On September 23, 2023, Acworth, GA. American Fishing Tour Divisions has divisions all over the eastern US and located in North Georgia Division 125 held its first 2024 events last week on Lake Altoona. Amongst the competitors, an impressive 32 anglers out of 56 anglers managed to return with the five-fish limits. However, it was Dustin Elrod, from Jasper, Georgia, who emerged the winner, clinching victory with a total weight of 13.11. His winning strategy involved the effective use of Deep Diving Crank Baits, ultimately propelling him to success and a prize money reward of $820.00.
Securing the second position was Jonathan Farmer, who presented an admirable performance with a five-fish haul weighing in at 12.32. Farmer attributed his success to his adept use of cranking swimbaits, which earned him $591.00 in prize money.
In the third place, we find Michael Keeney, also with a five-fish catch, totaling 12.11 in weight. His efforts were rewarded with a prize money purse of $324.00.
The tournament’s largest bass, weighing in at 3.63, was landed by none other than the victor himself, Dustin Elrod. His remarkable catch secured an additional prize of $275.00.
The top 20 finishers in the competition were as follows:
| PL | Angler | Fish | Penalty | Big Bass | Total | Points | Payout |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dustin S. Elrod | 5 | 3.63 | 13.11 | 200 | 820 | |
| 2 | Jonathan F. Farmer | 5 | 2.91 | 12.32 | 199 | 591 | |
| 3 | Michael R. Keeney | 5 | 2.79 | 12.11 | 198 | 324 | |
| 4 | Ryan M. Bryant | 0 | 3.54 | 12.02 | 197 | 274 | |
| 5 | Joseph D. Hunter | 5 | 2.84 | 11.00 | 196 | 231 | |
| 6 | Wayne P. Isaac | 5 | 2.81 | 9.98 | 195 | 195 | |
| 7 | Michael E. Brock | 5 | 9.78 | 194 | 151 | ||
| 8 | Camden T. Howell | 5 | 9.75 | 193 | 86 | ||
| 9 | Kelson C. Shepherd | 5 | 9.49 | 192 | 72 | ||
| 10 | Chase Smith | 5 | 2.93 | 9.43 | 191 | ||
| 11 | Tim Johnson | 0 | 9.34 | 190 | |||
| 12 | Justin Goen | 5 | 9.28 | 189 | |||
| 12 | Stephen B. Young | 5 | 9.28 | 189 | |||
| 14 | Justin W. Timme | 5 | 3.14 | 9.11 | 187 | ||
| 15 | Timothy G. Logan | 5 | 8.83 | 186 | |||
| 16 | Riley Winston | 5 | 3.31 | 8.82 | 185 | ||
| 17 | Kristopher P. Brown | 5 | 3.47 | 8.68 | 184 | ||
| 18 | Bradley Collum | 5 | 8.00 | 183 | |||
| 19 | Ricky B. Parker | 5 | 7.68 | 182 | |||
| 20 | Scott L. Cleveland | 5 | 7.67 | 181 |
Anglers eager to participate in the upcoming tournament in this division should mark their calendars for October 21, 2023, as Lake Lanier will serve as the venue, with the launching point being the War Hill Ramp.
For additional details regarding this event or the division, interested parties are encouraged to reach out to the local director, Alex Pearce, at 706-263-2137 or visit the official website at www.americanbassanglers.com.
Division 125 2024 Schedule (Link to Register)
| Date | Lake | Ramp |
| 10/21/2023 | Lanier | War Hill |
| 11/18/2023 | Carters | Dam Site |
| 12/2/2023 | Allatoona | Gatewood |
| 12/30/2023 | Chatgue | Fairgrounds |
| 1/13/2024 | Lanier | Little Hall |
| 1/27/2024 | Nottley | Deavers |
| 2/10/2024 | Carters | Dam Site |
| 2/24/2024 | Chatgue | Fairgrounds |
| 3/9/2024 | Allatoona | Gatewood |
| 3/23/2024 | Nottley | Deavers |
| 4/6/2024 | Lanier | Little Hall |
| 4/20/2024 | Carters | Dam Site |
| 5/18-19/2024 | Chickamauga | Chester Frost Park |
Competing in these tournaments allows anglers to accumulate valuable points toward the coveted title of Divisional Angler of the Year. The points champion from each division will have the opportunity to compete in the highly anticipated American Bass Anglers AFT Angler of The Year Final Round at the AFT Championship. Furthermore, the top 500 anglers from different divisions will earn the privilege of participating in the prestigious three-day ABA, AFT National Championship tournament.
American Bass Anglers is proud to be supported by a range of esteemed sponsors, including 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 dedicated to providing affordable and locally-accessible tournaments tailored for weekend anglers. These events also offer a progressive pathway for individual angler development.
For more information about American Bass Anglers, including the Open Series, American Fishing Tour, American Couples Series, annual Military Team Bass Tournament, and Top 150 Solo Tour, all proudly presented by Caymas Boats, please visit www.americanbassanglers.com or call (256) 232-0406.
