2009 Central Division Day 2
Awtry leads the individual division champion’s race.
June 4, 2009
Lake Dardenelle, AR – Donny Awtry of Watauga, Texas took the lead in the overall standings by a mere 2 ounces, moving up from 4th place. He also leads his state in individual standings with a 2-day weight total 27 lbs and 3 oz turning in another five-fish limit. Donny switches places with yesterday’s Texas leader and Big Bass winner, Nathan Bourque.
Local angler Justin Lancaster of Plainview, AR is still standing strong right behind the division leader Awtry, trailing by 2 oz with 27 lbs 1 oz. Justin has managed a limit both days in the same area, we will see if it will hold up one more day. Lancaster did say he was using lures on the top of the water and grass. When asked if living only a few miles down the highway gives him an advantage above the other anglers, Justin says, “It definitely helps!” Justin has been a member of TBF since 2004 and is the top angler in Arkansas Federation.
In team standings, Texas and Oklahoma also switched places, Texas now leads at 147-03. Their 25lb 13oz lead is “comfortable,” but certainly not insurmountable. With 12 anglers on each team 25 pounds is really only one (1)- two pound fish person, so anything can still happen. Team Texas Anglers Donny Awtry, Clint Farris and John Littleton all caught their 5 fish limit in day 2. Team totals were actually 4 lbs less than the first day, but Oklahoma took a largest team nose dive in total weight by about 27 lbs, turning in only 44 lbs 4 oz today and winding up with a two day total of 121-06, which is still enough to hang on to second.
We all thought our Big Bass winner was turned in early in the first flight. Matt King of Olathe, Kansas turned in a nice bass weighing 5 lb 3 oz. Matt had a great day of fishing, turning in 4 live bass with a total weight of 14 lbs 11 oz! Some fisherman thought the cold front that moved through the area negatively affected their fishing from the first day, but Matt made some changes in his fishing and thought it definitely helped him. His four fish weight was only 13 oz short of his state teammate and Kansas leader Scott Hamel of Stockton, Kansas who turned in his five fish limit that finished up as the big bag of the day at 15-08.
The Kansas anglers today were making their move we’re all wondering what they all did different! In the second flight, we had our Big Bass Winner checked in. Kerry Kreup, non-boater from Paola, Kansas paired with Rick Riley, boat 14. His bass weighed a very nice 5 lbs 7 oz. That tops yesterdays Big Bass by 3 oz.
With those three anglers from Kansas having a fantastic fishing day, Team Kansas won day 2 with team totals being 75 lbs 13 oz. That is a 34 lb 1 oz jump, from day 1 to day 2, making their 2 day total 117 lbs 9 oz.
So Texas sits in first place in the team standings and looks on a roll to win the division Champions title and the Central Championship Cup, at this point this is their event to win or lose. Only 4 lbs separates the 2, 3 and 4 place team standings of Oklahoma, Louisiana and Kansas respectively. Individual standings can go either way in some states and is fairly well set in others at this point. The top two anglers from each state will advance to the 2010 TBF Federation National Championship, Presented by the National Guard and compete for their share of the nearly 250,000.00 prize purse, including the TBF “Living The Dream” Package. The top placing anglers form each state will proceed as a boater and the second place anglers form each state as a co-angler. Final weigh-in starts Friday at 2:30pm CST and is free to the public.
