The last weekend of September saw the final five T-H Marine Bass Fishing League (BFL) Super Tournaments take place to close out two-day competition and set the fields for the three-day Regional events coming up this month. It was again a week of familiar faces along with some first-timers atop the leaderboard.
Check out the brief details below of how these five anglers earned their titles.
To close out the Choo Choo Division season on Lake Guntersville, local stud Alex Davis notched the third BFL win of his career with a two-day total of 34 pounds, 9 ounces. Davis edged out second place by just 7 ounces and took home over $7,700 in an event presented by Mud Hole Custom Tackle.
Since it is fall on the Tennessee River, it comes as no surprise to learn Davis caught almost all of his fish on a frog – a Jackall Kaera Frog to be exact. He also plucked a few flipping a Jackall Archelon on Sunday when things got a little tougher.
His main deal was a 20-yard stretch featuring hollow milfoil with hydrilla surrounding it – basically one of the bassiest spots you could find.
Davis demonstrated his ability to keep cool under pressure when his trolling motor cable broke on Sunday rendering it useless and he had to resort to putting the Power-Poles down and thoroughly fishing before firing up the big motor to move down the grass.
More on Davis’ winning pattern
Veteran BFL pro Glen Freeman of Zwolle, La., added some more hardware to his mantle with his ninth win on Toledo Bend in the Cowboy Division event with 37-11 overall and an $8,000 payday.
Freeman kept it pretty simple with a straight-forward offshore approach. A Texas-rigged Double Z Lures Magnum T-Worm or Mister Twister worm did the trick (red bug color).
Timing was everything for Freeman on various offshore ridges just above the Pendleton Bridge. The best areas were anywhere from 15 to 20 feet of water.
More on Freeman’s winning pattern
As if Justin Atkins couldn’t ask for a better 2017, the reigning Forrest Wood Cup champion kept the ball rolling by winning his first ever BFL event. The Mississippi Division closed out on Ross Barnett where Atkins caught a two-day total of 24-6 to win over $7,600.
Like Freeman, Atkins focused on offshore fish. He had one big school in 10 to 14 feet of water where he would start each day to get a limit. From there, he would move to shallower brush piles to upgrade.
The Cup champ credits his electronics for being able to locate not only brush piles, but the fish holding in them.
A 10-inch Berkley Power Worm was all he needed to do work.
Surprisingly, the Alabama pro has been dreaming of owning one the of bass trophies given to each BFL winner since he was a kid and now his dream has come true. Congrats, Justin. Bet it looks good right there next to the Cup.
More on Atkins’ winning pattern
The South Carolina Division wrapped up on Lake Wylie over the weekend where Willie McMullen took the top honor with 26-3 over two days to pocket over $5,000.
Despite falling water – which helped and hurt McMullen – the Oxford, Ga., pro caught his fish in 3 feet of water or less from isolated wood and docks. He spent his tournament in the South Fork Catawba River arm.
As far as baits go, a white Z-Man ChatterBait, Picasso Din R Bel Buzzbait and Zoom Dead Ringer Worm (june bug) were the three weapons he needed to net his first BFL title.
More on McMullen’s winning pattern
Last, but not least, the Shenandoah Division closed on the James River where Keith Estes of Spring Grove, Va., won with 28 pounds even.
While Estes prefers to fish an outgoing tide, he elected to target the incoming tide due to the short window of opportunity the outgoing tide would provide during tournament hours. Creeks located at the mouth of the Chickahominy River were the other piece to his tournament-winning strategy.
Wood cover was his primary focus around the creeks and he employed either a crankbait or Berkley Power Worm (blue fleck). The crankbait was the ticket for bigger bites.