Tramel best boater on Center Hill - Major League Fishing

Tramel best boater on Center Hill

Tarpley wins co-angler title
Image for Tramel best boater on Center Hill
Josh Tramel of Smithville, Tenn., won the April 20 Music City Division contest on Center Hill for his limit weighing 20 pounds, 2 ounces. Tramel was awarded a check for nearly $2,600 for his victory.
April 22, 2013 • MLF • Archives

SPARTA, Tenn. – Josh Tramel of Smithville, Tenn., weighed a five-bass limit totaling 20 pounds, 2 ounces Saturday to win the Walmart Bass Fishing League Music City Division event on Center Hill. For his victory, Tramel earned $2,596.

Tramel said that he caught two of his bass sight fishing and the rest with an umbrella rig.

“I fished a lot of areas on Saturday,” said Tramel. “I hit at least 15 different spots, rotating to some of the same areas throughout the day. I would stay in one place for about 30 minutes before I moved. Each of my fish came out of different areas.

“I was mostly targeting points. I kept my boat in about 18 to 20 feet of water casting to about 4 to 8 feet of water.”

Tramel said that he caught about 10 fish during the day that allowed him to cull once or twice. He was catching fish pretty steadily all day long with neither the morning or afternoon bite being better. He indicated that his longest run was about 10 miles from takeoff.

Rounding out the top 10 pros were:

2nd: Matt Stanley, Alexandria, Tenn., five bass, 18-4, $1,298

3rd: Bryant Ailor, Knoxville, Tenn., five bass, 16-0, $864

4th: Frank Bell, Smithville, Tenn., five bass, 15-8, $606

5th: Terry Steele, Sparta, Tenn., five bass, 15-0, $519

6th: Gregory McDonald, Cookeville, Tenn., five bass, 14-11, $476

7th: Adam Wagner, Cookeville, Tenn., five bass, 14-7, $433

8th: Jake Myers, Gallatin, Tenn., four bass, 14-4, $389

9th: Chad Johnson, Sparta, Tenn., five bass, 14-0, $346

10th: William Merrick, Mount Juliet, Tenn., five bass, 13-14, $303

Complete results can be found here.

Co-angler Chris Tarpley of Mufreesboro, Tenn., won the April 20 Music City Division event on Center Hill with 15 pounds, 15 ounces making up his five-bass limit. For his efforts, Tarpley was awarded over $1,200 in prize money. Chris Tarpley of Murfreesboro, Tenn., weighed five bass totaling 15 pounds, 15 ounces Saturday to win the co-angler division. Tarpley earned $1,250 for his victory.

Rounding out the top 10 co-anglers were:

2nd: Mark Gilbert, Smyrna, Tenn., five bass, 13-13, $625

3rd: Dane Gamble, La Vergne, Tenn., five bass, 13-10, $416

4th: Chris Gable, Eddyville, Ky., five bass, 10-14, $292

5th: Bobby Whitson, Brentwood, Tenn., five bass, 10-4, $250

6th: Clarance Raney, Murfreesboro, Tenn., five bass, 10-2, $229

7th: Kenny Botts, Bowling Green, Ky., four bass, 8-15, $208

8th: Donnie Cromer, Smithville, Tenn., four bass, 7-3, $187

9th: Payton Wade, Bloomington Springs, Tenn., two bass, 6-14, $167

10th: Joey Frasca, Castalian Springs, Tenn., three bass, 6-8, $146

Complete co-angler results can be found here.

The next BFL Music City Division tournament is scheduled for June 8 on Old Hickory Lake in Gallatin, 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. 10-12 Regional Championship on Lake Lanier in Gainesville, 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.

About FLW

FLW is the industry’s premier tournament-fishing organization, providing anglers of all skill levels the opportunity to compete for millions in prize money nationwide in 2013 over the course of 220 tournaments across five tournament circuits, four of which provide an avenue to the sport’s richest payday and most coveted championship trophy – the Forrest Wood Cup. FLW tournament fishing can be seen on the Emmy-nominated “FLW” television show and is broadcast to more than 564 million households worldwide, making it the most widely distributed weekly outdoors-sports television show in the world. FLW is committed to providing a lifestyle experience that is the “Best in Fishing, On and Off the Water.” For more information about FLW visit FLWOutdoors.com and look for FLW on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and YouTube.