Forrester Claims Title At Southern Regional

ATHENS, Ala. – Tom Forrester traveled all the way from Indiana to claim the title at the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Weekend Series, operated by American Bass Anglers, Southeast Regional Championship tournament, held Oct. 12-13, 2012, on Chickamauga.

Running out of Chester Frost Park near Hixson, Tom Forrester of Bloomington, IN, brought in a two-day limit of 10 bass for 34.17 pounds anchoring his bag with a 4.26 pound kicker. In second place at the end of day one with 17.54 pounds he came back on day two with the second largest bag of 16.63 pounds to win by almost a three pound margin. As the winner out of 129 anglers in the Boater Division, he took home a fully-rigged Triton 18 Pro boat powered by a Mercury outboard with a MotorGuide trolling motor and heads to Sam Rayburn in Texas for the National Championship during the first week of November.

“Both days all the fish I weighed were punching. Saturday the fish were a lot more aggressive, they would hit the bait on the way down. Today they just sit there and you had to really pay attention to even know you had one. I had one big one today that banged against the side of the boat in that big wake and it went CHINK and it was gone.”

In second, Matt Stanley of Alexandria, TN, brought in the ten bass tournament limit for 31.20 pounds anchoring his bag with a 5.18-pounder. He was in the lead on day one with 18.89 pounds but just couldn’t hold on with 12.31 pounds on day two. He earned $2,500 for his second place finish.

“On Saturday I caught my fish from 20’ deep on a ledge but I caught my two best fish flipping the grass and today I went back and done the same thing and pretty much hammered all the resident fish out and got what I could get.”

In third, Jason Smith of Albany, GA, landed 10 bass for 30.92 pounds and earned $1,250. He had 14.41 pounds on day one and added 16.51 pounds on day two.

“I caught most of my fish on Big Bite baits fighting frog pitching and flipping first thing in the morning until about eleven then it really got slow. The fish really didn’t want to eat, they were more or less playing with the bait, they would jump over them, hit them up in the air. I had several nice fish that didn’t connect that would have made a big difference, but that’s fishing.”

Brian Brown of Kuttawa, KY, finished in fourth with a tournament limit of ten bass for 30.25 pounds. On Saturday he weighed 13.05 pounds and added the largest bag of the day at 17.20 pounds on Sunday for $750.

Rounding out the top-five of the boaters, John Morvich of Grantsburg, IL, was in third place on Saturday with 17.34 pounds but didn’t hit them on Sunday and ended the day with 9.76 pounds.

In the Co-Angler Division, Clint Harrison of Georgetown, TN, won with four bass weighing 13.34 pounds including a 4.92 lunker. In third on day one with 10.01 pounds, he added 3.33 pounds on day two, which was enough for him to move into first place for the win and took home a 17’ Triton boat.

“I was fishing both days in the mid-section of the lake and caught my fish on a frog. They were pretty consistent on Saturday but slowed down a lot on Sunday and I had one bite about an hour before weigh-in and I was very thankful to have it.”

In second, the Point’s Champion from the Missouri Division, Thomas Lloyd Jr. of Springfield, MO, finished with four bass weighing 12.22 pounds. He had a slow start on day one with 2.59 pounds but didn’t give up and came back on day two with the largest bag of the day at 9.63 pounds for a payday of $1,250.

In third, Brett Stearnes of Joplin, MO, had a two-day total of 11.78 pounds. He weighed 7.03 pounds on day one and added 4.75 pounds on day two and earned $625.

Finishing in fourth place with 11.64 pounds, the Point’s Champion in the Tennessee Central Division, Brandon Tramel of Smithville, TN, caught 8.25 pounds on day one and added 3.39 pounds on day two.

Rounding out the top-five of the 129 co-anglers with three bass for 11.13 pounds, Larry Landrum of Hopkinsville, KY, caught 6.37 pounds on day one and added one bass weighing 4.76 pounds on day two.

For more information on this tournament, call Billy Benedetti, tournament manager, at (256) 230-5632 or ABA at (256) 232-0406. On line, see www.americanbassanglers.com.

About American Bass Anglers
The Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Weekend Series provides weekend anglers a professionally operated competitive tour with a path the world championship of bass fishing the Bassmaster Classic. American Bass Anglers commitment is to provide low cost, close to home tournaments for the weekend angler and at the same time offer each competitor an upward path for individual angler progression. For more information about American Bass Anglers and the American Fishing Tour, The Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Weekend Series or the American Couples Series, visit www.americanbassanglers.com.

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