Young gun triumphs

Brandon Ledford of Rome, Ga., wins the Co-Angler Division with a five-fish weight of 9 pounds, 2 ounces. Photo by Jeff Schroeder.

May 18, 2001 • Gary Mortenson • Archives

Twenty-year-old Ledford wins $15,000, co-angler championship at FLW Tour event on Red River

SHREVEPORT-BOSSIER, La. – While most kids his age would be content earning $8-an-hour mowing lawns, Brandon Ledford thought he just might be able to make a little more money doing what he loves best – fishing. And as luck would have it, he was right. Putting his real estate appraisal job on hold for a few days, Ledford reeled in a 9-pound, 2-ounce catch good enough to capture the top prize in the Co-Angler Division at the prestigious Wal-Mart FLW Tour event on the Red River.

Not bad for a kid, huh?

“I had an awesome tournament,” said Ledford, who is fishing the FLW Tour for the first time this year. “It would have to be the best day of my fishing career. I’m just so happy I won. It feels great.”

Ledford, a native of Rome, Ga., said that he wasn’t sure if he had the experience to win the whole tournament coming in. However, once he made it to the finals, he said his confidence began to grow.

“I had no idea I was going to win the tournament before we started,” said Ledford, who used a combination of jigs, soft plastics and Texas rigs to win the title. “But when I got to the weigh-in today, I though I had enough to win it. But I wasn’t going to hold my breath. It was pretty nerve wracking.”

And what is the 20-year-old going to do with $15,000?

“I’ve got a boat and a truck to pay off,” he said. “And some credit cards.”

Morse earns second-place finish

Jack Morse of Oglesby, Texas, registered an 8-pound, 11-ounce catch to capture second place and a check for $6,000. Morse, who leapfrogged from fourth place in the semifinals to the runner-up position in the finals, said he was happy with his performance.

“I’m really happy,” said Morse, who had his limit by 11 a.m. “I had a lot of fun this week. And I couldn’t have asked for three better partners.”

Tommy Szwankowski of Hope, Ark., took home third place after landing a 7-pound, 7-ounce catch. However, Szwankowski said he was hurt by the relatively late start (8 a.m.) of Friday’s competition.

“It was tough out there today,” said Szwankowski, the co-angler leader after day one of the tournament. “We started an hour-and-a-half later than normal and I think that really hurt us because we were on an early bite.”

Szwankowski earned $4,000 for his efforts.

John Bruce of Buford, Ga., received a check for $3,000 after finishing in fourth place with a catch of 6 pounds, 11 ounces. David Cochran of Hot Springs, Ark., took home $2,500 after netting a 5-pound, 6-ounce catch good enough for a fifth-place finish.

Rounding out the top 10 were: W.D. “Hoot” Gibson (sixth) of Bryant, Ark., with a catch of 3 pounds, 15 ounces; Billy Joyce (seventh) of Fayetteville, Ga., with a catch of 3 pounds, 2 ounces; Steve Bowman (eighth) of Little Rock, Ark., with a catch of 2 pounds, 10 ounces; Charlie Cawthon (ninth) of Rome, Ga., with a catch of 2 pounds, 1 ounce; and Frank Divis, Sr., (tenth) of Fayetteville, Ark., with a catch of 0 pounds, 0 ounces.

Tomorrow’s pro competition resumes at 6:30 a.m. at Clark’s Marina, located 20 miles southeast of Shreveport on Highway 71.