Coby Carden Wins at Lake Martin

ABFN’s 2012 Mercury event took place Saturday, April 21^st on Lake Martin.  The lake was at full pool, the predicted afternoon thunder storms never occurred.  The day was overcast from blast off until the final bags of fish were weighed in.  Most had predicted low weights and fewer limits.  The previous week’s tournaments on Martin had only taken 13+ pounds to win.  That included an 8 pound largemouth.

At our event, River Region Bass Fraternity angler Coby Carden brought in 14.69 to win.  His big bass weighed 6.06 pounds.  Ed Paul, who fished with Coby, said “It only took him 20 minutes to take her off the bed, then he threw the jig back in and caught the male.”  His remaining limit came on top water baits.  Making long casts with a Zara Spook helped him complete his limit.

Coby joins Lee Byrd as members of the 2013 ABFN State Team going to Tennessee for next year’s Southern Divisional.

Coby’s 1^st Place win earned him a check for $1,500.  He also collected $900 for Big Fish and $500 for Fishin 4 a Cure Big Fish and Team money.  He says he will also apply for Triton Gold Money!

Dallas County Bassmasters’ Nicholas Turner led the tournament and had Big Fish until Coby weighed-in in the last flight.  Nicholas’ weight of 13.33 pounds got him a check for $1,000.  His big fish was only .03 less than Coby’s.

Non-Boater angler James Sweazer of Tiger Bassmasters has fished every ABFN tournament for as long as I can remember!  2012 has been a great year so far for the Montgomery angler.  He finished 25^th in last month’s Demopolis tournament and got his first ABFN check!  James, fishing with Timmy Walker of Wiregrass Bassmasters, weighed in 13.02 pounds with his biggest fish weighing 4.43 pounds.  For his efforts, James received a $900 3^rd Place check and $500 Non-Boater Bonus!!

James’ 3^rd Place finish moved him to first in the Non-Boater Angler of the Year race with a total of 397 points followed by West Alabama Bass Fishermen Association’s Johnny Clark with 384 and Bart Lindsey of Fayette Bass Club and Walter Orr of Southern Outcast with 373.  Donny Davis, last year’s Non-Boater Angler of the Year, has 372 points.  Please check the Non-Boater AOY standings to see where you are in what seems to be a very tight race.

Coby Carden, having finished first at Martin and second at the Demopolis event, leads the Lowrance Angler of the Year race with 399 points.  Birmingham Bass Club’s Lee Byrd, winner of the Demopolis tournament, is in second with 391.  ABFN’s first B.A.S.S. Federation Nation Championship qualifier Justin Nichols is third with 385 points, followed by Bruce Sargent with 376 and James Sweazer with 374.  Beware—the upcoming Triton event is at Millers Ferry—home lake of Nicholas Turner!!  I have a feeling that this race will not be decided until the Lay Lake/Scott Crump Championship!

Southern Outcast won the TEAM prize with a total weight of 39.57.  Don Hill led the team with 10.02 followed by Walter Orr with 8.61, Sam Timmons with 6.41, Dwayne Haynes – 5.36, Joey Payne with 5.12 and Bryan Wright with 4.05.  Each Outcast member received a check for $150 for TEAM winnings.  My old club, Blue Eye Bassmasters came in second with a total of 35.80 followed by Kowaliga Bassmasters with 32.98.

It was nice to see some of our former ABFN Junior anglers/Casting Kids Champs compete on Lake Martin.  Larry Franks, Jr., who came in 8^th Place, was a former Casting Kids State Champ and Quentin Vercher, 15^th Place, who was on this year’s State Team as a Junior angler, received checks.  Others included Sambo Fish, Jacob Haynes and Will Brown.

The next ABFN event will be on Millers Ferry reservoir on May 19^th.  Headquarters will be in Thomasville, Alabama at the North Park/Quality Inn.  Check under “Tournaments” on our website, www.albassfednation.com, for more details.

REMEMBER, the City of Thomasville will be drawing for $500 cash at this event.  You must be able to show receipts totaling $50 or more spent in Thomasville city limits to collect this prize.  They must be dated between May 1^st and May 19^th.  See you in Thomasville!!

Crain Moves on to the B.A.S.S. Federation National Championship

The 2012 ABFN State Team competed with seven other state teams on Lake Okeechobee last month.  Alabama finished in 3^rd Place with Florida in second and Georgia in first.

George Crain of Shoal Creek Bass Chasers finished 2^nd Place overall losing to Florida angler Raymond Trudeau by only 6 ounces.  Auburn Bassmaster Chuck Thurlow was right on George’s heels the entire event!

George will fish his second National Championship the last week in October on Lake Wheeler.  His first was two years ago on the Red River in Shreveport, Louisiana where he finished second to Brandon Palaniuk and qualified to fish the 2011 Bassmaster Classic in New Orleans.

I enjoyed my time in Okeechobee with the 2012 State Team, especially being the Boat Captain to Junior anglers Zeke Gossett and Quentin Vercher.  The Roland and Mary Ann Martin facility is a great place to stay on one of America’s greatest bass fisheries.  Although we came in third, I enjoyed the time and camaraderie spent with the team.  They are all FIRST CLASS in my book!

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Day at the Lake 2008/2009