For the third successive day, Kylie Weisenburger caught a limit of five bass, but lack of big fish dropped him to a fifth place finish in the Walmart FLW BFL All-American on Lake Barkley.
The Ottawa bass angler had a three-day weight of 40 pounds, 5 ounces and finished just two ounces out of fourth place. He had been in third place heading into Saturday’s final round, which featured the top 10 qualifiers from the opening two days of fishing.
Only five anglers topped 40 pounds in weight.
“It was a great experience. I definitely want to get back to another one of these one day,” Weisenburger said on stage after weighing in his final day’s catch at Kentucky Dam Village early Saturday evening. “It was an awesome week and awesome experience.”
Weisenburger had to change tactics late on the second day of the tourney after the weather turned hot and humid and his shallow fishing tactics of throwing a buzzbait and a jig did not work as well as the first day when he got a limit of five fish that weighed 15 pounds, 9 ounces. He said he gambled and tried deeper water on the second day and it worked with three nice fish, including a four-pound smallmouth.
He stayed with the same pattern Saturday, but the fishing was tough.
“It was a tough bluebird sky and was hot. It was such a grind. I only had one fish by 11:30, but I was able to get my limit,” the Limaland basser said.
“I fished mostly deeper water today from 4-12 feet and caught all of my good fish after 12 p.m. It was a grind, but I stuck with it and caught my best fish of the day with one minute to spare.”
He used a black buzzbait and 3/4-ounce sling jigs in peanut butter and jelly color with 17-pound Bass Pro Shops fluorocarbon on Johnny Morris Carbon Lite rods and reels.
Weisenburger’s finish was the best in the All-American by a Limaland bass angler since Dick Shaffer of Rockford finished as runner-up in 2012. Shaffer also finished 11th in the event in 2007 and 17th in 2005.
Jeremy Lawyer, of Sarcoxie, Mo., who was runner-up in the All-American last year, led the entire tourney and his three-day total of 15 bass tipped the scales at 50 pounds, 12 ounces.
Todd Walters of Kernersville, N.C., was runner-up with a weight of 44 pounds, 10 ounces and caught a bass that weighed 6 pounds, 5 ounces Saturday.
Tawa Run Classic
OTTAWA — The host Fighting 63rd defeated Piqua Post 184 17-2 before falling to Muncie (Ind.) Post 19 9-7 at Memorial Park.
Against Piqua, Ryan Stoller (Van Wert) had three RBI and four hits, including a double, Corbin Niese (Miller City) had four hits, including a triple, and an RBI, Jackson Lammers (Miller City) had two hits, including a triple, and three RBI and Ryan Gossard (Bath) had two hits, including a double, and five RBI for Ottawa. Stollar was the winning pitcher.
Against Muncie, Niese had three RBI.
Muncie won Pool A with a 3-0 record by also defeating Piqua 10-3 and Adrian (Mich.) Post 19 10-2. Ottawa also advanced to the championship semfinals by winning the run-differential tiebreaker. Also on Saturday at Memorial Park, Piqua edged Adrian 9-8.
At Bluffton University Memorial Field on Saturday, Findlay Post 3 defeated Sidney Post 217 20-6 and Pickerington Post 283 topped Findlay 2-1. At the same venue Friday night, Pickerington defeated Sidney 9-1.
Muncie will play Findlay at 10 a.m. and Ottawa takes on Pickerington at 12:30 p.m. in the championship semfinals at Memorial Park in Ottawa today. The championship game will follow at the same venue. Adrian will play Sidney at 10 a.m. in a consolation game at Bluffton University.
