Metzger Wins Walmart Bass Fishing League LBL Division on Kentucky/Barkley Lakes in Kentucky
OutdoorHub 04.22.13
Kyle Metzger of Paducah, Ky., weighed a five-bass limit totaling 19 pounds, 12 ounces Saturday to win the Walmart Bass Fishing League LBL Division event on Kentucky/Barkley lakes. For his victory, Metzger earned $5,046.
When Metzger drew a mid-field number for takeoff on Saturday he was very nervous about getting to his first spot. When he pulled up to the area, a boat was right where he wanted to be. He decided to hang around the area fishing the opposite bank hoping his turn would come to get in the cove he thought would be productive.
He started throwing topwater baits on a spinning rod and caught a 5-pounder on his first cast. He followed that up with a 2-pounder and another 5-pounder, and then the bite died. He still wasn’t able to get to his primary spot, so he moved to another bay where he and his co-angler started throwing an Alabama rig and crankbaits.
“It was a lot of fun fishing this bay,” Metzger said. “Both my co-angler and I were catching a lot of fish, but none of them were keepers. I caught my fourth keeper and my co-angler caught three there, but for the most part they were all 6-inchers.
“I decided to run to the southeast side of the lake to see if we could get anything going down there, but nothing. I fished and fished and fished and didn’t even get a bite, so I made the run back to where I started, hoping I could get back into my cove.”
Kyle Metzger won the Walmart BFL LBL tournament on Kentucky/Barkley lakes with 19 pounds, 12 ounces to earn $5,046. (Click here form image)
With an hour and a half left to go in the tournament Metzger pulled into the area where he started his day and was able to get into the cove he wanted. He immediately saw a fish on a bed and threw a home-made jig. On the second cast she bit, and he finished his limit with a 6-pounder that helped him win the tournament by 3 ounces.
Rounding out the top 10 pros were:
2nd: Sam Lashlee, Dickson, Tenn., five bass, 19-9, $2,523
3rd: Gary Isgrigg, Mt. Washington, Ky., five bass, 18-4, $1,682
4th: Don Beckley Jr., Paducah, Ky., five bass, 18-0, $1,177
5th: Brad Ray, Noblesville, Ind., five bass, 17-14, $1,009
6th: John Morgan, Murray, Ky., five bass, 17-9, $925
7th: Andrew Powers, Paducah, Ky., five bass, 17-8, $841
8th: Jeffrey Hartman Jr., Paducah, Ky., five bass, 17-7, $715
8th: Keith White, Gilbertsville, Ky., five bass, 17-7, $715
10th: Danny Beavin, Evansville, Ind., five bass, 16-15, $559 + $300 Evinrude Bonus
10th: Neal Ramsey, Harrison, Ohio, five bass, 16-15, $559
Jason Mills of Calvert City, Ky., weighed five bass totaling 14 pounds, 15 ounces Saturday to win the co-angler division. Mills earned $2,490 for his victory.
Rounding out the top 10 co-anglers were:
2nd: Bradley Smith, Jacob, Ill., five bass, 14-11, $1,245
3rd: Robby Ervin, Lavergne, Tenn., five bass, 14-4, $829
4th: Tony Todd, Robards, Ky., five bass, 14-1, $581
5th: Ronald Reeder, Murphysboro, Ill., five bass, 12-15, $498
6th: Charles Wheeler, Lexington, Tenn., five bass, 12-13, $457
7th: Jeff Johnston, Nashville, Tenn., five bass, 12-11, $415
8th: William Pearson, Shepherdsville, Ky., five bass, 12-9, $374
9th: Mike Anderson, Woodlawn, Ill., five bass, 12-7, $311
9th: Andrew Harper, Shelbyville, Ill., five bass, 12-7, $311
The next BFL LBL Division tournament is scheduled for May 11 on Barkley Lake in Kuttawa, Ky. After the last divisional tournament is complete, the top 40 boaters and 40 co-anglers based on point standings will qualify for the Oct. 3-5 Regional Championship on Lake Guntersville in Guntersville, 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 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.
