Moore Wins Ozark Division Opener on Grand Lake

March 9, 2015

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GROVE, Okla.  – Clint Moore of Big Cabin, Oklahoma, weighed four bass totaling 22 pounds, 14 ounces Saturday to win the first Walmart Bass Fishing League Ozark Division tournament of 2015 on Grand Lake. For his victory, Moore earned $5,337.

 “It feels great to take home a check,” said Moore. “It’s what everyone is working for so it’s nice when it pays off.”

 After running into some mechanical issues following takeoff, Moore was able to salvage his tournament and build a winning stringer by catching a 6½-pounder near the site where he broke down.

 Eager to capitalize on the first bite and make up for lost time, Moore moved to a midlake area and tackled banks within the creek channels.

 “We went to the same spots that we pre-fished,” Moore said. “The fish were headed back towards those steep banks to spawn.”

 Moore sat in about 30 feet of water while he threw up to 15 foot depths. His baits of choice were a sexy shad-colored Skirmish Jerkbait and an umbrella rig rigged with Gene Larew Sweet Swimmers and blue smoke-colored Strike King KVD Swimbaits.

“If there were a lot of dead shad in the water due to the cold, the Skirmish jerkbait worked really well. I’d spool line out, and work it to get it deep, a technique called ‘long lining’,” said Moore. “If that wasn’t working I’d throw the umbrella rig.”

Out of the four fish he brought to the scale, two large ones were caught on the jerkbait while the other kicker was brought in on the umbrella rig.

“I only had five bites. It was a tough day, but we were able to make something of it and that’s what matters,” said Moore.

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:

1^st:          Clint Moore, Big Cabin, Okla., four bass, 22-14, $4,652

2^nd:         Dennis Berhorst, Holts Summit, Mo., five bass, 18-10. $2,326

3^rd:          David Ryan, Levasy, Mo., five bass, 17-8, $1,551

4^th:          Doyle Isom Jr, Bourbon, Mo., five bass, 15-15, $1,086

5^th:          Shawn Kowal, Linn Creek, Mo., five bass, 14-9, $930

6^th:          Marcus Sykora, Osage Beach, Mo., five bass, 14-3, $853

7^th:          Cory Steckler, Rocky Mount, Mo., four bass, 11-11, $775

8^th:          Blake Neighbors, Grove, Okla., five bass, 11-9, $698

9^th:          Scott Danek, Sunrise Beach, Mo., four bass, 11-6, $620

10^th:        Jeremy Lawyer, Sarcoxie, Mo., five bass, 10-13, $543

Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.  

Moore also caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the pro division and earned the day’s Big Bass award of $685.

Kris Nelson of Walnut Grove, Missouri, weighed in a five-bass limit totaling 14 pounds, 12 ounces Saturday to win $2,326 in the co-angler division.

The top 10 co-anglers were:

1^st:          Kris Nelson, Walnut Grove, Mo., five bass, 14-12, $2,326

2^nd:         Kevin Manion, Park Hills, Mo., three bass, 9-10, $1,163

3^rd:          Rob Crane, Caseyville, Ill., two bass, 7-14, $777

4^th:          Bobbie Green, Lees Summit, Mo., one bass, 7-2, $543

5^th:          Ben Blaschke, Muldrow, Okla., three bass, 6-0, $465

6^th:          Jeff Ahart, Eldon, Mo., one bass, 5-14, $407

6^th:          Michael Pillman, Osage Beach, Mo., one bass, 5-14, $407

8^th:          Clay Messmer, Ballwin, Mo., one bass, 5-6, $349

9^th:          Jason Kapperman, Springfield, Mo., one bass, 5-5, $310

10^th:        Zach Vankeulen, Tulsa, Okla., two bass, 5-4, $271

Green caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the co-angler division and earned the day’s Big Bass award of $342.

The top 50 boaters and 50 co-anglers based on point standings will qualify for the Oct. 15-17 Regional Championship on Kentucky Lake in Gilbertsville, Ky. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard and $20,000, 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 50 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. Top winners in the BFL can move up to the Rayovac FLW Series or even the Walmart FLW Tour.