Cobb Wins Walmart Bass Fishing League Savannah River Division Event on Lake Hartwell
OutdoorHub 03.17.14
Brandon Cobb of Greenwood, S.C., weighed a five-bass limit totaling 18 pounds, 1 ounce Saturday to win the second Walmart Bass Fishing League Savannah River Division tournament of 2014 on Lake Hartwell. For his victory, Cobb earned $6,807.
Last weekend, Brandon Cobb finished in 36th place at the Walmart FLW Tour event held on Lake Hartwell. Just a few days later, he weighed more than he did during any day of the Tour event to win his second BFL in less than 12 months on the sprawling South Carolina reservoir.
“I didn’t really practice for this one, but I had practiced for the Tour,” said Cobb. “I thought I was going to do a lot better in the Tour event. It’s awesome to win but I wish those fish were there last week.
“I had a bunch of places to throw a lipless crankbait to start the day. I was fishing flooded grass that I could visibly see with my eyes. I caught two or three limits doing that. Then when the sun came up I started fishing docks and wood, looking for big fish that were pulling up. I think I culled out all but one of my lipless crankbait fish in the afternoon.
“I knew I had a good bag, but I thought I would be a kicker way from being able to win,” finished Cobb. “But with the terribly cold winter we’ve had, the weights haven’t been like they should be all year.”
Cobb said he used a XCalibur Xr50 Rattle Bait in the morning and threw a Yamamoto Senko and a trick worm on a shaky head in the afternoon.
Rounding out the top 10 pros were:
2nd: Brock Taylor, Pendleton, S.C., five bass, 17-15, $2,253
3rd: Jayme Rampey, Liberty, S.C., five bass, 16-2, $1,502 + $300 Evinrude Bonus
4th: Randy Childers, Anderson, S.C., five bass, 15-5, $1,052
5th: Brad Fowler, Pendleton, S.C., five bass, 14-3, $901
6th: Craig Sahms, Taylors, S.C., five bass, 14-2, $826
7th: Roger Vinson, Flowery Branch, Ga., five bass, 13-7, $751
8th: Michael Anders, Pelzer, S.C., five bass, 13-1, $638
8th: David Williams, Maiden, N.C., five bass, 13-1, $638
10th: Troy Morrow, Eastanollee, Ga., five bass, 13-0, $526
Complete results can be found at FLWOutdoors.com.
Dererk Savage of Port St. Lucie, Fla., weighed in a five-bass limit totaling 12 pounds, 10 ounces Saturday to win $2,253 in the co-angler division.
Rounding out the top 10 co-anglers were:
2nd: Rusty Smith, Six Mile, S.C., five bass, 12-2, $1,127
3rd: Rusty Odom, Fountain Inn, S.C., five bass, 11-10, $751
4th: Benjie Winkler, Cleveland, Ga., five bass, 11-7, $526
5th: Chris Coleman, Ware Shoals, S.C., five bass, 11-1, $432
5th: Adam Fincher, Roebuck, S.C., five bass, 11-1, $432
7th: Jaris McGee, Honea Path, S.C., five bass, 10-15, $376
8th: Anthony Marks, Spartanburg, S.C., five bass, 10-12, $338
9th: Shane Powell, Liberty, S.C., five bass, 10-11, $300
10th: Richard Young, Ellenboro, N.C., five bass, 10-3, $263
The top 40 boaters and 40 co-anglers based on point standings will qualify for the Oct. 9-11 Regional Championship on Lake Cherokee in Morristown, Tenn. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard and a Chevy Silverado, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518C 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 2014 BFL All-American is being held June 5-7 on Wilson Lake in Florence, Ala. Top winners in the BFL can move up to the Rayovac FLW Series or even the Walmart FLW Tour.
