Rainy Day Win for Shianne Parker and Joe Anders
Lake Keowee

Thirty-two teams ignored the all-day forecast for rain.  They showed up for South Carolina Couple’s April 7 tournament on Lake Keowee.  132 fish were brought to the scales and released healthy and happy to be caught another day.

Shianne Parker and Joe Anders claimed first place with a 5-fish sack weighing 15.4 pounds.  Joe said they caught fish on a topwater frog and a Senko.  Their hefty sack was pretty clear evidence that the fish don’t care that it’s raining.

Amanda and Vince Smith took second place honors with a 14.7 pound five-fish limit.  They said they caught fish early, as deep as 25 feet with a shakey-head.  Then, they shifted their approach to bed fishing late in the morning.  Vince’s bedding 4.8-pounder was the Men’s Big Bass.

Ana and Brad Rutherford had third place with 5 fish weighing 13.3 pounds.  They caught their fish in 8-12 feet with a shakey-head, sporting a Berkley “General” Power Bait.

Victoria and Dale Goff stuck to their Texas rigged Baby Brush Hog approach and took fourth place.  Their 5-fish weighed 12.5 pounds and were caught in the 18-foot depth range.

Michelle and David Ashmore’s limit captured fifth place at 12.4 pounds.  A shakey-head lizard technique worked well for them.  Their better fish came on a drop-shot rig in 35-40 feet of water.  Their success is also evidence that several patterns and depth ranges were working for the anglers on this day.

Susan and John Mills were in sixth place with five fish at 12.3 pounds.  They caught one nice fish on a bed.  The rest were caught with a variety of baits and techniques.  Susan’s pair of bass approaching 3 pounds each went a long way to boosting the weight of their sack.

Candace Veal had the honors for Ladies Big Bass.  Her 4.5 pounder was caught with a Carolina Rig.  She noted that her husband and partner Jack had the first chance at the fish and missed it.  But, she followed up and got the fish to bite her bait! 

Several drawing prizes were available for those teams that weren’t “in the money.” Phantom Outdoors offered two handsome shirts and two hats for this tournament. Their products got the attention of South Carolina’s Couples as evidenced by many anglers “modeling” their great Phantom jersey’s, hoodies and hats at weigh-in.  Strickland Marina provided three prizes of a gallon of Mercury oil.  A Yo-Zuri lure pack was again available.  Scotty Bartley contributed two Weeble Lure prize packs.   

Amanda and Vince Smith and Debbie and Bob Brown hosted a feast of chili and cornbread at weigh-in.  Vince’s parents coordinated the set-up and serving.  The meal was a real treat for a crowd of hungry tournament bass anglers.

The fellowship and integrity of the Couples Series was further characterized by at least two incidents during the day.  Missy and Tom Bancroft released a hefty bass during the day because it was hooked outside the mouth while bed fishing.  That fish would have made a big difference in their eighth place finish.  And Bill Cain found a significant “wad” of cash that had dropped from someone’s pocket in the parking lot during the dark and rainy early morning Safety Meeting.  Bill made sure it was returned to the rightful owner.  

Sixteen anglers had a Friday evening out for dinner at the local Seneca Applebees restaurant.  A fun time was had by all!

The next South Carolina Couples tournament is scheduled for April 28, 2018 on Lake Hartwell.

For more information on this or any future event in this division contact Don Goodfellow and Martha Goodfellow sc.aba.couples@aol.com - 864-630-3183

All ABA American Couples Series events involve a team format with each team composed of one man and one woman.  Contestants between the ages of 14 and 16 years old may participate with a parent’s written permission.

The top angling couples from across the nation earn the right to compete in the annual American Bass Anglers Couples Series National Championship Tournament.

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, the  American Fishing Tour, the  Weekend Bass Series, or the American Couples Series, visit www.abacouples.com

American Bass Anglers, Inc. is supported by Triton Boats, Mercury Outboards, GEICO, Berkley, Abu Garcia, T-H Marine, Livingston Lures, Best Western Hotels, Maui Jim, Power Pole,  Garmin, Optima Batteries and SiriusXM Marine Weather.