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Brian Choate of Burns, Tennessee took home the win in the American Bass Anglers Open Series Area 2 Championship, held on Kentucky Lake October 13th & 14th, 2018. Launching out of Paris Landing State Park. Choate caught four-bass on day one weighing 12.36-pounds. On day two, Choate weighed in a five-bass limit weighing 16.61-pounds for a total of 28.97-pounds. With less than a one-pound lead over second place, Choate took home a check for $10,000.
“Started day one by running South focusing on fishing shallow bars with a variety of topwater baits. I was able to catch four-fish weighing 12.36-pounds. On day two I returned to the same area in which I left off and could not get a bite so, I picked up a bull-shad swimbait and caught a key fish then I started using a Hoppy’s ¾oz. spinnerbait slow rolling it on shallow bars and was able to finish out my limit for a weight of 16.61-pounds,” said Choate.
Coming in second place in the boater division was Billy Hinson of Mt. Juliet, Tennessee weighing in four-bass on day 1 and a five-bass limit on day 2 for a total of 28.00-pounds. Hinson took home a check for $600 dollars for his efforts.
“I ran to the South end of the lake targeting creek mouths and points throwing a top-water bait only had 6 keeper bites but was able to get a pretty good limit,” said Hinson.
Daniel Crockett of Old Hickory, Tennessee finished third for the boaters also weighing in three-bass on day 1 and a five-bass limit on day 2 for a total of 27.42-pounds. Crockett took home a check of $500 for his efforts.
“I ran to the South end of the lake. I was rotating three different lures which were a rattletrap, a topwater bait and, a jig,” said Crockett.
Finishing fourth place Sterling Brenneis of Gallatin, Tennessee brought two-bass to the scales on day 1 and a five-bass limit on day 2 for a total of 24.10-pounds. Brenneis took him a check for $375 for his efforts. Rounding out the top five was Tony Eckler of Lebanon, Tennessee weighing in a five-bass limit on day 1 and bringing 1 fish to the scales on day 2 for a total of 23.28-pounds. Eckler also caught the big bass in the boater division on day 1 weighing in at 6.82-pounds. He received a total of $700.00 for his efforts.
In the Co-Angler Division William Walsh of Bon Aqua, Tennessee brought one-bass to the scales on day-one weighing in at 2.26-pounds. On day-two Walsh brought three-bass to the scales weighing 12.79-pounds, for a two-day total of 15.05-pounds. Walsh took home a check of $5000 for his catch.
“We went to the South end of the lake fishing shallow bars and long points using a whopper plopper,” said Walsh.
In second place for the co-anglers was Joel Trevino of Mt. Juliet, Tennessee bringing three-bass to the scales on day 1 and one-bass on day 2 for a total of 13.22-pounds. The fish that Trevino caught on day 2 was the big bass in the co-angler division weighing in at 6.19-pounds. He took home a total of $520 for his catch.
“I caught all my fish fishing main channels and ditches with a crankbait. I was only able to catch one fish on day 2 around10: 00 am,” said Trevino.
Coming in third place was Austin Strawmyer of Camel, Indiana bringing two-bass to the scales both days for a total weight of 10.61-pounds. Strawmyer took home a check for $300 dollars for his efforts.
“I Caught all of my fish using a swing head jig with a creature bait fishing rock points and flipping docks,” said Strawmyer.
Finishing fourth place was Jake Short of Cookeville, Tennessee with a total weight of 9.82-pounds that brought in a check for $250 for his efforts. Rounding out the top five in the Co-Angler Division was Pat Rapp of Hawesville, Kentucky, he brought a two-day total of 9.20-pounds to the scales. Rapp took home a check of $150 for his efforts.
The next tournament will be the Ray Scott Championship. At the end of the season, the best anglers from across the nation advance to the 2018 Ray Scott Championship to be held on Lake Eufaula in Eufaula, Alabama.
About American Bass Anglers: American Bass Anglers is committed to providing low cost, close to home tournaments for the weekend angler and at the same time offer each competitor an upward path for individual angler progression. For more information about American Bass Anglers, the Open Series, the American Fishing Tour or the American Couples Series, visit www.americanbassanglers.com.
American Bass Anglers Inc. is supported by Triton Boats, Mercury Outboards, Geico, Berkley, ABU Garcia, T-H Marine, Maui Jim, Garmin, Sirius XM Marine weather and Optima Batteries.
American Bass Anglers can be contacted at (256) 232-0406 or by visiting americanbassanglers.com