Hipsher Wins Walmart Bass Fishing League LBL Division Event on Kentucky and Barkley Lakes
OutdoorHub 07.28.14
Craig Hipsher of Benton, Ky., weighed a five-bass limit totaling 22 pounds, 13 ounces Saturday to win the fourth Walmart Bass Fishing League LBL Division tournament of 2014 on Kentucky and Barkley lakes. For his victory, Hipsher earned $3,756.
“I kind of got lucky,” said Hipsher, who has 10 career top-10 finishes on Kentucky Lake in BFL competition. “The last bite I got in practice game me a clue that the fish were chasing. The next morning when we went out my plan was to fish deep ledges with a jig and a worm. But it was cloudy and the wind was blowing and I thought the fish could be up on the shallow flats.
“So, I started on a little 4-foot deep flat in the middle of the lake and threw a ¾-ounce Accent Fishing Products spinnerbait with double willow leaf blades. By 6:40 a.m. I had caught about 19 pounds. Those spinnerbaits have a very thin wire. Every time I would catch two or three that were over 4 pounds, I would change spinnerbaits. I went through four spinnerbaits.
“My goal this season was to win the LBL division Angler of the Year title” said Hiphser. “I practiced a lot for this event and my plan was to run brush piles with a jig and a worm. But, I went with my gut and it worked. I guide on the lake and I fish about 300 days per year. Some days things just go right and when that happens you are meant to win. I was a hero for a day, but tomorrow I might blank.”
Hipsher said that he caught four of his big fish with the aforementioned spinnerbait and one of his bass in deep water on a on a Luck-E-Strike Ringleader Worm. Hipsher also made sure to credit Shiner Bock for extensively supporting his fishing career.
Rounding out the top 10 pros were:
2nd: Terry Bolton, Paducah, Ky., five bass, 22-9, $1,878 + $300 Evinrude Bonus
3rd: David Young, Mayfield, Ky., five bass, 20-8, $1,253
4th: Robert Behrens Jr., Dyersburg, Tenn., five bass, 17-12, $813
4th: Edward Gettys, Columbia, Tenn., five bass, 17-12, $813 + $300 Evinrude Bonus
6th: Billy Schroeder, Paducah, Ky., five bass, 17-5, $689
7th: Brent Anderson, Kingston Springs, Tenn., five bass, 16-10, $626
8th: Ronny Webb, Dyersburg, Tenn., five bass, 16-8, $563
9th: Kyle Hackemack, Georgetown, Ind., five bass, 14-1, $469
9th: Eli Torres, Festus, Mo., five bass, 14-1, $469
Complete results can be found at FLWOutdoors.com.
Darrell Carroll of Independence, Ky., weighed in a five-bass limit totaling 19 pounds, 14 ounces Saturday to win $1,878 in the co-angler division.
Rounding out the top 10 co-anglers were:
2nd: Michael Luce, Ledbetter, Ky., five bass, 13-1, $939
3rd: John Wilkerson, Nashville, Tenn., three bass, 12-0, $627
4th: Jeff Johnston, Nashville, Tenn., four bass, 11-7, $438
5th: Jeff Scrimager, Mattoon, Ill., four bass, 9-13, $376
6th: Brennon Binkley, Nashville, Tenn., two bass, 9-3, $344
7th: Jerry Wittmer, Louisville, Ky., three bass, 8-9, $313
8th: Stan Evans, Newburgh, Ind., two bass, 7-15, $282
9th: Steve Ward, Simpsonville, Ky., two bass, 7-13, $250
10th: Kyle Radake, Cape Girardeau, Mo., three bass, 7-12, $219
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. Top winners in the BFL can move up to the Rayovac FLW Series or even the Walmart FLW Tour.
