Jones Wins FLW AFS on Ouachita

4/17/2010 8:25:23 PM

Share This Story!

Keeton Blaylock wins co-angler title

MOUNT IDA, Ark. (April 17, 2010) – Pro Matthew Jones of Spokane, Mo., caught a five-bass limit weighing 15 pounds, 3 ounces Saturday to win the FLW American Fishing Series Central Division tournament on Lake Ouachita with a three-day total of 15 bass weighing 53 pounds, 5 ounces. For his victory, Jones earned $20,726 and a 198VX Ranger boat with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Yamaha outboard motor.

“I caught every fish on a bed sight-fishing,” said Jones who was fishing Ouachita for the first time. “I found spawning areas; put my trolling motor on high and covered as much water as I could. Today I had a limit by 1 p.m., but it was a small limit and I knew I needed a kicker to win.

“There was a big fish that was eluding me all week, I just couldn’t get her in the boat; so after I caught my limit today I went hunting. I rigged a drop-shot with a 1½ ounce weight and a green and brown robo worm, set it in the bed and backed my boat out and she bit! That’s what won the tournament for me and I caught her within 10 minutes of starting the hunt.

“Aside from that last kicker I got the rest of my fish using a Zoom Critter Craw with a 5/16 ounce tungsten weight.”

Rounding out the top 10 pros were:

2nd: Stetson Blaylock, Benton, Ark., 15 bass, 49-6, $7,047
3rd: Cary Bever, Rhinelander, Wis., 15 bass, 47-13, $4,974
4th: Shane Long, Sarcoxie, Mo., 15 bass, 47-11, $4.175
5th: Keith Green, Arkadelphia, Ark., 15 bass, 45-5, $3,731
6th: Cody Bird, Grandbury, Texas, 15 bass, 45-2, $3,316
7th: Roy Hawk, Salt Lake City, Utah, 15 bass, 44-2, $2,902
8th: Brandon Rhoden, Grapevine, Ark., 15 bass, 43-15, $2,487
9th: Dennis Bean, Hot Springs, Ark., 15 bass, 42-11, $2,073
10th: Roger Harp, Huntsville, Ark., 15 bass, 40-7, $1,658

Randy Haynes of Counce, Tenn., caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the Pro Division Friday – an 8-pound, 1-ounce bass – that earned him the day’s Big Bass award of $226.

Keeton Blaylock of Benton, Ark., won the Co-angler Division and $8,384 with a three-day total of 15 bass weighing 32 pounds, 5 ounces.

Blaylock was using a wacky rig and Carolina rig with a 6” lizard to bag the majority of his fish. He said that all of his partners were mostly fishing beds which was a new experience for him. According to Blaylock he really had to keep his head down and keep working; it took him all day to bag his limits.

Blaylock caught five bass weighing 11-13 Thursday while fishing with pro Lloyd Pickett, Jr., of Bartlett, Tenn., to open the tournament in sixth place. On Friday he added five more bass weighing 11-15 to make the top-10 cut in first place while fishing with pro Dennis Bean. Finally, on Saturday, he sealed the win with five bass weighing 8-9 while fishing with Matthew Jones.

Rounding out the top-10 co-anglers were:

2nd: Thomas (Nick) Loeffelman, Jr., Valles Mines, Mo., 15 bass, 29-6, $3,353
3rd: Chris Darby, Mount Ida, Ark., 14 bass, 29-2, $1,677
4th: Arnold Payne, Jr., Noblesville, Ind., 12 bass, 26-12, $1,467
5th: Jason Scoggins, Benton, Ark., 14 bass, 26-11, $1,258
6th: David Davis, Paron, Ark., 15 bass, 26-03, $1,048
7th: Ben Due, Mauston, Wis., 12 bass, 25-12, $838
8th: Fred Martin, North Little Rock, Ark., 13 bass, 24-6, $755
9th” Robert Prebeck, Norwood, Mo., 12 bass, 23-2, $671
10th: Shawn Martin, Owasso, Okla., 10 bass, 19-9, $587

Arnold Payne, Jr., caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the Co-angler Division Thursday – a 6-pound, 1-ounce bass – that earned him the day’s Big Bass award of $150.