The Toho Marine Elite One Man Tour traveled back to Lake Kissimmee for their final event of 2015, prior to the end of season championship. The September 19th event was the final qualifying event towards highly valuable Angler of the Year points.
With a birth to the 2016 Florida State Team Championship on the line, a high finish would be key for anglers on the bubble of the top eight.
John Dial set out from Camp Mack outside the bubble, but that didn’t stop him from gunning for a win in the final event of the season. Dial’s 21.90-pound, five-bass limit topped the 34-boat field, earning Dial his first victory of the season.
Wayne Yohn’s 19.20-pound, five-bass limit was more than enough to earn a second place finish.
Tim Burton finished in third place with a 17.35-pound bag. A giant 9.85-pound lunker anchored Burton’s bag and earned the Big Bass award.
Mike Hoffman finished in fourth place with 16.15 pounds, followed by J.W. Watkins in fifth place with 14.50 pounds.
The close of the scales marked the end of the Angler of the Year race, and reigning AoY Chad Foster found himself atop the leaderboard once again. Much like his 2014 campaign, Foster led the race for much of the 2015 season. With two wins and three top-five finishes, Foster proved once again to be one of the top anglers in the state.
Foster leads the way for the top eight anglers who earned an invitation to the Florida State Team Championship being held at Lake Toho April 8-10, 2016. Jimmy Murphy had a solid 2015 season and finished in second place overall. He was followed by Charlie Harrelson, Jared Dial, Terry Bloom, Paul Hanley, Randy Futch, and Logan Murphy.
These eight anglers will form into four teams to compete for a new Blazer 595 Pro Elite powered by a 200 HP Mercury Pro XS.
For more information on the 2016 Florida State Team Championship, visit www.fishfstc.com.
