Grant Kelly of Milledgeville, GA takes the win at the AFT D72 tournament held January 14, 2023 on Lake Oconee. His five bass topped the scale at 14.96 pounds to put $807 cash in his pocket and win the first place trophy. Grant anchored his sack with a 5.12 pounder.
Joshua George and Wayne Garner followed closely with 14.62 and 14.41 pounds to take second and third place trophies, and cash payouts of $526 and $259.
Jerry Jones of Union Point, GA won the Big Bass trophy and optional Big Bass pot of $450 cash with an awesome 6.25 pounder!
We had 45 anglers competing for the top 7 places to win payouts totaling $2,205 on a very cold and windy day. Congratulations to the Top Ten:
| PL | Angler | Fish | Big Bass | Total | Points | Payout |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Grant T. Kelly | 5 | 5.12 | 14.96 | 200 | 807 |
| 2 | Joshua M. George | 5 | 4.63 | 14.62 | 199 | 526 |
| 3 | Wayne Garner | 5 | 3.88 | 14.41 | 198 | 259 |
| 4 | Brian C. Hyde | 4 | 5.09 | 13.57 | 197 | 209 |
| 5 | Jerry N. Jones | 5 | 6.25 | 13.40 | 196 | 173 |
| 6 | Byron Kenney | 4 | 5.60 | 13.11 | 195 | 137 |
| 7 | Les Charles | 5 | 3.59 | 13.08 | 194 | 94 |
| 8 | Travis D. Clay | 5 | 12.38 | 193 | ||
| 9 | David H. Lowery | 5 | 3.96 | 11.83 | 192 | |
| 10 | Terry L. Adams | 5 | 11.80 | 191 | ||
| 10 | Jamie M. Fountain | 5 | 11.80 | 191 |
Thanks goes to Danny Taylor and Bob Clark for helping with the tournament. After the awards of trophies and cash payouts, three $50 bills were given as draw prizes to the anglers present. The lucky winners were Scott Jeffers, Benji Morris, and Chris Saunders. A $50 Sugar Creek Marina gift card was won by Jamie Fountain.
Our next tournament in this division will be January 28, 2023 on Lake Sinclair running out of Dennis Station DNR ramp. If you have any questions, please contact Director Benny Howell at 770-365-4795.
Georgia Central Division 72 is the home of the current reigning King of the Hill, Benny Howell, and his team.
Visit Division 72’s Home Page at This Link
Benny Howell was the 2022 King of the Hill, an award presented at the end of each season to the top director of that season.
These anglers earn valuable points toward the divisional angler of the year title. The points champion from each division will compete in the annual American Bass Anglers AFT Angler of The Year Final Round at the AFT Championship. In addition, the top 500 anglers from the various divisions will earn the right to compete in the three-day ABA, AFT National Championship tournament.
American Bass Anglers is sponsored by Caymas Boats, Mercury Marine, T-H Marine, Power Pole, RT Outdoors, Optima Batteries, Hotel Planner.com, and LurePartsOnline.com.
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, offering each competitor an upward path for individual angler progression.
For more information about American Bass Anglers, the Open Series, the American Fishing Tour, the American Couples Series, the annual Military Team Bass Tournament, and the Top 150 Solo Tour, all presented by Caymas Boats, visit www.americanbassanglers.com or call (256) 232-0406
This story was written by ABA staff writer John N. Felsher. To submit articles of interest email [email protected].
