Dicky Newberry of Houston, Texas, and Nick Lebrun of Bossier City, Louisiana, each weighed a five-bass limit totaling 22 pounds, 6 ounces, Saturday to share top honors at the FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Cowboy Division tournament on Sam Rayburn Reservoir presented by Power-Pole. For their efforts, both earned $3,373, with Newberry adding another $3,845 in bonuses.
Newberry said he began his day targeting postspawn bass near clay points using a Carolina-rigged, green-pumpkin-colored V&M Lizard. After catching a limit, he said he switched to flipping bushes with a black and blue Reaction Innovations Sweet Beaver.
“The water was higher than normal so I knew the bushes would be a good bet,” said Newberry. “Around 1 p.m., I went back to a set of bushes I’d hit earlier and threw the Beaver over the top of them. Before I knew it, the 11-pounder bit it and pulled it down. It was quite the fight. I never thought a bass could pull that hard.”
Lebrun said he caught his fish between five areas near the Highway 147 Bridge. He said he used one bait to catch his limit – a green-pumpkin-colored V&M Cliff’s Wild Craw with a 1-ounce tungsten weight. “When the lake is high, I’m confident fishing flooded trees and bushes,” said Lebrun. “
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
1st: Dicky Newberry, Houston, Texas, five bass, 22-6, $5,018 + $2,000 Ranger Cup Bonus
1st: Nick Lebrun, Bossier City, La., five bass, 22-6, $3,373
3rd: Terry Adams, Berwick, La., five bass, 21-0, $1,498
4th: Michael LaFleur, Orangefield, Texas, five bass, 20-14, $1,050
5th: Phil Marks, Dallas, Texas, five bass, 20-11, $900
6th: Bob Vote, Kingwood, Texas, five bass, 19-10, $1,125
7th: Ricky Guy, Humble, Texas, five bass, 18-10, $750
8th: Chris King, Jasper, Texas, five bass, 17-7, $675
9th: Steve Phillips, Huntington, Texas, five bass, 16-15, $600
10 Chad Heitman, League City, Texas, five bass, 16-7, $498
10th: Caleb Sumrall, New Iberia, La., five bass, 16-7, $498
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Newberry also caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the pro division, an 11-pound, 6-ounce behemoth and earned the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $645.
Jacob Harrison of Nash, Texas, weighed in five bass totaling 15 pounds, 6 ounces Saturday to earn $2,249 and win the co-angler division.
The top 10 co-anglers were:
1st: Jacob Harrison, Nash, Texas, five bass, 15-6, $2,249
2nd: Danny Rodgers, Ore City, Texas, four bass, 15-3, $1,447
3rd: George Cox, Silsbee, Texas, three bass, 13-13, $752
4th: Jace Patterson, Ruston, La., five bass, 13-8, $525
5th: Misty Schmidt, Mabank, Texas, five bass, 13-0, $450
6th: Patrick Harwell, Des Arc, Ark., three bass, 11-14, $412
7th: Shad Jenkins, San Augustine, Texas, five bass, 11-12, $375
8th: Wesley Meeks, Mont Belvieu, Texas, five bass, 11-9, $337
9th: David Cox, Silsbee, Texas, five bass, 11-8, $300
10th: Benjamin Shaw, Haughton, La., four bass, 11-7, $262
Rodgers caught a largemouth weighing 9 pounds, 2 ounces – the biggest bass of the tournament in the co-angler division – and earned the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $322.
The top 50 boaters and 50 co-anglers based on point standings will qualify for the Oct. 27-29 Regional Championship on Lake Dardanelle in Russellville, Arkansas.
