Huggins makes key adjustment for victory - Major League Fishing

Huggins makes key adjustment for victory

Webster wins co-angler title on Greers Ferry
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Dustin Huggins of Russellville, Ark., won the May 3 Arkie Division event on Greers Ferry with a limit weighing 10 pounds, 12 ounces. For his efforts, Huggins was awarded nearly $4,000 in prize money.
May 3, 2014 • MLF • Archives

GREERS FERRY, Ark. – Dustin Huggins of Russellville, Ark., weighed a five-bass limit totaling 10 pounds, 12 ounces Saturday to win the third Walmart Bass Fishing League Arkie Division tournament of 2014 on Greers Ferry. For his victory, Huggins earned $3,926.

“I started out on the lower end of the lake looking for a kicker largemouth, but I never got it,” said Huggins. “The water was up about four feet and back in the bushes, but I guess the fish hadn’t moved back there yet.

“Around 9:30 a.m. I made the decision to move back up the lake and start fishing the first break of the old shoreline.”

That decision proved to be a good one as Huggins managed to catch six keeper bass on his newly found pattern.

“The break was mostly rock and pea gravel,” explained Huggins. “I was fishing a lizard on a Carolina rig, with about a four foot leader. I think the longer leader made a big difference, because it let the bait float higher up off of the bottom.

“When I got back to the ramp I texted my wife and told her that I’d probably have a top-20 finish,” said Huggins. “I was shocked when I weighed in and they said I was the current leader. I’ve only fished five BFL events, and it feels pretty good to win.”

Huggins said he caught most of his fish on a six-inch green-pumpkin-colored Zoom Lizard with a chartreuse-colored tail.

Rounding out the top 10 pros:

2nd: Doug Thompson, Mabelvale, Ark., five bass, 10-10, $1,963

3rd: Steven Powell, Dardanelle, Ark., five bass, 10-8, $1,309

4th: Benjie Belton, Cabot, Ark., five bass, 10-5, $916

5th: Chris Layton, North Little Rock, Ark., five bass, 10-4, $785

6th: Jeremy Holderfield, Edgemont, Ark., five bass, 10-3, $687

6th: Russell Richmond, Little Rock, Ark., five bass, 10-3, $687

8th: Guy Hanna, Judsonia, Ark.., five bass, 10-1, $589

9th: David Ellis, Leola, Ark., five bass, 10-0, $523

10th: Duke Gunnell, Bee Branch, Ark., five bass, 9-15, $458

Complete results can be found here.

Webster nets co-angler title

Co-angler Mike Webster of Atkins, Ark., won the May 3 Arkie Division event on Greers Ferry with a 9-pound, 13-ounce limit. He walked away with close to $2,000 in tournament winnings for his efforts.Mike Webster of Atkins, Ark., weighed a five-bass limit totaling 9 pounds, 13 ounces Saturday to win $1,963 in the co-angler division.

Rounding out the top 10 co-anglers:

2nd: J.D. Marlar, Chester, Ark., five bass, 9-3, $818

2nd: Tim Morris, Redfield, Ark., five bass, 9-3, $818

4th: Shad Reeves, Drasco, Ark., five bass, 9-2, $458

5th: Tabitha Lancaster, Arkadelphia, Ark., five bass, 9-1, $393

6th: Trevor Delaney, Benton, Ark., five bass, 8-13, $360

7th: Robert Scott, Little Rock, five bass, 8-11, $327

8th: Randy Peek, Maumelle, Ark., five bass, 8-8, $294

9th: Joe Ward, Williford, Ark., five bass, 8-5, $262

10th: Ricky Powell, Mabelvale, Ark., five bass, 8-0, $229

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. 16-18 Regional Championship on Sam Rayburn Reservoir in Jasper, Texas. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard and a Chevy Silverado, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518C 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 Rayovac FLW 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 2014 over the course of 229 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. For more information about FLW visit FLWOutdoors.com and look for FLW on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram and YouTube.