Feller flips 41 pounds for win on Big O
Kayler takes co-angler title
CLEWISTON, Fla. – Timothy Feller of Coral Springs, Fla., weighed in a two-day total of 10 bass for 41 pounds even Sunday to win the Walmart Bass Fishing League Gator Division Super Tournament on Lake Okeechobee. For his victory, Feller earned $9,816.
Feller caught a 10-pounder and an 8-pounder as he stormed to the win on the second day. “My co-angler turned white when he saw the mouth of the second fish come out of the hydrilla,” said Feller. “We probably high-fived for 10 minutes.
“It was all a flipping pattern in hydrilla,” continued Feller. “They were in thinner outside edges away from the crowds. I found them in practice, and it kept reloading with fish. I probably caught 50 bass the first day. I knew there were big fish moving in because they’re getting ready to spawn down here – it was just luck on my end that I got them both to the boat.
“I was flipping a green pumpkin chartreuse-colored Gambler Flippn’ Tube, and I was flipping a lighter weight than everybody else,” said Feller. “I was using a bait that nobody else was flipping, and these fish were really keyed in on it. Everyone else was flipping the thicker mats with 2 ounces, and I was sitting outside with a 1-ounce weight.
“I’m still in awe,” Feller said of his win. “I fish the lake a lot, but I didn’t think the top guys were going to stumble and leave the door open for me. I’m proud of it, and looking forward to more.”
Rounding out the top 10 pros:
2nd: Caleb Frazier, Citrus Springs, Fla., 10 bass, 39-13, $3,759
3rd: Jared McMillan, Belle Glade, Fla., 10 bass, 38-2, $2,804
4th: Tim Kirchman, Belle Glade, Fla., 10 bass, 36-8, $1,754
5th: Ryan Worthington, Middleburg, Fla., 10 bass, 36-5, $1,503
6th: Steven Stinson, Pickering, Ontario, Canada, 10 bass, 36-4, $1,378
7th: Robert Crosnoe, Inverness, Fla., 10 bass, 35-12, $1,253
8th: George Kapiton, Inverness, Fla., 10 bass, 34-9, $1,127
9th: Jai Hunter Sr., Orange City, Fla., 10 bass, 33-13, $1,002
10th: Keith Fels, Ocala, Fla., 10 bass, 33-5, $877
Complete results can be found here.
Kayler takes co-angler division
Nik Kayler of Apopka, Fla., weighed in a two-day total of 10 bass totaling 31 pounds, 8 ounces Sunday to win $3,758 in the co-angler division.
Rounding out the top 10 co-anglers:
2nd: Billy Jackson Sr., Ocala, Fla., 10 bass, 28-9, $1,879
3rd: Trevor Hamlin, Cape Coral, Fla., nine bass, 26-10, $1,252
4th: John Haystead, St. Cloud, Fla., 10 bass, 26-3, $877
5th: Javier Diaz, Doral, Fla., 10 bass, 25-8, $752
6th: Chad Barger, Lehigh Acres, Fla., 10 bass, 24-4, $689
7th: Kevin Thomas, Miramar, Fla., 10 bass, 23-8, $626
8th: Sean Wiggins, St. Petersburg, Fla., nine bass, 23-0, $564
9th: Scott Crowe, Margate, Fla., 10 bass, 21-2, $501
10th: Jason Pike, Royal Palm Beach, Fla., 10 bass, 20-11, $438
Complete co-angler results can be found here.
The top 40 boaters and 40 co-anglers based on point standings will qualify for the Oct. 3-5 Regional Championship on Lake Guntersville in Guntersville, Ala. 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. 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.