David Lowery of Milledgeville, GA, won the AFT D72 tournament held April 8, 2023, on Lake Oconee.  David had a five-bass limit that weighed 18.74 pounds to take home the first-place trophy and $620 cash.   David likes to use Big Bite Baits and anchored his sack with a 5.05 pounder.
Mike Bowers of Eatonton, GA, caught a 5.32 pounder to win the optional Big Bass pot of $250 and the Big Bass trophy.
Twenty-five brave anglers endured the cold rain and windy conditions all day. Total payouts were $1,225 to four places.
Congratulations to the Top Ten:
| PL | Angler | Fish | Penalty | Big Bass | Total | Points | Payout |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | David H. Lowery | 5 | 5.05 | 18.74 | 200 | 620 | |
| 2 | Lance Collins | 5 | 5.25 | 18.40 | 199 | 375 | |
| 3 | John B. Stalnaker | 5 | 14.08 | 198 | 130 | ||
| 4 | Jim C. Windham | 5 | 3.75 | 13.41 | 197 | 101 | |
| 5 | Carl H. Hayes III | 5 | 12.63 | 196 | |||
| 6 | Robert J. Clark | 5 | 0.50 | 4.55 | 12.47 | 195 | |
| 7 | Mike Bowers | 4 | 5.32 | 12.38 | 194 | ||
| 8 | Jamie M. Fountain | 5 | 11.97 | 193 | |||
| 9 | Mark Burns | 5 | 11.44 | 192 | |||
| 10 | Grant T. Kelly | 5 | 11.07 | 191 |
After the awards of trophies and cash payouts, one $50 bill and one $50 Sugar Creek Marina gift card were given to the anglers present as draw prizes. The lucky winners were Steve Clay and Aaron Batson. A custom handmade American flag was presented to Shawn Hendrix of Kissel Krafts Custom Built Fishing Rods. Randy Smith won the drawing for a custom rod certificate from Kissel Krafts.
Thanks goes to Danny Taylor and Bob Clark for helping with morning registration, boat checks, and weighing fish at the scales.
Our next tournament in this division will be the 2-Day Divisional Championship, June 10, Lake Sinclair, and June 11 at Lake Oconee.
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
