M. Cleveland Wins Bass Tourney on Lake Oconee

Mike Cleveland of Monticello weighed a five-bass limit totaling 16 pounds, 6 ounces Saturday to win the Walmart Bass Fishing League Bulldog Division event on Lake Oconee. For his victory, Cleveland earned $3,879.

“It was a pretty slow start to the day,” said Cleveland. “I didn’t catch my first fish until 10:30 a.m., but then I figured them out. I had a solid limit by 11:30 a.m. Coming into this event I figured it would take 16 to 18 pounds to win, so I wasn’t really sure I had enough when I was coming to the scales. I knew I had enough for a top-5 finish, but I was very happy to get the win.

“I was flipping docks, about 3 to 4 feet deep, in the Sugar Creek area,” Mr. Cleveland continued. “I had about 30 different docks that I was flipping. I was throwing a shakey head with a Junebug-colored Zoom Taper Tail. I only had seven keeper fish on the day, but when I caught my big 6-5 kicker then I knew that I was going to be near the top (of the leaderboard).

Rounding out the top 10 pros, with five bass each, were Ryan Horton, Palmetto, 15-6, $1,940, second; Kip Carter, Loganville, 14-15, $1,293, third; Scott Chatham, Cartersville, 14-8, $905 + $1,000 Evinrude Bonus, fourth; Scott Hayes, Newnan, 13-14, $776, fifth; John Duvall, Madison, 13-7, $711, sixth; Mike Harris, Watkinsville, 12-14, $647, seventh; Karey Dickerson, Dahlonega, 12-13, $582, eighth; Justin Lanier, Macon, 12-10, $517, ninth; and Chris Baxter, Winder, 12-6, $453, tenth.

George Goodman Jr., of Monticello, took third in the co-angler division with two bass, 8-5, and a winning of $646. He was just behind Justin Kimmel of Athens, weighed a five-bass limit totaling 10 pounds, 14 ounces Saturday to win $1,940, and Patrick Watson, of Newnan, four bass, 9-1, $970, for second.

The final BFL Bulldog Division tournament is scheduled for September 29-30 on West Point Lake in Lanett, Ala.

After the fifth Bulldog Division tournament is complete, the top 40 boaters and 40 co-anglers based on point standings will qualify for the October 18-20 Regional Championship on Pickwick Lake in Florence, Ala.