Michael Boggs II of Kentucky caught 20 pounds, 10 ounces to take the lead on the first day of the Academy Sports + Outdoors B.A.S.S. Nation Championship presented by Magellan on Lake Conroe in Conroe, Texas.
Nov. 17, 2016
Kentucky’s Michael Boggs Takes First Round Lead In B.A.S.S. Nation Championship
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CONROE, Texas — Michael Boggs II of Kentucky surprised everyone at the 2016 Academy Sports + Outdoors B.A.S.S. Nation Championship presented by Magellan with his 20-pound, 10-ounce limit of bass, heaviest of the day.
It was a surprise because it was near the end of the first-day weigh-in on Texas’ Lake Conroe, and no one else had even come close.
“I’m tickled to death,” said Boggs, who is representing Kentucky but lives in Portsmouth, Ohio.
“I’ve been feeling pretty good all week,” Boggs added. “I caught some 5- and 6-pounders in practice, so I knew they were there. But today was a tough day, and I really had to work for it. And I worked all day long!”
He means that sincerely. In the last hour-and-a-half, he and his nonboater partner, Bradley Rilling of Georgia, caught at least 20 fish. Boggs was still culling 20 minutes before he checked in at Lakeview Marina.
Boggs was one of only eight anglers out of 113 to bring in a limit of five bass. The minimum length limit on Lake Conroe is 16 inches, which proved difficult for many competitors, who measured multiple 15 1/2-inch fish. Forty-one anglers failed to weigh in a single bass, many of them citing the length — not the quantity caught — as the reason.
“If someone would come up with a fish stretcher of some sort, they’d make a million dollars,” said Scott Green of Vermont, one of the competitors who zeroed.
Boggs’ closest competitor was Greg Vance of Iowa, who weighed in 15 pounds, 11 ounces, nearly 5 pounds behind Boggs.
“I thought I could get 15 pounds, but I didn’t think it would put me near the top,” Vance said. “I thought it would just keep me in the Top 15.”
Several anglers said the wind kept them on the move; it was hard for them to hold still on one spot for long. Boggs had the same experience.
“The wind made it tough,” he said. “But I fished a lot of spots today, and I still have a lot left for tomorrow.”
Boggs credits baits from Power Team Lures for his Day 1 lead, although he’s keeping the type and color of lures a secret for now. Other anglers said jigs were key and that crankbaits were moderately successful. But most are staying tight-lipped, hoping to divulge their perfect bait after the final-day weigh-in on Saturday, while holding the trophy.
The trophy comes with a special prize — a berth in the 2017 GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by GoPro, in March 2017 on this same body of water.
“I’ve dreamed of going to the Classic since I was 8 years old,” Boggs said through tears, with his son, Nicholas, tearing up next to him.
To do that, though, Boggs has to keep up the hard work for the next two days.
“I’ve got to do it again tomorrow,” he said. “Hopefully, it will hold up.”
On the nonboater side, Rick Hamer took the lead with 14 pounds, 7 ounces. He was the only nonboater to catch a limit of five bass.
“I was matching the hatch,” said Hamer, referring to matching the color of the forage with his soft plastics, which were made by a new lure company, FYAO.
Hamer and his boater partner, Andrew Sams of Maryland, spent lots of time on Thursday moving around, dodging the wind.
“We were getting crushed by the wind,” Hamer said. “We just kept going places to keep out of the wind.”
Despite the relatively low weights outside of the Top 10, Jon Harshbarger of Kaufman, Texas, said he knows the lake and the quality of bass it holds.
“Conroe produces one-day limits of 18, 21 and 24 pounds sometimes,” he said. “It’s got ’em; they’re not eating.”
Maybe the bass will eat on Friday, which will be the last day of competition for most anglers. The only remaining competitors for the final day will be the Top 10 boaters, the nonboater champion (the top nonboater at the end of Day 2) and the best two boaters from each of the three regions (Eastern, Central and Western) if they have not already qualified as part of the Top 10.
The Top 3 at the end of Saturday will earn berths in the 2017 Classic, as well as paid entry into the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Opens series of their choice, and the B.A.S.S. Nation’s Best prize package, which is the use of a Toyota Tundra truck and a fully rigged, tournament-ready Phoenix boat for one year. A 2017 Bassmaster Elite Series berth is on the line, too.
The nonboater champion will also win paid entry into the Opens division of choice, a boat and a spot as a marshal in the 2017 Bassmaster Classic.
Two bright spots in the first day of competition were a few big bass brought in that lit up the crowd.
Jason Vaughn of Delaware caught the biggest of the day, a 7-pound, 3-ounce bass. The biggest on the nonboater side was a 6-pound, 14-ounce bass by Justin Barnes of Alabama.
Competition resumes Friday from Lakeview Marina, 880 Beach Boulevard, in Conroe at 6:45 a.m. CT when the anglers take off for Day 2. The weigh-in will begin at 3 p.m. CT at the same place. All events are free and open to the public.
