Mark Hewitt, Hastings, Michigan, and Ron O’Keefe, Nashville, MI, made it a three day sweep to win the 2016 NBAA National Championship on KY Lake this week.  For their effort they took home a 2016 Ranger RT-178 boat with an Evinrude 75 horse power motor, MinnKota Trolling motor and two Humminbird graphs.  Their total prize package was worth $22,995.00.  They also picked up 2 additional checks of $300 each for having the “Heaviest Stringer” on both of the first two days of competition.  Their three catches consisted of 20.03 pounds, 21.08 pounds and 16.09 pounds for a final weight of 58.04 pounds.

Mark and Ron fished all three days on Lake Barkley and were catching most of their fish on a 1/4 ounce Black and Blue Flake Bitsy Bug, with a Rage Craw as a trailer.  They fished any and all kinds of wood cover in 3-6 feet of water to catch their limit of five each morning.  Then they would move out to roughly 8-12 feet of water and throw a Series 4 Sexy Shad crankbait to catch the bigger fish, which were holding in a little deeper water, waiting to move up for the spawn.

Long time members of NBAA, both Mark and Ron said it was finally good to seal the deal and get a win.  In the last few years they had finished second and fourth at the National Championship events.  Ron said “it is good to see the events and Championships begin to grow again.  We had a great time while we were here and met a lot of new people this week.  We are glad we continued to fish the NBAA.”

Second place was Lee Wubbles and Chris Wood from Nebraska with 46.02 pounds.Their three days consisted of 17.00 pounds, 13.11 pounds and 15.07 pounds. For their efforts they took home a check for $2500 along with a Humminbird 899 SI combo and an Evinrude Raker Prop.  They said it took a variety of baits for them to catch their fish this week.  With the channging weather conditions, each day we had to adjust and try new baits and find new water.  Third place belonged to another Nebraska team consisting of Doug Sullivan and Dave Carpenter.  They gathered up 42.03 pounds over three days, with 12.00 pounds, 12.11 pounds and 17.08 pounds and took home $1000, a 80 pound thrust MinnKota trolling motor and a Humminbird 698 Si unit.  They caught most of their fish on a Shaky Head bait fishing is 5-12 feet of water.  Their comments for the week were that NBAA put on a great event this week and gave a way a ton on great prizes and goody bags.

Rounding out the top five were the teams of Mark Rahn and Ryan Ortega with 41.09 pounds.  Their payday was $600 and a Humminbird Helix 7.  Fifth place was secured by the team of Steve Parker and Herb Rush with 39.11 pounds, landing them $500 and an Evinrude Raker prop.

Sixth thru tenth place also paid money and prizes that went to the teams of

6th – Royce Hershberger & Steve Brinkerhoff 39.06 pounds for $400 and a MinnKota 4 bank charger

7th – Cody Kelley & Jack Dale 38-11 pounds for $300 and a Humminbird Helix 5

8th – Zach Laupp & John Laupp 36.09 and $250  pounds and a MinnKota battery charger

9th – Brent Werries & Chuck Teegardin 36.09 for $200 and a MinnKota battery charger

10th – Kent Stingley and Casey Clark 35.13 and $100 and  MinnKota battery charger

11-25th places each received two Federation Angler Custom Rods

Steve Hess from Michigan received the coveted Angler of the year for 2015, since he racked up the most sponsor points for products used during the 2015 season of events.

Another bonus for the week was the “Heaviest three Stringers” for the first two days of the event.  Here were the winners:

Thursday $300 Mark Hewitt/Ron O’Keefe 20.03, $200 Kent Stingley/Casey Clark 17-15, $100 Stanley Pearson/Aaron Fasel 17.10

Friday $300 Mark Hewitt/Ron O”Keefe 21.08, $200 Mark Rahn/Ryan Ortega 19.03, $100 Wesley Duck/Hutton Leppert 14-14.

Big Bass of each day paid $420 and the winners were, Thursday Stanley Pearson & Aaron Fasel 6.07, Friday was Mark Rahn & Ryan Ortega 7.00 and Saturday was Doug Sullivan & Dave Carpenter 7.01.

Congratulations to all the winners and I want to say a big thank you to all the volunteers and workers from this week.  Without you we could not make this event go as smooth as it did.  A special thanks to Donnie Keeton, Beth Sullivan, Matt Hewitt, Rob Duncan and Eddie Whitehead.  Also a big thanks to the Nebraska Division anglers.  Donnie and I both say a BIG THANK YOU for staying after the event and helping us tear down, it was greatly appreciated!

If you would like to start and NBAA Division for 2016 , it is not too late.  The season is just about to begin and there is still time to get a division organized.  For more information log onto our website at www.nbaa-bass.com.  I hope to see you all, and many more anglers, at next years Championship.

