Tramel Wins Walmart Bass Fishing League Music City Division on Center Hill, Tennessee
OutdoorHub 04.22.13
Josh Tramel of Smithville, Tenn., weighed a five-bass limit totaling 20 pounds, 2 ounces Saturday to win the Walmart Bass Fishing League Music City Division event on Center Hill. For his victory, Tramel earned $2,596.
Tramel said that he caught two of his bass sight fishing and the rest with an umbrella rig.
“I fished a lot of areas on Saturday,” said Tramel. “I hit at least 15 different spots, rotating to some of the same areas throughout the day. I would stay in one place for about 30 minutes before I moved. Each of my fish came out of different areas.
“I was mostly targeting points. I kept my boat in about 18 to 20 feet of water casting to about 4 to 8 feet of water.”
Tramel said that he caught about 10 fish during the day that allowed him to cull once or twice. He was catching fish pretty steadily all day long with neither the morning or afternoon bite being better. He indicated that his longest run was about 10 miles from takeoff.
Josh Tramel won the Walmart BFL Music City Division tournament on Center Hill with 20 pounds, 2 ounces to earn $2,596. (Click here for image)
Rounding out the top 10 pros were:
2nd: Matt Stanley, Alexandria, Tenn., five bass, 18-4, $1,298
3rd: Bryant Ailor, Knoxville, Tenn., five bass, 16-0, $864
4th: Frank Bell, Smithville, Tenn., five bass, 15-8, $606
5th: Terry Steele, Sparta, Tenn., five bass, 15-0, $519
6th: Gregory McDonald, Cookeville, Tenn., five bass, 14-11, $476
7th: Adam Wagner, Cookeville, Tenn., five bass, 14-7, $433
8th: Jake Myers, Gallatin, Tenn., four bass, 14-4, $389
9th: Chad Johnson, Sparta, Tenn., five bass, 14-0, $346
10th: William Merrick, Mount Juliet, Tenn., five bass, 13-14, $303
Chris Tarpley of Murfreesboro, Tenn., weighed five bass totaling 15 pounds, 15 ounces Saturday to win the co-angler division. Tarpley earned $1,250 for his victory.
Rounding out the top 10 co-anglers were:
2nd: Mark Gilbert, Smyrna, Tenn., five bass, 13-13, $625
3rd: Dane Gamble, La Vergne, Tenn., five bass, 13-10, $416
4th: Chris Gable, Eddyville, Ky., five bass, 10-14, $292
5th: Bobby Whitson, Brentwood, Tenn., five bass, 10-4, $250
6th: Clarance Raney, Murfreesboro, Tenn., five bass, 10-2, $229
7th: Kenny Botts, Bowling Green, Ky., four bass, 8-15, $208
8th: Donnie Cromer, Smithville, Tenn., four bass, 7-3, $187
9th: Payton Wade, Bloomington Springs, Tenn., two bass, 6-14, $167
10th: Joey Frasca, Castalian Springs, Tenn., three bass, 6-8, $146
The next BFL Music City Division tournament is scheduled for June 8 on Old Hickory Lake in Gallatin, Tenn. 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.
