Browning Wins Walmart Bass Fishing League Savannah River Division on Lake Russell, Georgia
OutdoorHub 04.08.13
Scott Browning of Franklin, N.C., weighed a five-bass limit totaling 18 pounds, 14 ounces Saturday to win the Walmart Bass Fishing League Savannah River Division event on Lake Russell. For his victory, Browning earned $4,796.
“I was basically just fishing main-lake pockets with a spinnerbait,” said Browning. “It was a 3/8-ounce double Colorado-bladed spinnerbait, in a solid black color. I was fishing it in about 3 to 4 feet of water, fishing the edges of the spawning pockets. Once I figured out where the fish were, I caught them in their migration path to spawning areas.
“The fish were moving in to spawn,” Browning went on to say. “Whatever was between the deeper water and the spawning pockets was what I fished. I caught them off various things and they weren’t just on one type of structure. I know the area pretty well, and I found the fish Thursday morning. I just expanded on it in the tournament and caught around 15 keepers throughout the day.”
Rounding out the top 10 pros were:
2nd: Todd Goade, Lawrenceville, Ga., five bass, 17-11, $2,398
3rd: Mike Echols, Athens, Ga., five bass, 13-15, $1,595
4th: Randy Childers, Anderson, S.C., five bass, 13-13, $1,119
5th: C.W. Pitts, Watkinsville, Ga., five bass, 13-9, $959
6th: Jason Burroughs, Hodges, S.C., five bass, 13-7, $879 + $300 Evinrude Bonus
7th: James Crider, Anderson, S.C., five bass, 13-0, $799
8th: Mark Svendsen, Doraville, Ga., five bass, 12-14, $719
9th: Brandon Cobb, Greenwood, S.C, five bass, 12-5, $639 + $300 Evinrude Bonus
10th: Daryl McClellon, Cornelia, Ga., five bass, 12-3, $560
Asa Coxwell of Martinez, Ga., weighed a five-bass limit totaling 16 pounds, 10 ounces Saturday to win $2,398 in the co-angler division.
Rounding out the top 10 co-anglers were:
2nd: Jeff Fletcher, Tiger, Ga., five bass, 11-9, $1,199
3rd: Rusty Odom, Fountain Inn, S.C., five bass, 10-14, $795
4th: Jimmy Plakas, Greenville, S.C., five bass, 10-13, $560
5th: Jack Harris, Anderson, S.C., five bass, 10-7, $480
6th: Jason Dellinger, Bogart, Ga., five bass, 10-3, $440
7th: Mark Ezuka, Demorest, Ga., five bass, 9-11, $360
7th: Chris Rutter, Woodruff, S.C., five bass, 9-11, $360
7th: Shane Swann, Mars Hill, N.C., five bass, 9-11, $360
10th: Douglas Bryson, Westminster, S.C., five bass, 9-8, $266
10th: Tony Hudson, Liberty, S.C., five bass, 9-8, $266
The next BFL Savannah River Division tournament is scheduled for April 27 on Lake Hartwell in Lavonia, Ga. After the last divisional tournament is complete, the top 40 boaters and 40 co-anglers based on point standings will qualify for the Oct. 10-12 Regional Championship on Lake Lanier in Gainesville, Ga. 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.