The tournament is hosted by the Conroe Convention and Visitors Bureau.
2016 Academy Sports + Outdoors B.A.S.S. Nation Championship presented by Magellan 11/17-11/19 Lake Conroe, Conroe TX. (BOATER) Standings Day 1 Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$ 1. Michael Boggs II Portsmouth, OH 5 20-10 0 Day 1: 5 20-10 2. Greg Vance Dubuque, IA 5 15-11 0 Day 1: 5 15-11 3. Mike Wolfenden Warwick, RI 5 14-12 0 Day 1: 5 14-12 4. Brent Long Iron Station, NC 5 14-07 0 Day 1: 5 14-07 5. Timothy Klinger Boulder City, NV 5 13-07 0 Day 1: 5 13-07 6. Darrell Ocamica Fruitland, ID 5 13-06 0 Day 1: 5 13-06 7. Ivan Morris Virginia Beach, VA 5 12-07 0 Day 1: 5 12-07 8. Danny Grantham Mobile, AL 4 11-12 0 Day 1: 4 11-12 9. Nicholas Papotto Meriden , CT 4 11-06 0 Day 1: 4 11-06 10. Dave McCoy Plattsmouth, NE 3 10-15 0 Day 1: 3 10-15 11. Josh Ray Alexander, AR 3 10-12 0 Day 1: 3 10-12 12. Jason Vaughn Laurel, DE 2 10-03 0 Day 1: 2 10-03 13. Matt Pangrac Norman , OK 3 09-14 0 Day 1: 3 09-14 14. Andrew Sams Easton, MD 3 08-10 0 Day 1: 3 08-10 15. JJ Dickens Beaver, WV 3 08-03 0 Day 1: 3 08-03 16. Rob Digh Denver, NC 2 08-01 0 Day 1: 2 08-01 17. Nate Caldwell Ft Collins, CO 3 07-15 0 Day 1: 3 07-15 18. Brian Brooks Mt Epraim, NJ 3 07-14 0 Day 1: 3 07-14 19. Arnie Lane Lakeland, FL 2 07-10 0 Day 1: 2 07-10 20. Ron Mace Kennewick, WA 3 07-02 0 Day 1: 3 07-02 20. Bubba O'Neill Evanston, WY 3 07-02 0 Day 1: 3 07-02 22. Jon Harshbarger Kaufman, TX 2 06-03 0 Day 1: 2 06-03 23. Brett Logue Lincoln, NE 2 05-15 0 Day 1: 2 05-15 24. Mark Lodge Alfred, ME 2 05-14 0 Day 1: 2 05-14 25. Kalib Lund Glendale, AZ 2 05-04 0 Day 1: 2 05-04 26. Ryan Buttermore Leetsdale, PA 2 04-14 0 Day 1: 2 04-14 26. David Mays Portland, OR 2 04-14 0 Day 1: 2 04-14 28. Mark Cavanaugh Port Perry ONTARIO CANA 2 04-13 0 Day 1: 2 04-13 28. Grayson Smith Clarksville, TN 2 04-13 0 Day 1: 2 04-13 30. Mark Nies Cannelton, IN 2 04-09 0 Day 1: 2 04-09 31. Edgar Romero Leon MEXICO 2 04-05 0 Day 1: 2 04-05 32. Joe Burchill Brighton , MA 1 04-02 0 Day 1: 1 04-02 33. Ted Heitschmidt Tomahawk, WI 1 03-14 0 Day 1: 1 03-14 34. John Plumlee Branson, MO 1 03-10 0 Day 1: 1 03-10 35. William Lortz II Rochester, NY 1 03-08 0 Day 1: 1 03-08 36. Danny Carter Hernando, MS 1 03-07 0 Day 1: 1 03-07 37. Mark Lassagne San Ramon, CA 1 03-03 0 Day 1: 1 03-03 38. Jay Evans Corvallis, MT 1 03-02 0 Day 1: 1 03-02 39. Tony Beck Social Circle, GA 1 02-14 0 Day 1: 1 02-14 40. Chris Brimager Andover, KS 1 02-13 0 Day 1: 1 02-13 41. David Cavell Prairieville, LA 1 02-05 0 Day 1: 1 02-05 42. Bill Brown Grand Junction, CO 1 02-04 0 Day 1: 1 02-04 43. Filipe Almeida Coimbra PORTUGAL 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 43. Randy Campbell Sandia Park, NM 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 43. Albert Collins Nacogdoches, TX 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 43. Mitchell Cone Willow Tree New South W 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 43. Mark Dimarzio Franconia, NH 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 43. Neil Engelbrecht Windhoek Khomas NAMIBIA 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 43. Kurt Glass Grovetown, GA 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 43. Scott Green Waterbury Center, VT 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 43. Naoaki Ishikawa Akiruno Tokyo JAPAN 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 43. Michael Kazmierczak Lemont, IL 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 43. Tom Kiefer Fowlerville, MI 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 43. Adrian Luff George Western Cape SOU 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 43. Brian Mailot Columbus, OH 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 43. Josh Nelson Saint Bonifacius, MN 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 43. Strati Orphanides Marondera ZIMBABWE 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 43. Luca Salvato Curtarolo ITALY 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 ------------------------------------------------------------ ----------- Totals Day #Limits #Fish Weight 1 7 107 318-13 ------------------------------ ---- 7 107 318-13
