MAYSVILLE, Ky. – Clint Bissonett of Beavercreek, Ohio, weighed a five-bass limit totaling 10 pounds, 12 ounces Saturday to win the Bass Fishing League Buckeye Division tournament on the Ohio River in Maysville. For his victory, Bissonett earned $3,926.
“It feels really good to finally get the win,” said Bissonett. “I’d been trying to get one for awhile. I had a solid three days of practice on the river and I finally stumbled on to my winning spot around 5 p.m. Friday evening. It was on the main river, near a current break. It was just a muddy sand flat – it really didn’t look like much, but it was full of fish. So on the tournament day, I scrapped my practice plans and went back there. It turned out to be the right decision for me.
“My boat was sitting out deeper, and I would just cast up to the shallow bank and let the current sweep it down,” Bissonett continued. “I was casting weightless Senkos on my Clinch Custom Rod. The color didn’t really matter as I had three different colors in my tackle box and got bit on all three. I ended up with six keeper bites throughout the day, but my co-angler and I caught a ton of catfish and drums. It was really a fun day out there.
“I think that the key to my win was keeping an open mind,” Bissonett went on to say. “Before the tournament there was a lot of hearsay and rumors being thrown around, but I didn’t want to get stuck on a losing pattern. I was fishing close, only two miles from the marina. I really have to give credit to Fisherman’s Headquarters in Dayton as well. Their gear helped get my first win, and I really appreciate their help.”
Rounding out the top 10 pros were:
2nd: Clyde McNaron, Trenton, Ohio, three bass, 9-1, $1,963
3rd: Kyle Weisenburger, Findlay, Ohio, five bass, 8-13, $1,309
4th: Chris Myers, Madison, Ind., five bass, 7-8, $916
5th: Dick Shaffer, Rockford, Ohio, five bass, 7-7, $785
6th: Brandon Good, Fort Jennings, Ohio, five bass, 7-2, $720
7th: Ken Garbe, Loveland, Ohio, five bass, 5-15, $654
8th: Jeremie Baker, Middletown, Ohio, four bass, 5-6, $589 + $1,000 Evinrude Bonus
9th: Ray Brunner, Hamilton, Ohio, three bass, 5-4, $490
9th: Scott Cooke, Marengo, Ohio, five bass, 5-4, $490
Dylan Skaggs of Columbus, Ohio, weighed a five-bass limit totaling 5 pounds, 4 ounces Saturday to win $1,921 in the co-angler division.
Rounding out the top 10 co-anglers were:
2nd: William Redmond, Sciotoville, Ohio, four bass, 4-8, $960
3rd: Greg Bierman, Cincinatti, Ohio, three bass, 3-13, $641
4th: Brent Jones, Okeana, Ohio, three bass, 3-10, $416
4th: Rick McGuire, Englewood, Ohio, two bass, 3-10, $416
6th: Darian Ginter, Maplewood, Ohio, two bass, 2-15, $352
7th: David Palmer, Sandusky, Ohio, two bass, 2-13, $304
7th: Ray Yocum, Dayton, Ohio, two bass, 2-13, $304
9th: James Bettle, Batavia, Ohio, three bass, 2-12, $227
9th: Todd Owens, Middletown, Ohio, two bass, 2-12, $227
9th: Dennis Robinson, Oxford, Ohio, one bass, 2-12, $227
The next BFL Buckeye Division tournament is scheduled for Aug. 4 on the Ohio River at Tanners Creek in Lawrenceburg, Ind. After the fifth Buckeye Division tournament is complete, the top 40 boaters and 40 co-anglers based on point standings will qualify for the Oct. 11-13 Regional Championship on Lake Barkley in Kuttawa, Ky. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518 with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard and a Chevy Silverado, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518 with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard.