Bryan Jones of Zephyrhills, Fla. knows what it takes to win a tournament as a co-angler fishing from the back of the boat. Winning the co-angler division of the B.A.S.S. Southern Open presented by Allstate earlier this year on Lake Toho proved that point. With 56 co-anglers fishing the 4th stop of the American Bass Anglers-Weekend Bass Series event on the Harris Chain of Lakes, Jones set out to accomplish that task again. Paired with Rich Patterson, Jones was able to catch a 10.53-pound, 3 bass limit. That was just enough to give the 24-year-old co-angler less than a ½ pound margin of victory over 2nd place.
Photo: American Bass Anglers
Patterson and Jones decided the morning of the tournament that they would make the run to Lake Griffin. With idle zones in boththe Dead River and Haines Creek, as well as the time it can take to get through the Burrell Lock in Haines Creek, the run to Lake Griffin from the Hickory Point Recreational Facility the tournament launched from, can take an hour or more. Once they made their destination, Patterson and Jones found a stretch of cattails that produced fish for them throughout the day. Jones caught his fish flipping a creature bait in the cattails, and stated he did lose one fish, which he estimated to weigh around 5 pounds. Fortunately for Jones, losing that fish wouldn’t matter.
Finishing right behind Jones was Steven Thames of High Springs, Fla. Thames weighed in a 10.06-pound, 3 bass limit.
Finishing in 3rd was Ernie Johnson of Okeechobee, Fla. Johnson weighed in an 8.50-pound, 3 bass limit. Johnson also weighed won Big Bass honors in the co-angler division with a 5.12-pound kicker.
August Carnahan of Celebration, Fla finished 4th with an 8.34-pound, 3 bass limit.
Rounding out the top 5 was Carrie Bronson of Polk City, Fla. Bronson brought a 3 bass limit to the scales that weighed 6.62-pounds.
The final event of the ABA Weekend Bass Series is scheduled to take place August 16th and 17th out of Camp Mack on the Kissimmee Chain of Lakes. Anglers who finish in the top 40 spots in the Angler of the Year race will have the opportunity to compete in the Southeast Regional Championship on Lake Toho on October 17th and 18th. There, they will compete against the top 40 anglers from the Georgia, South Carolina, Alabama South, and East Tennessee divisions in search of trip to the 2014 Weekend Angler Bass Classic on Lake Wheeler, November 12th-15th.
For More information on the Florida division’s next event, visit the event page here.