Mark Hewitt & Ron O’Keefe, of Michigan, have figured out something that nobody else in the tournament has been able to do.  Each of the first two days, they were the only team to figure out how to make the bigger bass bite, to bring in more than twenty pounds of bass in their five bass limit.  Today they extended their lead over the 45 boat field by bringing in a limit that weighed 21.08 pounds.  After two days their total now stands at 41.11 pounds.  If they can continue that pattern for tomorrow, they have a good chance of taking home the Ranger Boat, Evinrude Motor package, valued at $22,995.00.

Moving up a couple of spots after Day 1, into the second place position was the team of Lee Wubbels & Chris Wood of Nebraska.  Yesterday they started with 17.00 pounds and today they added another 13.11 pounds.  They begin the final day with 30.11 pounds to their credit.

Third place today belongs to Mark Rahn & Ryan Ortega, from Illinois with 29.13 pounds.  Thursday they began with 10.10 pounds and Friday they added another 19.03 pounds.  That stringer today was the second largest bag of fish on Day 2.  They also claimed the biggest bass on Day 2 with a giant largemouth that tipped the scales at 7.00 pounds.

Rounding out the top 5 was Stanley Pearson & Aaron Fasel with a total of 27.15 pounds and fifth place was secured by the team of Kent Stingley & Casey Clark with 27.08 for two days.

The wind blew again today, rather strongly at times, but not near as relentlessly as it did on Day 1.  The anglers still weighed in plenty of fish with nearly 365 pounds of fish and 15 limits weighed in on Friday.  Hopefully the final day will be calmer so the anglers can get around the lake a little better.  However the temperatures are supposed to drop to nearly freezing tonight and only struggle to climb into the upper forties on Saturday.  Coupled with the increased weekend angling traffic, it should make for an interesting finish to a great week at the NBAA Championship.  Weigh in begins tomorrow at 3:00 pm at KY Dam Marina.

Forty five teams from eight states converged on Ky Lake this week to crown a 2016 NBAA Championship Team.  The event is a three day cumulative weight tournament, out of KY Dam Village State Park.  All the teams get to fish every day, and the leader board usually adjusts just about everyday as well.

Day one on Thursday, brought a variety of weather during the day.  It started off pleasant enough with cloudy skies and a gentle breeze.  However, as the temperatures climbed during the day, so did the wind velocity.  By mid-afternoon, the gust were topping 20+ mph and above in some places.  This made the river a tough place to be this afternoon.

However, as usually happens, the fish bite for someone.  Today they bit for Mark Hewitt & Ron O’Keefe from Michigan.  Their limit pushed the scales to read 20.03 pounds.  They were the only team to break the twenty pound club for Thursday.  As tough as it was for everybody, there were not many tips on how they caught their fish.  Most said they only managed just a limit of keepers or only got to cull one time all day.  However as tough as the bite was, the consistency was astounding.  It took over ten pounds to place in the top 20 places.  The biggest bass of the day belonged to Stanley Pearson & Aaron Fasel of Michigan with an impressive 6.07 lunker.

Second place belonged to Kent Stingley & Casey Clark of Montana with a limit that weighed 17-15 pounds.  Coming in third was Stanley Pearson & Aaron Fasel from Michigan with 17-10 pounds.  Each of these top 3 teams will get a bonus check on Saturday for having one of the three heaviest stringers on either of the first two days of competition.

Rounding out the top five on Day 1 was Lee Wubbles & Chris Wood in fourth place with 17.00 pounds.  Fifth place belonged to John Fowler & Robert Schaulk with 15.04 pounds.

A total of 38 of the 45 teams weighed in fish on day 1 for a total weight of 364 pounds.  There were a total of 16, five fish limits brought to the scales.

There are lots of great cash and prizes to be won at this NBAA Championship this week, including a new Ranger 178 bass boat with a 75 hp Evinrude motor, trolling motor and depth finders.  A total prize value of right at $23,000 to the Winners.  Cash and prizes will be paid to the top ten teams and prizes for the next 15 teams after that.  Check back each day to see who comes in with the big catch of the day.

For FULL RESULTS CLICK HERE

ONLY a few days remaining to get Registered for the 2016 NBAA National Championship on KY Lake.  All qualified anglers must register online, before the close of business on Monday, February 29th at 4:00 pm.

As a reminder, all memberships expired at the end of December 2015.  So, if you are planning on fishing in the National Championship in April, each angler must have a current NBAA membership.  Memberships can be renewed online or by calling the home office and renewing by phone.  You must have a valid membership before the system will allow you to register.

The NBAA National Championship is a “No Entry Fee” event & there will also be a Big Bass pot each day of the event.  The event is scheduled to be held on KY Lake out of KY Dam Village State Park Resort.  Registration is set for Wednesday afternoon at the KY Dam Village Conference Center and all teams will compete on Thursday, Friday & Saturday, April 7-9.

For complete details of the championship, look on the home page of the NBAA website and look for the National Championship tab and then look for the Fact Sheet that will give you all the times and places for all the week’s events.

Register for the event here: Registration

Fact Sheet