Chapman reels in co-angler title in Knoxville
North Carolina angler wins second FLW Tour event
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Terry Chapman, a long-time FLW Tour competitor from North Carolina, won the Co-angler Division of the Wal-Mart FLW Tour event on Fort Loudoun and Tellico lakes with five bass weighing 9 pounds, 6 ounces.
This is Chapman’s second FLW Tour victory as a co-angler. The first came in 1999 at Fort Gibson Lake in Oklahoma.
“Of course you always remember the first win, but it’s been a while since I made the top 10, so this is pretty special too. Anytime you win one of these tournaments, it’s special. The thing I look forward to most in these things is making that first cast of the morning. The anticipation of getting to the first spot and making the first cast is what I live for.”
On day one, Chapman fished a ChatterBait behind pro Scott Dobson of Michigan to catch two bass for 4 pounds, 3 ounces.
On day two, he used a Bomber Long A wakebait to catch three bass for 7 pounds, 10 ounces behind Japanese pro Katsu Furusawa.
Today, Chapman fished with Land O’Lakes pro Keith Williams of Arkansas.
“Keith was fishing the lower end by the dam,” Chapman said. “And to be quite honest, it was a co-angler’s dream – plenty of open water around the boat and plenty of fish. I used an 1/8-ounce shaky head rigged with a Zoom watermelon finesse worm most of the day.”
Chapman says he plans to bank his $20,000 in winnings for future fishing adventures.
McManaway runner-up
Land O’Lakes co-angler Aaron McManaway of Altamont, Ill., finished second with four
bass weighing 7 pounds, 1 ounce.
McManaway fished with Western pro Thanh Le today.
“Thanh is the absolute best guy I’ve ever fished with,” he said. “He helps his co-anglers as much as he can. He’s the kind of guy that will actually stop and let his co-angler fish for a sight-fish.”
McManaway’s success today came on a Carolina-rigged Senko as Le sight-fished.
“I think a lot of co-anglers think it’s the end of the world when they draw a sight-fisherman,” he said. “But it does not have to be that way. While Thanh sight-fished, I threw a Carolina rig as far as I could out of the other side of the boat, and it worked out great.”
Rest of the best
David Hudson of Jasper, Ala., finished third with three bass weighing 5 pounds, 5 ounces. Hudson picked up $9,000 for his finish and his co-angler career earnings now top the $75,000 mark.
Ryan Valentine of Jonesboro, Ga., finished fourth with 1 bass weighing 4 pounds, 3 ounces for $8,000.
And J.B. Young of Deer Park, Texas, finished fifth with one bass weighing 4 pounds, 2 ounces worth $7,000.
Rounding out the top 10 co-angler finishers at Fort Loudoun-Tellico lakes:
6th: Kenta Kimura of Livingston, Texas, two bass, 3-15, $6,000
7th: Eddie Griggs of Richmond, Va., one bass, 1-11, $5,000
8th: Thomas Helton of Charleston, Tenn., one bass, 13 ounces, $4,000
9th: John Barrett of Fayetteville, N.C., 0, $3,000
10th: Kevin Olivet of Greenback, Tenn., 0, $2,000