Austin rebounds for South Holston win - Major League Fishing

Austin rebounds for South Holston win

Ray wins co-angler title
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Doug Austin of Bristol, Va., won the April 20 Volunteer Division event on South Holston by mere ounces with a 19-pound, 8-ounce limit. For his efforts, Austin was awarded over $3,600 in prize money.
April 22, 2013 • MLF • Archives

BRISTOL, Tenn. – Doug Austin of Bristol, Va., weighed a five-bass limit totaling 19 pounds, 8 ounces Saturday to win the Walmart Bass Fishing League Volunteer Division event on South Holston. For his victory, Austin earned $3,679.

Austin indicated that he had only caught two keeper fish in the two weeks leading up to the tournament and had a rough couple of weeks of practice on South Holston. So he started the tournament in places he knew there should be fish and within the first hour Austin had caught four keeper fish.

“I made my first stop and just started blind casting a worm,” Austin said. “I had four (fish) in about 45 minutes to an hour. I then moved to a second spot and was able to cull twice for about 15 pounds, still using the worm.

“I went to my third spot and started throwing swimbaits in hopes of catching bigger fish. I was in a staging area. The cold front that moved through mid-week really prevented the fish from going up on beds, and I was able to cull two more times. I lost one big one and was down in the dumps for about an hour, but after an hour of sulking I did catch my 4 1/2-pounder on a swimbait.

“This was my first win and it really is an unreal experience,” Austin went on to say. “I believe that the FLW BFL is the most prestigious tournament to come to this lake and to be able to win one is really special.”

Rounding out the top 10 pros were:

2nd: Gary Lawson, Meadowview, Va., five bass, 19-6, $1,840

3rd: Corey Neece, Bristol, Tenn., five bass, 18-3, $1,225

4th: Derrick Snavely, Rogersville, Tenn., five bass, 16-4, $859

5th: Jimbo Harris, Maryville, Tenn., five bass, 16-0, $736

6th: Joe Lee, Knoxville, Tenn., five bass, 15-14, $644

6th: Daniel Morgan, Dayton, Tenn., five bass, 15-14, $644

8th: Bobby Hicks, Piney Flats, Tenn., five bass, 15-10, $552

9th: Burton Bryan, Sevierville, Tenn., five bass, 15-6, $491

10th: Brad Burkhart, Speedwell, Tenn., five bass, 15-5, $429

Complete pro results can be found here.

Co-angler Greg Ray of Bandy, Va., won the April 20 Volunteer Division event on South Holston with a 16-pound, 6-ounce limit. Ray earned himself a check worth over $1,800 for his victory. Greg Ray of Bandy, Va., weighed five bass totaling 16 pounds, 6 ounces Saturday to win the co-angler division. Ray earned $1,840 for his victory.

Rounding out the top 10 co-anglers were:

2nd: Randall Lane, Gate City, Va., five bass, 16-3, $920

3rd: Jonathan Saddler, Bristol, Tenn., five bass, 16-0, $612

4th: Jason Jackson, Waynesville, N.C., five bass, 15-12, $429

5th: Jim Neece, Bristol, Va., four bass, 14-13, $368

6th: Chad Bishop, Harriman, Tenn., five bass, 14-4, $337

7th: Jason Khym, Maryville, Tenn., five bass, 13-10, $307

8th: Kyle Warden, Bluff City, Tenn., four bass, 12-11, $276

9th: Navada Smith, Rogersville, Tenn., four bass, 10-2, $245

10th: Larry Minnick, Bristol, Tenn., three bass, 9-15, $215

Complete co-angler results can be found here.

The next BFL Volunteer Division tournament is scheduled for May 18 on Douglas Lake in Kodak, Tenn. After the last divisional tournament is complete, the top 40 boaters and 40 co-anglers based on point standings will qualify for the Oct. 17-19 Regional Championship on Lake Hartwell in Lavonia, Ga. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518 with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard and a Chevy Silverado, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518 with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard.

The BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 120 tournaments throughout the season, five in each division. The top 40 boaters and co-anglers from each division qualify for a regional tournament and compete to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the Walmart BFL All-American presented by Chevy. The 2013 BFL All-American is being held June 27-29 on the Nickajack Lake in Chattanooga, Tenn. Top winners in the BFL can move up to the EverStart Series or even the Walmart FLW Tour.

Editor’s Note: On behalf of tournament director Robert Evans and the entire FLW family we offer condolences to the family of Keith Harmon of New Tazewell, Tenn. Mr. Harmon passed away Saturday shortly after takeoff for the BFL Volunteer Division tournament on South Holston reservoir. He died while doing what he loved best, fishing. His final fish, a 4-pound, 1-ounce smallmouth, was weighed in as a tribute to his passion for the sport. Please click here if you’d like to offer a tribute of your own.