McMillan Wins $2400 on Lake Okeechobee
ATHENS, Ala. – Dillon McMillan of Belle Glade, FL won the Bass Pro Shops Open Series Florida South tournament, held May 18th on the Lake Okeechobee. Running out of Scott Driver Park in Okeechobee, FL Dillon caught five bass weighing 23.03 pounds. For the Boater Division victory, McMillan took home a check for $2400 for his win.
“I was fishing on the South end of the lake throwing a swim-jig and a popping frog. The bite was tough in the morning and then picked up later in the day. I caught two big fish just before heading in to weigh-in. I only had two fish at 11:30am. Finally, I got a win, first one.” McMillan said.
Finishing second for the boaters, Kail Stevens of Boynton Beach, FL landed a five-bass tournament limit going 22.40 pounds.
“I also caught my fish on the South end of the lake. My first fish, a 4 pounder, came on my second cast then it became a grind. Around 11:00am the fish turned back on and filled out my limit with a few big fish. I was throwing a chatter-bait and a frog all day.” Stevens said.
William Troyer of Sarasota, FL took third for the boaters with five bass going 18.47 pounds.
“I caught my fish today in 13ft-15ft of water on a crankbait. I lost a big fish on my fourth cast this morning that could’ve made a big difference for me.” Troyer said.
The big bass for the boaters was caught by Justin Morgan of Okeechobee, FL that weighed 8.47 pounds.
“I caught that big bass on a white swim-jig and a Bass Assassin Logger-Toad trailer on my third cast this morning,” Morgan said.
Finishing fourth, Cody Wright of Okeechobee, FL landed a five-bass limit for 18.41 pounds. Jessie Mizell of Sarasota, FL rounded out the top five boaters with five bass at 17.92 pounds.
In the Co-Angler Division, Harvey Turner of Kissimmee, FL won with three bass going 15.47 pounds that included a 7.65-pound kicker. He pocketed a check for $1200 for his win and an additional $235 for the big bass award.
“I started out the day throwing a swimbait but the fish were short striking, so I changed up to dragging a worm. My fish came in less than 2ft of water.” Turner said.
Taking second for the co-anglers, Moses Wilson of Clewiston, FL brought in a three-bass division limit weighing 15.15 pounds.
“I caught my fish on a black/blue swim-jig over the top of some bluegill beds. The bigger fish came around 11:00am but I was culling 3-pounders all morning. ” Wilson said.
Tom Mullins of Clermont, FL placed third among the co-anglers with three bass going 14.30 pounds.
“I was fishing on the south end of lake also. I caught my fish on a speed worm and a swim-jig. The bigger fish came around 11:00am also. We probably caught 50-60 bass today. I culled up about 2 pounds with my last fish with 10 minutes to go before check-in. I want to thank my boater, Mike Krause of Okeechobee Fishing Headquarters, for putting me around the fish today. We had a great day.” Mullins said.
In fourth place among the co-anglers, James McLees of Eustis, FL brought in three bass for 13.23 pounds. Brian Yeatts of Palm Springs, FL finished in fifth place with three bass for 13.01 pounds.
Slated for September 29th & 29th, 2019 the next tournament will be the Area Championship that will be held on Lake Okeechobee out of Roland Martin Marina and Resort in Clewiston, FL. At the end of the season, the best anglers from across the nation advance the 2020 Ray Scott Championship to be held at Lake Hartwell in April, 2020.
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 the American Bass Anglers - American Bass Anglers is committed to providing low cost, close to home tournaments for the weekend angler while offering an upward path for individual angler progression. For more information about American Bass Anglers and all their bass tournament trails visit www.americanbassanglers.com.
American Bass Anglers is sponsored by: Bass Pro Shops, Triton Boats, Mercury Marine, Nitro Boats, Tracker Boats, MotorGuide, Garmin, T-H Marine, Abu Garcia, Berkley, Engel Coolers, Four Roses Bourbon, Lucas Oil, Maui Jim, Optima Batteries and Power-Pole. Mailing address: American Bass Anglers, Inc, PO Box 475, Athens, AL 35612 PH (256) 232-0406.