1,135
3rd: Dennis Napier, Dandridge, Tenn., three bass, 11-0, $1,023
4th: Don Bible, Knoxville, Tenn., five bass, 10-0, $530
5th: Jim Neece Sr., Bristol, Va., four bass, 8-14, $454
6th: Jason Khym, Maryville, Tenn., two bass, 7-12, $416
7th: Darren Kelly, Wartburg, Tenn., four bass, 7-4, $478
8th: Justin McGaha, Knoxville, Tenn., three bass, 7-3, $391
9th: Steve Hall, Hillsville, Va., three bass, 6-2, $303
10th: Colton Chambers, Elizabethton, Tenn., two bass, 5-5, $265
Napier caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division – a fish weighing 6 pounds, 2 ounces – and earned the
Co-angler Big Bass award of $266.
The T-H Marine FLW BFL Volunteer Division tournament on Watts Bar Lake was hosted by the Roane County Visitors Bureau.
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.