The 2024 Ray Scott Championship, held in Bainbridge, Georgia, reached its dramatic conclusion on April 5. Weather-related disruptions canceled the first day’s events, and the rescheduled competition condensed the tournament into two days of intense fishing.
Brad Benfield, from Demorest, Georgia, emerged victorious, overcoming a third-place start with a total haul of 42.73 pounds. His two-day performance included weights of 22.81 and 19.92 pounds, earning him $10,000 and a new 2024 Caymas CX20 with Mercury Marine Outboard and T-H Marine Products.
Brad shared his strategy: “I focused on a particular area with substantial grass coverage. By using a Carolina Rig, I found the mornings particularly fruitful. The fish were more responsive then. After the sun rose, their activity decreased significantly. I consistently fished this area as it replenished overnight, allowing me to reach my limit by 9:30 AM. The rest of the day was more challenging,” he explained.
Jody White, from Shaftsbury, Vermont, climbed from seventh to second place, finishing with a total weight of 41.60 pounds. White’s crucial second day added 23.75 pounds to his initial 17.85. He shared, “Today I made really good decisions, and it paid off. I was fishing deep in the timber in the Spring Creek area. I had this one spot that I probably caught 80% of my weight on, and it was just one big tree and then a little heart patch about 25 feet of each other, filled up with fish. The Carolina rig and a little swim bait were the baits working best for me.”
Rob Cruvellier, from Mount Royal, Quebec, secured the third spot with an aggregate of 36.14 pounds, expressing his strategic planning: “Knowing this is a three-day tournament, I prepared to have a lot of fish. I didn’t think the shallow fishing could hold up for multiple days, especially after a major spawn. I stayed in Spring Creek the whole event, rotated a bunch of areas, and clued into a few things during the tournament. I caught them on a spook which I didn’t expect to happen. Really just keeping an open mind and letting the fish tell you what to do.”
Michael Smith, from Andalusia, Alabama, placed fourth with a total of 36.11 pounds. Smith revealed his technique: “I was fishing deep grass in Spring Creek using a Sixth Sense Jerk Bait and a missile bait on a drop shot. I was using my live scope to help locate the fish in that deep grass. I could catch them without, but it sure seemed to help better locate them.”
Jason Burroughs, from Hodges, South Carolina, earned fifth place and the big bass honors with a total of 33.76 pounds. He also received the Atlas Jack Plate award. Burroughs recounted, “On day one, I was fishing in deep grass in the standing timber, using my live to help locate them. The fish seemed to be in a post-spawn pattern and feeding on the shad spawn going on. I caught a lot of fish on an Alabama rig and a chatterbait. I managed to catch the big fish on my very last cast of the day using a Carolina rig.”
Ray Scott Championship Top 25
Ronny Wiemer, the co-angler champion from Land O’ Lakes, Florida, began the tournament in second place but surged ahead to clinch victory with a total weight of 24.87 pounds. His triumph earned him $5,000 and a Caymas CX 18 bass boat equipped with a Mercury Marine Outboard and T-H Marine Products. Reflecting on his strategy, Wiemer shared, “On day one, I was casting a swimbait into the shallow grass, achieving just the right bites both yesterday and today, which enabled me to successfully land the fish. Today, I was paired with the tournament winner, Brad Benefield, who is an exceptionally nice guy and really put me on the fish. I employed the same technique he did, using a Carolina rig in the grass. I was fortunate to be paired with two skilled boaters this week,” Wiemer recounted, reflecting on his winning approach.
Robert Zellers from Palmerton, PA, secured second place with a total weight of 20.74 pounds. After leading on day one with 14.04 pounds, his catch of 6.70 pounds on the second day placed him in the runner-up position. Zellers explained his tactics: “On day one, I used a drop shot in about 25 feet of water, which was how I managed to catch my fish. However, day two presented a completely different challenge; we were fishing in slightly dirtier water on the main river. There, I was able to catch a few using a chatterbait and a speed worm.”
Chris Seese of Ten Mile, TN, secured third place with a consistent performance over the two days, weighing in 9.69 pounds on day one and 9.73 pounds on day two for a total of 19.42 pounds. Seese shared his experience: “I did most of the damage with a swim jig. I lost a key fish yesterday; I should have had three or four pounders, but I lost one right at the boat. For some reason, the fish wouldn’t stay hooked on the chatterbait. However, I managed to hook some today on the chatterbait, and they were biting better.”
Shane Maultsby from Branchland, WV, finished in fourth place with a total weight of 15.53 pounds. After holding third place on day one with 11.28 pounds, he added only 4.25 pounds on day two. Maultsby described his approach: “I was using a speed worm, fishing quickly through the grass. I brought my boat for practice. This preparation gave me confidence that if my partner and I could find grassy areas, I would have a strong chance based on my practice,” he stated.
Lonnie Drusch from Sumter, SC, achieved a notable climb to finish in fifth place, rising from 26th on day one. He weighed in 6.06 pounds initially and improved on day two with 8.39 pounds, bringing his total to 14.45 pounds. Drusch explained his strategy: “I was using a wacky rig with a Senko worm. The conditions changed significantly from day one to day two; the water was much calmer. I focused on shallow, grassy areas, employing finesse fishing techniques,” he stated.
Soshi Kataoka from Japan moved up significantly in the standings to finish in 12th place as a boater. After starting day one in 24th place with 11.60 pounds, he improved markedly on day two, bringing in 15.13 pounds for a two-day total of 26.91 pounds. Kataoka detailed his technique: “I was using the Japanese free ring rig, which is similar to a Texas rig but includes a glass bead above the weight. This allows the setup to move freely, making it particularly effective for targeting suspended bass,” he explained.
Ray Scott Championship Top 25
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