Throughout the Friday prior to the 10th Annual Snag Proof Open on Lake Guntersville, anglers rotated through the doors of The Bait, Tackle, and Grille at Goosepond to grab a famous Shay Burger and sign up for the event. The shop that rests upon the banks of Lake Guntersville is a gathering spot for fisherman to tell fishing stories and take a break from lethargic bites. The annual tournament limits anglers to throwing only Snag Proof Frogs, the way they were intended, on top.
Richard Thi Walker holds up the winning stringer
With an unseasonably colder winter this year, an abundance of matted vegetation has been hard to find. That didn’t stop 117 teams from setting out on Saturday August 9th to test the tough topwater bite Lake Guntersville was dishing out to anglers.
As the crowd gathered around the weigh-in stage, anticipations were high as they waited to find out who would bring in the toads. The team of Jason Yelverton and Richard Thi Walker overcame the tough conditions and brought a 15.16-pound, 3 bass limit to the scales. Their bait of choice was Ish’s Poppin’ Phattie, alternating between both black and blue colors. Instead of searching for matted cover, the team focused on scattered grass. Most of their fish fell victim to the frogs in the morning hours, when the bite was better, but they were able to coax fish up to bust their frogs throughout the day. For the win, Yelverton and Walker received a $7,000.00 payday.
Mel Kennedy and Ethan Flack finished in 2nd place, weighing a 14.06-pound, 3 bass limit. According to Kennedy, they focused on a grass line that stretched about 400 yards on the edge of the river. Throwing a white Ish’s Phat Frog, they had every fish they weighed by 8:15, but did catch smaller fish throughout the day. A 5.90-pound kicker anchored their bag, and helped the team win $1400.00.
Jason Tucker and Mitchell Oliver took the 3rd spot, thanks to their 13.55-pound, 3 bass limit. They also caught their fish throwing a white Ish’s Phat Frog. They won $1100.00, thanks in part to a 6.04-pound kicker.
Gary Flint and Joe Wainscott finished in 4th place with a 13.32-pound total. They caught all their fish on a Sexy Ish colored Ish’s Poppin’ Phattie. They won $975.00 for their efforts.
Big Bass for the event, a 7.52-pound Lake Guntersville Toad
Rounding out the top 5 was the team of Thomas Nelson and Woody Parks. Their 12.95-pound, 3 bass limit won them $550.00. They also brought the event’s biggest bass to the scales, a 7.52-pound toad. That fish alone netted them an additional $1,340.00, for a total of $1,890.00.
Doug Oellerich and Greg Davis won 2nd Big Bass by coaxing a 6.95-pound lunker to eat a Kickin’ Frog. That fish won them $600.00 in addition to the $200.00 they won for 11th place.
Michael Carter and Benny Clifft only brought one fish to the scales, but it weighed 6.87 pounds and won the 3rd Big Bass prize of $400.00
In total, 56 teams caught 147 Lake Guntersville bass on a Snag Proof Frog, weighing 503 pounds.
Snag Proof Lures offers a vast assortment of lures from frogs to craws, jigs to spinners. Check out their website for more products and information at www.snagproof.com. Be sure to like the Snag Proof Lures Facebook page to keep up with current news, and upcoming events.
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This story was posted to the FTR: Florida until construction of FTR: Alabama is completed.
