Kitchens Wins Walmart Bass Fishing League Bulldog Division On Lake Sinclair
OutdoorHub 04.23.12
Frank Kitchens III of Conyers, Ga., weighed a five-bass limit totaling 20 pounds, 5 ounces Saturday to win the Walmart Bass Fishing League Bulldog Division event on Lake Sinclair. For his victory, Kitchens earned $3,889.
“I’ve fished Lake Sinclair quite a bit in the past,” said Kitchens. “But it’s been three years since I last fished it. I ended up having a real good day. It was partly cloudy and warm – a real nice day to be out on the water. I had my limit by 11:30 a.m.
“I was fishing a Lunker Lure Buzzbait, and caught all of my fish on that. I switched up to a jig and tried flipping docks later in the afternoon, but all of my fish I weighed in came on the buzzbait. I was fishing about a half-mile up the Oconee River looking for the bass that were suspended out in front of the grassy areas. I was fishing 10 to 15 feet in front of the grass, targeting 8 to 10 feet of water. I caught 12 fish on the day, so I was having success. I’m happy I had enough to get the win and I’m looking forward to the next Bulldog event at Oconee.”
Rounding out the top 10 pros were:
2nd: Justin Lanier, Macon, Ga., five bass, 16-2, $1,944
3rd: Walter Green, Milledgeville, Ga., five bass, 15-4, $1,297
4th: David Millsaps, Ranger, Ga., five bass, 14-14, $907
5th: Brett Self, Griffin, Ga., five bass, 14-6, $778
6th: David Koski, Canton, Ga., five bass, 13-15, $713
7th: Kim Carver, Milledgeville, Ga., five bass, 13-11, $648 + $1,000 Evinrude Bonus
8th: Alan Brightwell, Moultrie, Ga., five bass, 13-6, $583
9th: Mike Cleveland, Monticello, Ga., five bass, 13-2, $519
10th: Karey Dickerson, Dahlonega, Ga., five bass, 12-11, $454
Complete results can be found at FLWOutdoors.com.
John Blevins of Cumming, Ga., weighed a five-bass limit totaling 10 pounds, 13 ounces Saturday to win $1,944 in the co-angler division.
Rounding out the top 10 co-anglers were:
2nd: Chuck Delorme, Folly Beach, S.C., five bass, 10-12, $972
3rd: Harold Grizzle, Gainesville, Ga., five bass, 9-10, $649
4th: Robert Fleming, McDonough, Ga., five bass, 7-15, $454
5th: Mike Mahady, Kennesaw, Ga., five bass, 7-13, $389
6th: Jason Gamage, Tifton, Ga., four bass, 7-3, $324
6th: Frank Godwin Jr., Bainbridge, Ga., five bass, 7-3, $324
6th: Kyle Parks, Albany, Ga., five bass, 7-3, $324
9th: Darryl Johnson, Flowery Branch, Ga., three bass, 6-15, $259
10th: William James, Lawrenceville, Ga., five bass, 6-11, $227
The next BFL Bulldog Division tournament is scheduled for June 6 on Lake Oconee in Buckhead, Ga. After the fifth Bulldog Division tournament is complete, the top 40 boaters and 40 co-anglers based on point standings will qualify for the Oct. 18-20 Regional Championship on Pickwick Lake in Florence, Ala. 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 2012 BFL All-American is being held May 17 – 19 on the Potomac River in National Harbor, Md. Top winners in the BFL can move up to the EverStart Series or even the Walmart FLW Tour.
