Baker Sweeps on Kerr
Piedmont Division goes back-to-back over the weekend
It was a double-header for weekend bass anglers this past weekend in Henderson with the Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine on Kerr Lake events.
Boater Ronnie Baker of Providence Forge, Virginia, had a very successful weekend, winning both events back-to-back. Baker brought a five-bass limit to the scale totaling 16 pounds even to win Saturday’s event and earn $3,466, then backed it up with another five-bass limit on Sunday – this one totaling 14 pounds, 15 ounces – to earn the win $3,122.
“Winning is hard enough, but to win two in a row against this field of anglers is unbelievable,” says Baker, who had one prior career victory coming into the weekend. “Going back-to-back is a dream come true.
“I stayed mostly in Nutbush Creek both days; I maybe ventured out a mile,” Baker continues. “I rotated through the same four or five spots both days. There is a lot of shad out on the points, and they reload overnight.”
Baker caught the majority of his fish in 12 to 15 feet of water on an unnamed ½-ounce swim jig with a green-pumpkin Zoom Speed Craw, although he also mixed in a ½-ounce football jig on Sunday.
“They bit good until about 10 (a.m.) each day, then it really slowed down,” Baker says. “You could still catch a few after 10, but it was a grind.”
The top five boaters on Saturday:
1st: Ronnie Baker of Providence Forge, Va., five bass, 16-0, $3,466
1st: Ben Reynolds of Callands, Va., five bass, 15-13, $1,733
3rd: Mike Miller of Trinity, N.C., five bass, 14-11, $1,155
4th: Ryan Harrell of Roanoke Rapids, N.C., five bass, 14-7, $1,244
5th: David Wright of Lexington, N.C., five bass, 14-5, $1,193
Complete results for Saturday can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Harrell brought a 5-pound, 11-ounce largemouth to the scale to earn Saturday’s Boater Big Bass award of $435.
Wright picked up Saturday’s FLW PHOENIX BONUS of $500 as he was the highest-finishing member. Boaters are eligible to win up to an extra $7,000 per event in each Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine tournament if all requirements are met. More information on the FLW PHOENIX BONUS contingency program can be found at PhoenixBassBoats.com.
Enos takes co-angler title on Saturday
Carl Enos of Bracey, Virginia, won the Co-angler Division and $1,905 Saturday after catching five bass weighing 13 pounds, 4 ounces.
The top five co-anglers Saturday:
1st: Carl Enos of Bracey, Va., three bass, 13-4, $1,905
2nd: Victor Riveras of Newport News, Va., three bass, 10-1, $846
3rd: Joseph Kozlinski of Fayetteville, N.C., three bass, 9-15, $564
4th: Barry Burford of Charlotte, N.C., three bass, 9-10, $567
4th: Robert Raymond of Farmville, Va., three bass, 9-10, $367
Enos caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, weighing in at 5 pounds, 2 ounces, to win the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $212.
The top five boaters on Sunday:
1st: Ronnie Baker of Providence Forge, Va., five bass, 14-15, $3,122
2nd: David Wright of Lexington, N.C., five bass, 13-15, $2,061
3rd: Martin Villa of Charlottesville, Va., five bass, 13-14, $1,043
4th: Tim Wiltfong of Wake Forest, N.C., five bass, 13-8, $728
5th: Paul Worthington of Benson, N.C., five bass, 12-2, $624
Complete results for Sunday’s event on Kerr Lake can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Curtis Talbott of Forest, Virginia, brought a 5-pound, 6-ounce bass to the scale to win Sunday’s Boater Big Bass award of $375.
Wright also added Sunday’s FLW PHOENIX BONUS of $500 as he was the highest-finishing member.
Shatley wins Sunday co-angler title
Mike Shatley of North Wilkesboro, North Carolina, won the Co-angler Division and $1,561 Sunday after catching a five-bass limit weighing 14 pounds, 12 ounces.
The top five co-anglers Sunday:
1st: Mike Shatley of North Wilkesboro, N.C., five bass, 14-12, $1,561
2nd: Eric Hawks of Galax, Va., five bass, 13-13, $781
3rd: Eric Osborne of Jefferson, N.C., five bass, 11-13, $521
4th: Michael Abel of Portsmouth, Va., five bass, 11-6, $364
5th: Samuel Jones of Raleigh, N.C., five bass, 11-4, $312
Vernon Adams of Raleigh, North Carolina, caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, weighing in at 4 pounds, 15 ounces to earn Sunday’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $187.
The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine Double-Header on Kerr Lake was the second and third of five qualifying events in the Piedmont Division.
The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the Piedmont Division based on point standings, along with the five winners of each qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 22-24 Bass Fishing League Regional Championship on Lake Lanier in Gainesville, Georgia, hosted by the Gainesville Convention & Visitors Bureau. Boaters will compete for a $60,000 prize package, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro bass boat with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard and $10,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new 18-foot Phoenix bass boat with a 200-horsepower outboard.