McMahan uses Big Baits for Big Bass

Colquitt wins co-angler title on Lake Guntersville

SCOTTSBORO, Ala. – Kevin McMahan of Huntsville, Ala., weighed a two-day total of 10 bass totaling 35 pounds, 8 ounces to win the Walmart Bass Fishing League Choo Choo Division Super Tournament on Lake Guntersville Sunday. For his victory, McMahan earned $4,869.

“I was fishing grass edges with a Buckeye Mop Jig, and as the sun came up I flipped scattered grass edges with a 1¼-ounce Strike King Lures Hack Attack jig,” said McMahan, who earned his second win of the year in the Choo Choo Division.  “I also threw a 6-inch Bull Shad swimbait, and that was what most of my kicker bites came on. I had a few areas that I was fishing with just the Bull Shad, but I threw it everywhere I went with the jigs, too.”

McMahan said that besides fishing the Bull Shad around his grass edges he also threw it around deep bridges.

“One of the big keys was getting a low boat draw,” said McMahan. “I know at least three of my competitors that hoped to start at the same place I did, but they all respected that I was there and stayed off my water.

“The first day I caught nine or 10 keepers, but the second day was a lot tougher,” McMahan continued. “I only culled one time, and I think I caught seven keepers total. My big fish on the second day, a 6-pounder, ate the Bull Shad about 4 feet away from the boat. I never even turned the reel handle to flip it in the boat.

“It’s awesome to win,” finished McMahan. “I’m sure winning two BFL events in the same division in a season doesn’t happen all the time. I’m really proud of it. I’ve always wanted one of those trophies, and to get two of them is really special.”

McMahan said that he used a 5/8-ounce Buckeye Lures Mop Jig with Gene Larew Rattlin’ Crawler as the trailer, the Strike King Hack Attack Jig and the Slow Sinking model of the Bull Shad. He also credited his Duckett 320 Casting Reel as key to boating many of the fish he caught flipping.

Rounding out the top 10 pros were:

                2nd:          Alex Davis, Albertville, Ala., 10 bass, 34-13, $2,434
                3rd:          Bruce Neal, Lancaster, Ohio, 10 bass, 32-12, $1,623
                4th:           Jonathan Henry, Grant, Ala., 10 bass, 29-13, $1,136
                5th:           Willie Staten, Albertville, Ala., nine bass, 29-10, $974 + $300 Evinrude Bonus
                6th:           Jeff Ragsdale, Helena, Ala., seven bass, 29-1, $893
                7th:           Marshall Deakins, Dunlap, Tenn., 10 bass, 26-2, $811
                8th:           Douglas Webster, Pinson, Ala., eight bass, 25-6, $730
                9th:           John Polly, Nauvoo, Ala., six bass, 24-7, $649
                10th:        Blake Hall, Hartselle, Ala., nine bass, 22-14, $568

Complete results can be found here.

Adam Colquitt of Boaz, Ala., weighed in a two-day total of seven bass totaling 27 pounds, 6 ounces to win $2,434 in the co-angler division Sunday.

Rounding out the top 10 co-anglers were:

                2nd:          Jack Gumbert, Huntsville, Ala., eight bass, 23-11, $1,217
                3rd:          Danny Moss, Glencoe, Ala., seven bass, 20-15, $813
                4th:           Tony Collins, Cohutta, Ga., seven bass, 19-5, $568
                5th:           Hunter Goad, Florence, Ala., four bass, 16-3, $487
                6th:           Kevin Whitworth, Huntsville, Ala., six bass, 15-10, $446
                7th:           John Cook, Scottsboro, Ala., five bass, 12-14, $406
                8th:           Brandon Summers, Sherwood, Tenn., four bass, 12-8, $365
                9th:           Frelon Moore, Albertville, Ala., six bass, 12-6, $325
                10th:        Thomas White, Iron City, Tenn., five bass, 10-1, $284

Complete results can be found here.

The top 40 boaters and 40 co-anglers based on point standings will qualify for the Oct. 2-4 Regional Championship on the St. Johns River in Palatka, Fla. 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, Instagram and YouTube.