SCOTTSBORO, Ala. – Wayne E. Christopher leads by exactly one pound after the first day of intense competition in the American Bass Anglers Top 150 Solo Series, Presented by Caymas Boats, Southeast Division tournament, held April 21, 2023, on Lake Guntersville in northern Alabama.
“The competitors had a beautiful first day of the tournament with perfect weather,” reported Tournament Director Floyd Vaughn. “Many of the anglers caught some good fish.”
Launching at Goose Pond Ramp in Scottsboro, Ala. for the 2-day event, Christopher from Huntsville, Ala. landed a 5-bass daily tournament limit weighing 21.57 pounds to take the lead on Day 1. He topped that catch with a 4.87-pounder. That gave him an average of 4.31 pounds per fish.
“I targeted spawning and post-spawn fish,” Christopher revealed. “I found some deeper fish in practice, but that pattern went away so I started throwing a frog around vegetation. The bass were very receptive to the frog in the morning. I did do some upgrades on a Senko. I was having a lot of fun.”
Holding second among the 127 competitors, Paul A. Thornton came over from Laurel, Miss. to catch a 5-bass limit going 20.57 pounds. He capped that catch with a 4.66-pounder.
“I caught all my fish on a jig at the edge of the grass,” Thornton detailed. “I couldn’t see them, but I believe they were spawning just outside the grass.”
Sitting in the third spot after one day, Kevin Snyder from Athens, Tenn. landed exactly 20 pounds with his five fish. He topped that sack with a 6.10-pounder, one of three bass to break six pounds on the first day.
“I fished the river most of the morning,” Snyder said. “The bites were pretty slow. I didn’t get many bites. I moved to the grass later in the day and found lots of small fish. I had a super good day. The weather was wonderful and the fish bit for me.”
Occupying the number four rung on the roster, Scott T. Baker of Fort Payne, Ala. brought in five bass for 19.57 pounds, exactly two pounds off the lead pace. He anchored that bag with a 5.26-pounder.
“I caught my fish on a frog early in the morning,” Baker advised. “The frog bite stopped when the wind got up, so I started throwing soft plastics. I fished a stretch up the river about 100 yards long. It kept replenishing all day.”
Dale M. Tomazin of Gainesville, Ga. holds the fifth spot after Day 1. He found five good keepers for 19.26 pounds, less than 2.5 pounds behind the leader. He topped his Day 1 sack with a 5.34-pounder.
“It was a grind in the morning,” Tomazin stated. “I went to a place where I caught some good fish, but that pattern dried up. I caught quite a few fish, but they were all small. I went to another place where I had been catching small fish and the big fish showed up.”
6 Bradley K. Kesler from Section, Ala. and Christopher T. Hensley of Marbury, Ala. sit in a tie for sixth place, each with five bass going 19.07 pounds. Kesler landed a 5.11-pounder and Hensley’s biggest fish weighed 4.37 pounds.
Holding at eighth place, Jimmy Millsaps from Canton, Ga. caught five bass for 18.94 pounds with a 5.19-pound kicker. Right behind, Matt Baty of Bainbridge, Ga. landed five keepers for 18.68 pounds, topped by a 5-pounder. Rounding out the Top 10 after Day 1, John A. Paulk from Nashville, Tenn. found five keepers for 18.36 pounds including a 5.47-pound kicker.
In a day that saw three bass exceeding six pounds and numerous fours and fives hit the scale, Harry W. Peyton ll from the town of Guntersville, Ala. landed the lunker of the day. His biggest fish weighed 6.49 pounds.
The weigh-in continues on April 22 at the Goose Pond Ramp, located at 417 Ed Hembree Drive in Scottsboro, Ala. The public is invited to come out and watch.
The Southeast Division concludes its regular season on June 2-3, 2023, at Lake Eufaula, Ala. The event runs out of Lakepoint Resort State Park, located at 104 Lakepoint Drive near Eufaula, Ala.
The ABA Top 150 Solo Series, Presented by Caymas Boats, features two regional divisions. The Southeast and Southwest Divisions each hold three 2-day tournaments for the season. Both divisions offer big cash payouts and chances for anglers to advance to higher levels of competition.
Each angler pays $600 to enter each divisional tournament and everyone fishes alone both days. No more than 150 anglers can participate in any divisional event. If 150 anglers participate, the winner will take home a guaranteed $20,000. If fewer competitors register, the top 20 percent of the field will each earn a portion of the prize money, based on the number of entries.
For more information or to register for any ABA Solo 150 event, see www.americanbassanglers.com/Top150.
American Bass Anglers is sponsored by Caymas Boats, Mercury Marine, MotorGuide, 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].
