JOHNSON WINS WALMART BASS FISHING LEAGUE MOUNTAIN DIVISION OPENER ON DALE HOLLOW LAKE

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BYRDSTOWN, Tenn. (March 23, 2015) – Robby Johnson of Byrdstown, Tennessee, weighed a five-bass limit totaling 22 pounds, 7 ounces Saturday to win the first Walmart Bass Fishing League Mountain Division tournament of 2015 on Dale Hollow Lake. For his victory, Johnson earned $5,689.

“I was proud to win it,” said Johnson. “It’s nice to see those long days of practice pay off.”

Johnson said that he targeted the main-lake grass near the Wolf River and found fish lurking in the 10-12 foot depths with an umbrella rig with white pearl-colored Reaction Innovations Skinny Dipper swimbaits.

“I would slow down my reeling and let the umbrella rig get deep,” Johnson said. “It didn’t take long before they found it.”

Johnson said that he caught 12 keepers throughout the day, with the majority coming from the grass. As the sun came out, Johnson said that the fish would get closer to the surface.

“The sun heated the water temperature by four degrees, which really helped the fish become active,” said Johnson.

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:

               1st:          Robby Johnson, Byrdstown, Tenn., five bass, 22-7, $5,689

               2nd:         Rusty Smith, Somerset, Ky., five bass, 19-12, $2,844

               3rd:          Adam Militana, Nashville, Tenn., five bass, 19-10, $1,898

               4th:          Chris Hurd, Somerset, Ky., five bass, 19-6, $1,327

               5th:          William Campbell, Middlesboro, Ky., five bass, 18-10, $1,090

               5th:          Jonathan Green, East Bernstadt, Ky., five bass, 18-10, $1,090

               7th:          Jason Bean, Scottsville, Ky., five bass, 18-0, $948

               8th:          Michael Kennedy, Monroe, Tenn., five bass, 17-4. $853

               9th:          Ethan McDonald, Livingston, Tenn., five bass, 16-15, $711

               9th:          Ricky Roy, Russell Springs, Ky., four bass, 16-15, $711

Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Johnson also caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the pro division and earned the day’s Big Bass award of $920.

Greg Trobaugh of Rickman, Tennessee, weighed in a five-bass limit totaling 17 pounds, 6 ounces Saturday to win $2,844 in the co-angler division.

The top 10 co-anglers were:

1st:          Greg Trobaugh, Rickman, Tenn., five bass, 17-6, $2,844

2nd:         Tim Kempf, Louisville, Ky., five bass, 15-13, $1,422

3rd:          Bill Haunert, Blue Ash, Ohio, five bass, 15-9, $948

4th:          Ryan Fisk, Independence, Ky., five bass, 15-6, $664

5th:          Kevin Allen, Louisville, Ky., five bass, 15-5, $569

6th:          James Worley, Whitley City, Ky., five bass, 14-13, $521

7th:          Tracy Helton, London, Ky., four bass, 14-3, $474

8th:          Glen Ruth, Frankfort, Ky., five bass, 14-0, $427

9th:          Paul Corning, Evansville, Ind., four bass, 13-11, $379

10th:        Greg Brown, Georgetown, Ky., four bass, 13-9, $332

Corning caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the co-angler division and earned the day’s Big Bass award of $153.

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, Kentucky. 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.

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