January 14, 2023, Branson West, MO. Eddie McMasters of Reeds Springs MO, wins the American Fishing Tour division 64 tournament presented by American Bass Anglers. The tournament was run out of Aunts Creek public use area, near Branson West MO. Eddie McMasters brought back five fish that locked in the scales at 14.36 lbs anchored by a 3.34 lb kicker. For the victory McMasters took home a check for $543.
McMasters stated most of his fish came from an A-rig bite in the morning hours. However, he found a deep bite later in the day that allowed him to cull out his winning five-fish limit. McMasters said that the Dimiki Rig was the ticket on the deep bite, following “wolf packs” of fish around. He also stated that he was looking for single fish to target, due to the fact that they were usually of a larger size class.
Second place was claimed by Blake Atchison of Ava MO, with a 3 fish bag, and a total weight of 10.44lbs. For his efforts, Atchison took home $329 in prize money.
Atchison attributed his success to a decent Jerkbait bite found on wind blown banks, with transitions from gravel to chunk rock. Of the six fish he caught throughout the day, he said only three would make the 15” minimum mark. However one of which was good enough for Big Bass Honors.
Wyatt Marler, of Ava MO, took third place honors with five fish, and a total weight of 9.43 lbs. For his efforts, he took home $108 in prize money.
Marler accredited his success to a jigging rap, and the Dimiki rig deep in 60+ feet of water. He stated that he had to sort through a lot of short fish, probably 25-30, before settling in on his final five-fish limit.
The Biggest Bass of the tournament was caught by Blake Atchison. His fish locked in the scales at 4.79lbs earning him $190 in cold hard cash.
Top Ten Finishers
| PL | Angler | Fish | Penalty | Big Bass | Total | Points | Payout |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Eddie G. McMasters | 5 | 3.34 | 14.36 | 200 | 543 | |
| 2 | Blake Atchison | 3 | 4.79 | 10.44 | 199 | 329 | |
| 3 | Wyatt E. Marler | 5 | 9.43 | 198 | 108 | ||
| 4 | Kevin J. Jackson | 3 | 3.05 | 7.30 | 197 | ||
| 5 | Tracy W. Mitchell | 2 | 3.92 | 5.93 | 196 | ||
| 6 | Brady A. ONeil | 2 | 2.48 | 4.54 | 195 | ||
| 6 | Ryan Thompson | 1 | 4.54 | 4.54 | 195 | ||
| 8 | Justin McCarthy | 2 | 2.43 | 4.27 | 193 | ||
| 9 | Anthony W. Willis | 2 | 2.15 | 3.95 | 192 | ||
| 10 | Randy Chapman | 2 | 1.95 | 3.90 | 191 |
The next tournament in this division will take place on February 25th, launching from Aunts Creek Public use area.
For more information on this event or division please contact the local director: Randy Chapman (417)880-8399 or visit www.centralmidwestbass.com.
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
