{"id":4701,"date":"2024-04-08T09:10:03","date_gmt":"2024-04-08T15:10:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/americanbassanglers.com\/news\/?p=4701"},"modified":"2024-04-19T08:53:21","modified_gmt":"2024-04-19T14:53:21","slug":"benefield-wins-the2024-ray-scott-championship","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/americanbassanglers.com\/news\/index.php\/2024\/04\/08\/benefield-wins-the2024-ray-scott-championship\/","title":{"rendered":"Brad Benfield wins Ray Scott Championship"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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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.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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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.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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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.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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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.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ray Scott Championship Top 25<\/p>\n

\n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n\n\n wdt_ID<\/th> wdt_created_by<\/th> wdt_created_at<\/th> wdt_last_edited_by<\/th> wdt_last_edited_at<\/th> Pl<\/th> Angler<\/th> Fish<\/th> Total<\/th> Payout<\/th> Prize<\/th> <\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n \n\n \n \n\n\n
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\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n
1<\/td>\n <\/td>\n <\/td>\n <\/td>\n <\/td>\n 1<\/td>\n Brad C. Benfield<\/td>\n 10<\/td>\n 42.73<\/td>\n 10,000<\/td>\n 2024 CAYMAS CX20 Mercury Outboard<\/td>\n <\/tr>\n
2<\/td>\n <\/td>\n <\/td>\n <\/td>\n <\/td>\n 2<\/td>\n Jody D. White<\/td>\n 10<\/td>\n 41.6<\/td>\n 6,000<\/td>\n <\/td>\n <\/tr>\n
3<\/td>\n <\/td>\n <\/td>\n <\/td>\n <\/td>\n 3<\/td>\n Robert J. Cruvellier<\/td>\n 10<\/td>\n 36.14<\/td>\n 4,000<\/td>\n <\/td>\n <\/tr>\n
4<\/td>\n <\/td>\n <\/td>\n <\/td>\n <\/td>\n 4<\/td>\n Michael M. Smith<\/td>\n 10<\/td>\n 36.11<\/td>\n 3,500<\/td>\n <\/td>\n <\/tr>\n
5<\/td>\n <\/td>\n <\/td>\n <\/td>\n <\/td>\n 5<\/td>\n Jason A. Burroughs<\/td>\n 10<\/td>\n 33.76<\/td>\n 4,500<\/td>\n T-H Marine Atlas Awards<\/td>\n <\/tr>\n
6<\/td>\n <\/td>\n <\/td>\n <\/td>\n <\/td>\n 6<\/td>\n Brennan M. Flick<\/td>\n 10<\/td>\n 32.58<\/td>\n 2,000<\/td>\n <\/td>\n <\/tr>\n
7<\/td>\n <\/td>\n <\/td>\n <\/td>\n <\/td>\n 7<\/td>\n Devin M. Freeman<\/td>\n 10<\/td>\n 32.2<\/td>\n 1,750<\/td>\n <\/td>\n <\/tr>\n
