December 9, 2023, Richland, SC. Brad and Ana Rutherford won the American Couples Series South Carolina Division tournament presented by American Bass Anglers. Running out of Siesta Cove Marina near Gilbert, SC. Brad and Ana brought back 5 bass that locked in the scales at 19.50 pounds anchored by a 4.79-pound kicker. For the victory Brad & Ana took home a check for $945.
Brad and Ana had a limit by 8:30 in the morning on the Berkley Frittside crankbait. They were able to cull later in the day with Berkley Power Swimmers.
Second place was claimed by Ben and Ashley Sutton with 5 bass weighing a total of 17.72 pounds. For their efforts Ben & Ashley took home $525 in prize money.
Based on a rough 3-day practice, Ben and Ashley decided to make a run to where they caught them last year. They caught 4 keepers and moved on to fishing brush piles to catch 2 more and cull. Ben expressed his surprise after having such a bad practice. They would like to thank our sponsors especially GLine Batteries for keeping the trolling motor running all day.
Tim & Tracy Gamble took third with 5 bass and a total weight of 14.12 to earn $315 in prize money.
Tim tells us that their catch came off of “Hodge Podge” fishing. Every fish weighed in came on a different bait. They caught em on spinner bait, jerk bat, A-rig and the largest fish being caught on a crank bait. They concentrated on wind-blown main lake points.
John and Susan Mills took fourth with 5 bass and a total weight of 13.29 to earn $210 in prize money.
Susan shared that their catch came off of drop shots and Texas rigged baby brush hogs in 10’ or less.
Daniel and Melissa Brown took fifth with 5 bass and a total weight of 12.62 to earn $105 in prize money.
Daniel and Melissa stated, “What a great day on the water. The bites were very tough, and we didn’t get very many for the day, but the ones we did were good size. We focused mainly on rock banks on the main lake using crank baits and shakey head. We love fishing with such an awesome group and as always thank you to the sponsors for all of their support.”
The Ladies Biggest Bass of the tournament was caught by Sharon Murdaugh. Her fish locked in the scales at 5.26-pounds earning her $140.
The Men’s Biggest Bass of the tournament was caught by Camron Chesney. His fish locked in the scales at 5.19-pounds earning him $140.
Ben and Ashley Sutton won the G-Line $100 Bounty for being the highest finisher powering the trolling motor with a G-Line Lithium Battery.
Everyone has those days on the water when you catch fish, but they all seem to be fanners, or you just never get that kicker you’ve been looking for. Well, thanks to Berkeley Outdoors, one of our generous sponsors, our couples can still get a payday if they weigh in the smallest 5-fish limit. Chris and Wanda Seigler were the recipients of the Berkeley Outdoors $50 Smallest Limit Award with 5 bass weighing 8.50 lbs.
Thanks to our sponsors we can provide drawings for those teams that do not earn a paycheck. Our sponsor items for this event included Yo-zuri, Phantom Outdoors, Five Bass Tackle, McElveen Buick GMC, TruCarts, ALX Rods, Choo Choo Custom Baits, Gline Batteries, Berkley Baits and JC’s Outdoors products.
Top 15 Teams
| wdt_ID | Pl | Team | Fish | BB | Total | Points | Payout |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Brad Rutherford-Ana Rutherford | 5 | 4.79 | 19.5 | 200 | $945 |
| 2 | 2 | David Sutton-Ashley Sutton | 5 | 5.14 | 17.72 | 199 | $525 |
| 3 | 3 | Tim Gamble-Tracy Gamble | 5 | 3.92 | 14.12 | 198 | $315 |
| 4 | 4 | John Mills-Susan Mills | 5 | 4.98 | 13.29 | 197 | $210 |
| 5 | 5 | Daniel Brown-Melissa Brown | 5 | 3.53 | 12.62 | 196 | $105 |
| 6 | 6 | Chris Calvert-Karle Calvert | 5 | 12.37 | 195 | ||
| 7 | 7 | Craig Sahms-Mary Sahms | 5 | 4.42 | 12.03 | 194 | |
| 8 | 8 | Eric Simpson-Alicia Simpson | 5 | 11.91 | 193 | ||
| 9 | 9 | David Murdaugh-Sharon Murdaugh | 4 | 11.87 | 192 | ||
| 10 | 10 | Don Goodfellow-Martha Goodfellow | 5 | 10.71 | 191 | ||
| 11 | 11 | Harry Johnson-Kimberly Johnson | 5 | 10.54 | 190 | ||
| 12 | 12 | Bryan Waddell-Sharon Waddell | 4 | 9.29 | 189 | ||
| 13 | 13 | Chris Seigler-Wanda Seigler | 5 | 2.87 | 8.5 | 188 | |
| 14 | 14 | John Branstetter-Donna Branstetter | 3 | 6.41 | 187 | ||
| 15 | 15 | Ben Register-Terri Register | 2 | 5.43 | 186 |
The next tournament for the South Carolina Division will take place February 24th on Lake Greenwood launching from Hwy 72 One Stop.
For more information on this event or division please contact your local directors Tom Bancroft at (843) 697-6232 or Missy Bancroft at (843) 697-3441 or visit www.americanbassanglers.com
In the American Couples Series, anglers pair up for a team effort. Most teams consist of a husband and a wife, but that’s not a rule. Teams can consist of a boyfriend and girlfriend combination, a father and daughter duo, or any combination of one male and one female.
The teams compete in several regional or state divisions throughout the year. Once a pair forms a team, however, the two must fish together as a team throughout the season to be eligible to accumulate points and qualify for the annual national championship.
The entry fee for the American Couples Series one-day events is $100 and the top teams are invited to compete in the championship each fall.
American Bass Anglers is sponsored by Caymas Boats, Mercury Marine, T-H Marine, RT Outdoors, Atlas Hydraulic Jackplate, Power Pole, Optima Batteries, HotelPlanner.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