2016 Academy Sports + Outdoors B.A.S.S. Nation Championship presented by Magellan 11/17-11/19 Lake Conroe, Conroe TX. (NON_BOATER) Standings Day 1 Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$ 1. Rick Hamer Charleston, WV 5 14-07 0 Day 1: 5 14-07 2. Ryan Lavigne Gonzales, LA 4 11-14 0 Day 1: 4 11-14 3. Brock Enmeier Enid, OK 3 09-11 0 Day 1: 3 09-11 4. Justin Barnes MONROEVILLE, AL 2 09-03 0 Day 1: 2 09-03 5. Mike Coleman Pinoeer, CA 2 08-12 0 Day 1: 2 08-12 6. Tim Frohlich Jr Independence, KY 2 08-09 0 Day 1: 2 08-09 7. Shane Stiehl Winner, SD 3 08-05 0 Day 1: 3 08-05 8. Dan Carrigan Citrus Springs, FL 2 06-15 0 Day 1: 2 06-15 9. Jonathan Robla Norawood, NY 2 05-15 0 Day 1: 2 05-15 10. Jarrod Sherwood Vassar, MI 1 05-05 0 Day 1: 1 05-05 11. Kevin Noel Burlington, CT 2 05-03 0 Day 1: 2 05-03 12. Bradley Rilling Brooks, GA 2 04-11 0 Day 1: 2 04-11 13. Michael Duarte Middle River, MD 2 04-10 0 Day 1: 2 04-10 14. Josh Cotier Clinton, MA 2 04-05 0 Day 1: 2 04-05 15. Dave Frost Apopka, FL 1 03-14 0 Day 1: 1 03-14 16. Stefan Adamchick Monterrey MEXICO 1 03-13 0 Day 1: 1 03-13 17. Michael Lebsack Duluth, MN 1 03-12 0 Day 1: 1 03-12 18. David Porter Rockwall, TX 1 03-07 0 Day 1: 1 03-07 19. Lee Wubbels Lincoln, NE 1 03-04 0 Day 1: 1 03-04 20. Jeremy Arnold Concord, NH 1 03-02 0 Day 1: 1 03-02 21. Riley Hansen Sandy , UT 1 03-01 0 Day 1: 1 03-01 22. Justin Harris McPherson, KS 1 02-14 0 Day 1: 1 02-14 23. Jody Adkins Navarre, OH 1 02-12 0 Day 1: 1 02-12 23. Amos Dixon Camden, DE 1 02-12 0 Day 1: 1 02-12 25. Steven Conde Chepachet, RI 1 02-09 0 Day 1: 1 02-09 25. Jon Hickey Weiser, ID 1 02-09 0 Day 1: 1 02-09 25. Curt Hughes Greenwood, IN 1 02-09 0 Day 1: 1 02-09 28. Bert Cooper Huntsville, TN 1 02-04 0 Day 1: 1 02-04 29. Chris Barrett Vaughan ONTARIO CANADA 1 02-02 0 Day 1: 1 02-02 30. Danny Fourr Waterflow, NM 1 02-01 0 Day 1: 1 02-01 31. John Bernard McKees Rocks, PA 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 31. Chris Brewer Jay, ME 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 31. Loren Bryant Phoenix, AZ 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 31. Kyle Coffman Minbun, IA 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 31. Daniel Elsner Green Bay, WI 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 31. Andre Fidalgo Parreira PORTUGAL 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 31. Becca Golightly Preston, ID 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 31. Addam Gross Cove, OR 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 31. Jeff Hager Alexis, NC 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 31. Ron Hanhart Harare Mashonaland ZIMB 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 31. Garry Harman Adare Queensland AUSTRA 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 31. Scott Hausman Las Vegas, NV 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 31. Edward Owens Hemingway, SC 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 31. Mauro Salvato Curtarolo ITALY 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 31. John Santos Penrose, CO 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 31. Creighton Sawyer Houston, AR 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 31. Christopher Selsor Jr Sparta, MO 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 31. Zackery Shaff Untion, KY 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 31. Michael Valentine Laurel , MS 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 31. Kevin Voss Bensenville, IL 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 31. Yuya Wakebe Odawara Kanagawa JAPAN 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 31. Jake Weaver Columbia Falls, MT 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 31. Bob Wetzler Rutland, VT 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 31. Alec Williams Windhoek NAMIBIA 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 31. Larry Witt Forest, VA 0 00-00 0 Day 1: 0 00-00 ------------------------------------------------------------ ----------- Totals Day #Limits #Fish Weight 1 1 50 154-10 ------------------------------ ---- 1 50 154-10
