Lemon Wins Walmart Bass Fishing League Okie Division on Oklahoma’s Fort Gibson Lake
OutdoorHub 05.20.13
Billy Lemon of Sand Springs, Okla., weighed a five-bass limit totaling 16 pounds, 11 ounces Saturday to win the Walmart Bass Fishing League Okie Division event on Fort Gibson Lake. For his victory, Lemon earned $4,082.
“I should have had over a 20 pound sack,” said Lemon who got his second BFL win in the 2013 season. “My co-angler missed a four- and five-pounder at the net. He said that it was only his second time in a bass boat so he was a little green, but I guess everything worked out.”
Lemon said that he had a good practice on Friday that included catching a 5- and 7-pounder. He was flipping grass and shook off another 8 or 10 bites on Friday and was feeling confident in the area that he found. It was an area that consisted of flooded grass and willows where the post-spawn fish seemed to be holding. According to Lemon there was no reason for the bass to leave; it had grass, willows and the bait fish were still there.
“Living only an hour from the lake I pretty much knew what stage the spawn was in,” continued Lemon. “Normally at this time of year I would fish deep, but after my practice on Friday I decided to stay shallow and go for some of those post-spawn fish that were holding in the grassy areas.
“I had my limit by about 8:30 or 9 and was catching fish pretty much until noon, but then things slowed way down. I was able to cull about three or four times throughout the day.”
Lemon said that he was flipping Gene Larew WhoDaddys in watermelon pepper.
Rounding out the top 10 pros were:
2nd: Brandon Mosley, Choctaw, Okla., five bass, 16-8, $2,041
3rd: Chance Shearwood, Stigler, Okla., five bass, 15-1, $1,362
4th: Jason Beeler, Wagoner, Okla., five bass, 14-10, $952
5th: Allen Rude, Wynnewood, Okla., five bass, 13-8, $816
6th: Brandon Pedigo, Durant, Okla., five bass, 13-6, $714
6th: Chad Warren, Sand Springs, Okla., five bass, 13-6, $714
8th: Ryan Lovelace, Denison, Texas, five bass, 13-0, $578
8th: Jeff Reynolds, Calera, Okla., five bass, 13-0, $578
10th: James Carper, Wright City, Okla., four bass, 12-7, $476
Kelly Mason of Colbert, Okla., weighed five bass totaling 12 pounds, 11 ounces Saturday to win the co-angler division. Mason earned $2,041 for his victory.
Rounding out the top 10 co-anglers were:
2nd: Matt Ellis, Muskogee, Okla., five bass, 12-5, $1,021
3rd: Freddy Dandridge III, Stilwell, Okla., three bass, 10-14, $683
4th: James Marion, Tulsa, Okla., three bass, 10-2, $476
5th: Bryant Bradford, Del City, Okla., four bass, 8-8, $408
6th: Josh Ogden, Augusta, Kan., four bass, 8-6, $357
6th: Chris Tarron, Ada, Okla., four bass, 8-6, $357
8th: Sheldon Vinson, Farmington, Ark., four bass, 8-5, $306
9th: Scott Suchak, Edmond, Okla., three bass, 8-4, $255
9th: Kyle Watkins, McLoud, Okla., four bass, 8-4, $255
The next BFL Volunteer Division tournament is scheduled for July 20 on the Arkansas River in Muskogee, Okla. After the last divisional tournament is complete, the top 40 boaters and 40 co-anglers based on point standings will qualify for the Oct. 17-19 Regional Championship on Lake Texoma in Pottsboro, Texas. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518 with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard and a Chevy Silverado, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518 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. The 2013 BFL All-American is being held June 27–29 on the Nickajack Lake in Chattanooga, Tenn. Top winners in the BFL can move up to the EverStart Series or even the Walmart FLW Tour.