8<\/td>\n <\/td>\n <\/td>\n <\/td>\n <\/td>\n 8<\/td>\n Robert W. Stevens<\/td>\n 8<\/td>\n 31.31<\/td>\n 1,500<\/td>\n <\/td>\n <\/tr>\n
9<\/td>\n <\/td>\n <\/td>\n <\/td>\n <\/td>\n 9<\/td>\n Gary K. Milicevic<\/td>\n 9<\/td>\n 29.71<\/td>\n 1,200<\/td>\n <\/td>\n <\/tr>\n
10<\/td>\n <\/td>\n <\/td>\n <\/td>\n <\/td>\n 10<\/td>\n Ronald Chip L. Rockhill<\/td>\n 10<\/td>\n 28.82<\/td>\n 1,000<\/td>\n <\/td>\n <\/tr>\n
11<\/td>\n <\/td>\n <\/td>\n <\/td>\n <\/td>\n 11<\/td>\n Jeremy R. Homeyer<\/td>\n 10<\/td>\n 28.13<\/td>\n 900<\/td>\n <\/td>\n <\/tr>\n
12<\/td>\n <\/td>\n <\/td>\n <\/td>\n <\/td>\n 12<\/td>\n Soshi Kataoka<\/td>\n 10<\/td>\n 26.91<\/td>\n 850<\/td>\n <\/td>\n <\/tr>\n
13<\/td>\n <\/td>\n <\/td>\n <\/td>\n <\/td>\n 13<\/td>\n Darin E. Anderson<\/td>\n 10<\/td>\n 25.24<\/td>\n 800<\/td>\n <\/td>\n <\/tr>\n
14<\/td>\n <\/td>\n <\/td>\n <\/td>\n <\/td>\n 14<\/td>\n Keith Bardolf<\/td>\n 10<\/td>\n 24.77<\/td>\n 750<\/td>\n <\/td>\n <\/tr>\n
15<\/td>\n <\/td>\n <\/td>\n <\/td>\n <\/td>\n 15<\/td>\n Patrick K. Dobbins<\/td>\n 8<\/td>\n 24.58<\/td>\n 700<\/td>\n <\/td>\n <\/tr>\n
16<\/td>\n <\/td>\n <\/td>\n <\/td>\n <\/td>\n 16<\/td>\n Otis Darnell Jr<\/td>\n 9<\/td>\n 24.25<\/td>\n 650<\/td>\n <\/td>\n <\/tr>\n
17<\/td>\n <\/td>\n <\/td>\n <\/td>\n <\/td>\n 17<\/td>\n John Plan B A. Burt Sr.<\/td>\n 10<\/td>\n 22.64<\/td>\n 625<\/td>\n <\/td>\n <\/tr>\n
18<\/td>\n <\/td>\n <\/td>\n <\/td>\n <\/td>\n 18<\/td>\n Shawn J. Hendrix<\/td>\n 9<\/td>\n 22.2<\/td>\n 625<\/td>\n <\/td>\n <\/tr>\n
19<\/td>\n <\/td>\n <\/td>\n <\/td>\n <\/td>\n 19<\/td>\n Wayne E. Christopher<\/td>\n 10<\/td>\n 21.93<\/td>\n 500<\/td>\n <\/td>\n <\/tr>\n
20<\/td>\n <\/td>\n <\/td>\n <\/td>\n <\/td>\n 20<\/td>\n Grant T. Kelly<\/td>\n 10<\/td>\n 21.84<\/td>\n 500<\/td>\n <\/td>\n <\/tr>\n
21<\/td>\n <\/td>\n <\/td>\n <\/td>\n <\/td>\n 21<\/td>\n Buford Bo F. Washam<\/td>\n 10<\/td>\n 21.12<\/td>\n 500<\/td>\n <\/td>\n <\/tr>\n
22<\/td>\n <\/td>\n <\/td>\n <\/td>\n <\/td>\n 22<\/td>\n James Marty M. Brown<\/td>\n 8<\/td>\n 20.98<\/td>\n 500<\/td>\n <\/td>\n <\/tr>\n
23<\/td>\n <\/td>\n <\/td>\n <\/td>\n <\/td>\n 23<\/td>\n Anthony Scott S. Hayes<\/td>\n 10<\/td>\n 20.87<\/td>\n 500<\/td>\n <\/td>\n <\/tr>\n
24<\/td>\n <\/td>\n <\/td>\n <\/td>\n <\/td>\n 24<\/td>\n Justin T. Freeman<\/td>\n 8<\/td>\n 20.59<\/td>\n 500<\/td>\n <\/td>\n <\/tr>\n
25<\/td>\n <\/td>\n <\/td>\n <\/td>\n <\/td>\n 25<\/td>\n Bruce A. Bozman<\/td>\n 10<\/td>\n 20.58<\/td>\n 500<\/td>\n <\/td>\n <\/tr>\n <\/tbody> \n\n \n \n \n <\/table>\n\n<\/div>