Carper Jumps Way Out In Front At Percy Priest

MOUNT JULIET, Tenn. – Brian Carper put in a hot early run to seal the Boater Division victory in the American Bass Anglers Open Series, Presented by Caymas Boats, Tennessee Central Division 3 season opener, held Feb. 19, 2022, on Percy Priest Reservoir.

Running out of Fate Sanders Marina in Mount Juliet, Tenn. to fish the 14,200-acre impoundment, the Murfreesboro Tenn. angler brought in a 5-bass tournament limit for 19.92 pounds for nearly a 4-pound average. He won the tournament by more than seven pounds.

Carper padded his bag with a 6.21-pounder that gave him the tournament lunker title. 

“That started the day off well,” Carper commented. “I caught most of my fish in the first 45 minutes. By then, I had landed six keepers that would probably go about 14 pounds. I moved around and fished shallow. I tried to stay in clear water and focused on points that were less stressed. As the day progressed, I moved out to about 12 to 18 feet of water. That’s where I caught my big one. I threw an Alabama Rig with Torrent Outdoors swimbaits on it all day and rotated through the same spots several times waiting for the fish to move up or get active. I caught about 18 bass all day and finally got on some big fish at the end.”

In second among the boaters, Jay W. Melton, also from Murfreesboro Tenn., brought in four keepers weighing 12.03 pounds.

“I fished an Alabama Rig all day around rock piles and brush piles,” Melton advised. “I only had four bites all day, but I caught them all.”

Placing third among the boaters, Anthony W. Nash from Quebeck, Tenn. also brought in four keepers for 10.89 pounds. That put $600 in his pocket.

I caught two bass down the lake fishing offshore with a jerkbait,” Nash detailed. “I also caught a few short fish. Then, we ran way up the river and found where the water was mixing and caught two more flipping. I lost another keeper that probably would have given me second place.”

Right behind, John G. Graves of Lebanon, Tenn. brought in three bass at 10.30 pounds for fourth place. Rounding out the top five boaters, Jayson A. Johnson from Smithville, Tenn. caught three keepers going 10.12 pounds, but one of them weighed 4.82 pounds.

In the Co-Angler Division, Logan M. Stewart from Nashville, Tenn. swept the board. He brought in his 3-bass division limit for 12.99 pounds for a 4.33-pound average. He upped his average with a 5.71-pound lunker that took the division big bass honors. 

“I caught all my fish with a red crankbait that dives to about six feet deep,” he said. “We were fishing around rocks.”

Roy Yother of Red Bank, Tenn. placed second with a 3-bass limit weighing 8.11 pounds. 

“I caught all my fish on a tube,” Yother reported. “We fished the river channels and I pitched the tube right up against the bank. I didn’t get a bite until after 1 p.m.”

Landing in third, Gary R. Campbell from Smyrna Tenn. brought in three bass for 7.66 pounds. He anchored that sack with a 3.37-pounder.

“The fish were up shallow,” Campbell stated. “I caught them on an Alabama Rig to start. Then, we got into some dirty water and I started catching fish on a jig around shallow rocks.”

Ricky England from Sparta, Tenn. finished fourth with two fish for 4.66 pounds. Fellow Spartan Ethan M. Hall caught one keeper weighing 3.64 pounds for fifth place.

The division next heads to Center Hill Lake on March 26, 2022. The anglers will run out of Ragland Bottom ramp, located at 1410 Ragland Bottom Road in Sparta, Tenn. To register for this event, Click HERE.

Each ABA Open Series division offers four one-day qualifying events in a boater/co-angler format. Boaters pay an entry fee of $210 for each event while co-anglers pay $105. The top 20 percent of registered anglers in each tournament receive cash payouts based on the total number of entries. If at least 60 boaters enter the tournament, the Boater Division winner will receive a minimum of $5,000.

In addition, anglers may qualify for bonus money offered by such tournament sponsors as Caymas Boats, Mercury Marine, the T-H Marine Atlas Awards program, MotorGuide, and Power Pole. Anyone who qualifies for Caymas Cash rewards could receive up to $7,000 for winning any ABA Open Series event.

If the winning boat carries a Mercury motor, the angler could receive an extra $1,000 in cash from Mercury Marine. If that boat comes with a MotorGuide Trolling Motor, the angler could win an additional $500.

See each manufacturer’s website for details, rules, and qualifications for more information on their contingency programs.

The top anglers could also earn invitations to fish area championship tournaments with a guaranteed $6,000 to the winning boater for a field of at least 60 boats. If 100 or more boaters participate, the winning boater in a championship event will take home a guaranteed minimum of $10,000.

For more information about this tournament, call tournament director Floyd Vaughn at (256) 230-5633. For more information about any American Bass Anglers tournament series, visit www.americanbassanglers.com or call (256) 232-0406.

American Bass Anglers is sponsored by Caymas Boats, Mercury Marine, T-H Marine, Garmin Electronics, Power Pole, Lucas Oil, Monster Energy, REKS Sunglasses, Optima Batteries, Hotel Planner.com, and LurePartsOnline.com.

This story was written by ABA staff writer John N. Felsher. To submit articles of interest email info@americanbassanglers.com.