Strain Wins Black Gold on Old Hickory

By Lisa Talmadge

Fishing out of a Black Gold compliant Triton Boat with a Mercury Outboard and MotorGuide Trolling Motor bought from Clark Marine in Franklin, TN, Jerry Strain of Old Hickory, TN had an impressive limit that weighed 18.42 pounds to take top honors in the second tournament in the Tennessee Central Division on Old Hickory Lake.

Strain capitalized on a solid pattern he developed in practice to bag a tournament best of 18.42 pounds limit.  The Black Gold winner hopped a jig off ledges and had two big fish the first five minutes of the tournament.  The rest of the day produced consistent catches enabling him to cull up to his final winning weight.

Patterson Best on Lake Wheeler

By Lisa Talmadge

 Decatur, AL – May 3, 2008.  Johnny Patterson of Grant, AL took the boater victory in the third tournament of the Alabama North division on Lake Wheeler.  Patterson’s five bass limit weighed 14.40 pounds.

Patterson felt that after practice he had a strong pattern going into the tournament. He found fish tight to steep banks and said they would eat a shaky head quickly.  After the short weather delay, Patterson got to his spot and the fish were gone.  Making a few minor adjustments, he backed off into 7-9 feet of water and relocated his fish from practice.  Using a Spot Remover shakyhead trailed with a Zoom finesse worm, he culled through three limits of bass ending up with the winning weight.

McClure Sight Fishes to First – Takes AAIP Big Bass Honors

By Mike Whatley

LaGrange, GA – April 26, 2008 – McDonough, GA angler, Jerry McClure used his sight fishing skills to work his way to a first place finish at the third Division 8 tournament held on West Point Lake out of Highland Marina Resort.  His first place victory earned him the guaranteed $5,000 purse plus 200 points toward qualifying for the Year-end Championship worth over $200,000 and a slot in the prestigious “Bassmaster Classic”.   The win moved him into second place among boaters fishing the Georgia Central division.

Brown Strikes Black Gold at Chickamauga 

By Lisa Talmadge

Hixson, TN – April 26, 2008.  Fishing out of a Black Gold compliant Triton Boat with a Mercury Outboard and MotorGuide Trolling Motor bought from Cleveland Boat Center in Cleveland, TN.  Rogne Brown of Kimbell, TN had an impressive limit that weighed 21.80 pounds to take the victory in the second tournament in the Tennessee East Division on Chickamauga Lake.

Big Bite for Missouri Anglers

By Mike Wells

Missouri anglers proved murky water was no handicap to them at Lake of the Ozarks by boating over 700 pounds of bass.  When the final weights were tallied, Brian Booker from Steelville, MO earned the top honors among boaters.  Brian was one of only twelve boaters to bring in a five fish limit and he needed all five.  His kicker fish of 7.80 pounds helped claim the victory by just over a quarter of a pound.  His total weight for the event was 21.59 pounds.