Wappapello - Chaonia Landing
4/2/2017
Final Results
(click Images for larger view)
1st place Ryan Hutson & Jeremiah Gray
9.14lb Big Bass Curtis Black & Mike Allison
April 2, 2011 Lake Wappapello Anglers Choice Lake stage: 357.75 steady Water temp: mid 60s Sunny to partly sunny with light breeze from SSE. 42 Boats
Reported by Ron Niswonger.
The 2017 Anglers Choice Wappapello Bass Quest division inaugural event launched from Chaonia Landing at Southeast Missouri's Lake Wappapello, April 2 under the leadership of new Tournament Director Ken Owens. Ken has been a long time tournament competitor and a consummate angler in his own right on Wappapello and this year decided to venture into the director position.
The elevation of the popular 8,000 acre lake for this event was at 357.75 and cresting due to rains earlier in the week. The day was mostly sunny with overnight lows in the low 50s and daytime highs reaching 70. There was a moderate breeze from the SSE most of the day. Water temps were in the mid 60. The Wappapello regulars were anxious to get back to their home lake and begin the season anticipating the heavy prespawn females to be moving shallow.
Ryan Hutson and partner Jeremiah Gray took first place honors by virtue of their very impressive 5 fish limit that tipped the scales at 19.87 pounds. Their limit was anchored by a beautiful 7.98 pound largemouth. They fished main lake banks in the mid-lake area. We fished slow baits all day, said Gray. We covered a lot of water and got most of our keepers early and late in the day. It got slow mid-day, he added. The team took home $2110 plus trophies for first place. They also collected the cash side pot worth $410 bringing their total take home to over $2500.
Father and son team Bruce and Adam Hutson finished just behind Bruce's other son Ryan with a limit of fish that weighed 17.53 pounds. They also had a bass over 7 pounds. We fished up river from Chaonia in the Holiday Landing Area, said Adam Hutson. We were concentrating in about 6 to 8 feet of water off the main channel, and we caught our fish on crankbaits and spinnerbaits. The second place team also reported a lull during the mid part of the day. We had maybe two keepers half way through the day, Adam said. The Hutsons took home $950 plus trophies for their efforts.
Kevin Manion and Jimmy Manion of Park Hills, Missouri came in third with 16.27 pounds. We caught about 40 fish all day, said Kevin Manion. We did happen to catch 3 fish over 4lbs in one 30 minute flurry and that always helps. The third place team reported fishing in Otter Creek all day. They collected $670 plus trophies for their limit of fish.
Shawn Harty and Jerry Powell took fourth place with a limit that tipped the scales at 16.27 pounds and was worth $475.
Fifth place went to Curtis Black and Mike Allison. They had a limit of fish that pulled the scales down to 15.35 pounds. The big bass of the tournament, a behemoth largemouth weighing 9.14 pounds, anchored their limit of fish. Curtis said the giant was fooled by a crankbait (undisclosed color) holding on a pea gravel bank in the State Park area of Wappapello. She came from a brush-pile in about 3 feet of water. The fifth place team was awarded a total of $740 for fifth place and first place big bass.
Justin Mosier and Matt Allison took sixth place worth $270. They had a limit of fish weighing 14.35 pounds.
The father and son team of Danny and Dirk Livingston collected $180 for their limit weighing 13.34 pounds. They finished in seventh place.
Nearly half of the tournament field checked in with a limit of bass. Wappapello proved once again why it is regarded as one of the most popular bass tournament lakes in the heartland.
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