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Wolf, Smith Burn Their Way to Gambler Open Win

Gambler Lures have always been a staple in the tackle bags of anglers across the southeast. The company, primarily known for its soft plastic baits, has expanded its product line over the years, giving bass fisherman a vast arsenal to choose from. Earlier this year, Gambler released a new craw style soft plastic, Burner Craw. The versatile bait has a main body similar to the popular B.B. Cricket, but with Burner Worm style claws. Val Osinski, owner of Gambler Lures, unveiled the new bait to the bass fishing world when he won the Rayovac FLW Series on Lake Okeechobee this past January.

Gambler has always had a long history of dedicated fisherman who fully believe in the company’s products. As a way to say thank you, Gambler hosts a series of no-entry fee tournaments, where anglers are only permitted to use Gambler Lures products. With guaranteed payouts at each event, (the winning team being awarded $1,000.00) anglers drive from miles away to compete in the fun, laid back tournament. Over 220 teams registered for the March 1st event at Camp Mack on Lake Kissimmee. The tournament marked the official launch of the Burner Craw, and competing anglers were the first to get their hands on a bag of the baits. The timing of the event couldn’t have been any better for competing anglers. With beautiful springtime weather, the expectation of big females being showcased at the weigh-in was high.

Multiple fish over 7 pounds were brought across the weigh-in stage at Camp Mack, but no team figured out the fish quite like the team of Josh Wolf and Leah Smith. The duo pieced together a monster 29.60-pound, 5 bass limit to top the rest of the field. All their fish fell victim to a Watermelon Red Burner Worm, a swim worm style bait.

“We were pitching it to cattails and letting it sit,” stated Wolf. “We’d pick it up and sometimes they’d be swimming off with it. There was a lot of current in there.”

Smith anchored their winning bag with a healthy 9.90-pound lunker.

Jake Simmons holds up his 11.70-pound Big Bass

Jake Simmons holds up his 11.70-pound Big Bass

Jason Gwynn and Danny Thompson focused on flipping a Gambler Ace, a senko style bait, around Kissimmee Grass and Lily Pads on Lake Kissimmee to boat a 26.70-pound limit. Gwynn and Thompson finished in second place flipping the Junebug colored bait, anchoring their bag with an 8.40-pound lunker.

Tyler Woolcott and Garrett Rocamora grabbed a third place finish, falling just behind Gwynn and Thompson with a 26.60-pound limit. An 8.45-pound lunker was apart of their third place bag, and like their other fish,  was caught via flipping the new Burner Craws they received prior to the morning launch.

Jake Simmons and John Baker secured a fourth place finish with a 24.60-pound limit. Simmons coaxed an 11.70-pound monster into eating a Gambler Fat Ace, Black/Blue in color, to secure the Big Bass award. The giant female bit mid-day while Simmons made casts around areas of Kissimmee Grass on Lake Kissimmee.

Trevor Fitzgerald and Ryan Worthington secured the final spot in the Top 5 with a 20.70-pound limit. The majority of their fish were caught by flipping a Gambler Why Not in a color called Backatya. Fitzgerald anchored their bag with a 10.10-pound hawg. He tossed a Texas-rigged 10-inch Ribbon Tail worm, Red Shad in color, in an area where the water was moving to boat the double digit beast.

Rounding out the Top 10:

6th: Jeff Worth & Jamie Gillespie- 20.35 pounds

7th: Joe Magnetta & Todd Evans- 19.95 pounds

8th: Shea Arnold & Chris Butler- 19.80 pounds

9th: Lance Meredith & Larry Meredith- 19.75 pounds (9.85 pound BB)

10th: Levi Brown & Roger Brown- 19.45 pounds

If you’d like more information on Gambler’s No-Entry Fee tournaments, or to view their line of tournament winning baits, visit their website at www.gambler-bang.com.

More photos from the event: FTReport Facebook

 

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