Knies Wins Walmart Bass Fishing League LBL Division on Lake Barkley
OutdoorHub 04.23.12
Darrel Knies of Avon, Ind., weighed a five-bass limit totaling 21 pounds, 2 ounces Saturday to win the Walmart Bass Fishing League LBL Division event on Lake Barkley. For his victory, Knies earned $6,905.
“I decided to target the back-water sloughs,” said Knies. “I stayed on Barkley, but I ran about 45 minutes south of the launch site. I had found a nice area during practice where I caught around 100 keepers, so I knew that if they stayed there I was going to have a shot. It slowed down tournament day, but I was still able to catch 37 keepers on the day.
“With 11 minutes to go before check-in, I decided to try a few more casts,” Knies continued. “I was able to cull a 16-inch largemouth with a 4-pound smallmouth just before we had to be back to takeoff, and that ended up being the fish that won me the tournament. That one came off of a chrome black back-colored Strike King Red Eye Shad. I caught all of my other keepers using a green pumpkin-colored Secret Lures Stupid Tube. My Fatheadz sunglasses really helped me today as well, as I was able to clearly see the underwater structure where the bass were hiding.
Complete results can be found at FLWOutdoors.com.
The next BFL LBL Division tournament is scheduled for April 21 on Lake Barkley in Kuttawa, Ky. After the fifth LBL 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.
