Fishers of Men 2009 Chpionship Series

Fishers Of Men Jeff and John Carman Win the Midwest/Central Lake Wheeler Regional ChampionshipFishers of Men 2009 Championship Series
by Frank Evans, Senior Staff Writer, www.Fishingworld.com

(Oct. 05, 2009 - Decatur, AL)... Although bluebird skies and fierce southwesterly winds confronted the anglers on Day-2 of the Fishers of Men Lake Wheeler Midwest - Central Regional Championship, it still proved to be remarkably productive for Jeff and John Carman (Kentucky South-central), as they brought in another 15 plus pound bag of bass to secure the win by more than a four pound margin.

Jeff and John hauled in 15.10 lbs to join the 15.98 from Day-1 and capture the 2009 Midwest - Central Regional Championship with 31.08 lbs overall. The talented pair’s consistent performance throughout the two days of competition earned them championship plaques to commemorate their victory and a certificate for a fully rigged, $30,000.00, 2010 TR-18 Triton bass boat, powered by a 150hp Mercury Optimax, Motorguide trolling motor, and Lowrance electronics.

John and Jeff concentrated their efforts within view of the Lake Guntersville dam. By tossing black jigs tipped with green-pumpkin Paca Craws, the talented duo flipped and tossed this productive bait in and around current breaks in six to ten feet of water and caught so many fish that they were culling them by mere ounces. The pair affirmed that the place was literally loaded with three-pound bass.
Jared Carpenter and Brian Ross, KY SC, finished second for the tournament by adding 10.56 lbs to their Day 1 catch of 16.05lbs. The Berea, KY twosome’s bass came from a secondary channel located up near the Meow Mix factory. The 26.61 lbs of fish fell for Blk/Char jigs and green-pumpkin worms on shaky-head jigs.

Indiana South anglers, Ken and Darren Mitchell, held their 3rd place spot by supplanting their 13.75 lbs with today’s catch of 12.18 lbs, giving them 25.93 for the tournament. Darren and Ken fished several miles downstream near power lines that crossed the lake. Darren stated that their early fish came from cranking a Strike King Series Three, Sexy Shad around an underwater hump that was located near the power lines. When the morning bite slowed, the pair moved up into a creek on the Decatur Flats and worked three brush piles with rattle baits and Strike King Blu/Char tubes; that several big ones really liked.

Don and Steve Sentell, Tennessee Central, moved up from 11th and captured forth place with a two-day total of 24.25 lbs. Steve said that he and his father worked a creek that was located near the Wheeler Dam. Success came by throwing sexy-shad colored Zara Spooks early and pitching shad-colored, Zoom Finesse Worms later in the day.

Moving up from eight, Alabama Northwest teammates John Welborn and Steve Quinn finished fifth overall with 12.76 on Day One and 11.29 lbs today, for a two-day total of 24.05 lbs. John and Steven never wandered far from the launch area, preferring, instead, to work the flats in five to ten feet of water with green-pumpkin, Zoom Trick Worms on Day one. When the flats failed to produce fish on Day 2, John said that the Barge tie-ups produced well.

Jeff Moore and Johnny Bryan’s 6.40 lbs, Day Two, $600.00, 1st Big Fish helped rocket them to a 12th place finish from where they stood on Day One, 44th.

Keith Mc Deerman and Von Dilbeck, from Tennessee East, brought in the Day Two 2nd Big Fish, weighing 4.66 lbs.

The top Adult/Junior team is Tennessee Central’s Mike and Ryan Hollingshead. Mike and Ryan finished 15th overall, with 21.32 lbs and the top Male/Female team is Brian and Heidi Bartos, Minnesota-West Division, with 16.25 lbs.

We want to express our special thanks to Tami Reist and the Decatur-Morgan County Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Host Hotel, Jameson Inn (256) 355-2229, and First Baptist Church of Decatur.

We also want to thank our national sponsors: Triton Boats, Mercury Marine, Strike King Lure Company, Marshalls Marine, Power Pole, Grace Full Gospel Church, Solar Bat, Gary Yamamoto Custom Baits, Kistler Custom Rods, Keelshield, Jacobs Glass, Markel Insurance, Shakespeare, Stanley Jigs, Spike-It Bait Company, Rejuvenade, Mizmo Bait Company, Motorguide, Lowrance, Logan Fire Apparatus, Keep Alive Oxygen Infusor, Dual Pro Chargers, Buckeye Lures, Allstar Rods, and Xtools.