ATHENS, Ala. – Otis Darnell wins it all at the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Weekend Series, operated by American Bass Anglers, Northeast Regional Championship tournament, held Oct. 19-20, 2012, on Smith Mountain Lake.

Running out of Parkway Marina near Huddleston, VA, Otis Darnell of Linden, VA, brought in a two-day limit of 10 bass for 23.43 pounds including his 4.48 pound lunker. In ninth place at the end of day one with 10.36 pounds he came back on day two with the largest bag of 13.07 pounds to take the win. As the winner out of 105 anglers in the Boater Division, he took home a fully-rigged 18’ Triton boat powered by a Mercury outboard with a MotorGuide trolling motor and heads to Sam Rayburn in Texas for the National Championship during the first week of November.

In Second, John “J3” Hansen of Street, MD, caught a total of ten bass for 22.37 pounds anchoring his bag with a 5.53-pounder. He was the leader on day one with 12.46 pounds but couldn’t hold that spot on day two with 9.91 pounds. He took home a check for $2,500.

In third, Clayton Williams of Taylorsville, NC, brought in nine bass for 19.26 pounds including a 4.17-pounder and earned $1,250. On day one he weighed 12.31 pounds and added 6.95 pounds on day two.

Allen Burns of Rustburg, VA, finished in fourth with eight bass for 18.56 pounds. On Saturday he weighed 10.85 pounds and added 7.71 pounds on Sunday for $750.

Rounding out the top-five of the boaters, Robert Grike of Dumfries, VA, caught ten bass for 18.40 pounds. On Saturday he weighed 9.56 pounds and added 8.84 pounds on Sunday.

Hometown angler, Thomas Wooten of Huddleston, took home the Big Bass honors for his big fish catch of 5.65 pounds.

In the Co-Angler Division, Doug File, 48, a retired machinist and a twelve-year cancer survivor of Salisbury, NC, won with six bass weighing 12.82 pounds. Finishing in second on day one with 6.90 pounds, he added 5.92 pounds on day two, and moved into the top spot for the win and took home a 17’ Triton boat.

“This was my first time on this lake. I came up from Salisbury, jumped in a boat and went fishing without any practice. On Saturday I was fishing muddy water back in a cove throwing top water and on Sunday I fished clear water throwing a shaky head and crankbait. I lost a big fish beside the boat that weighed close to four pounds about an hour before weigh-in and I thought that was going to be the turning point but I had enough for the win.”

In a close second, Terry Stevens of Sterling, VA, caught six bass weighing 12.64 pounds which was only .18 ounces away from the top spot. On Saturday he caught 7.35 pounds and came back on Sunday with 5.29 pounds for a payday of $1,250.

In third, Jonathan “Jon” Marlow, "The Bass Hog", of Burke, VA, weighed four bass for a total of 10.18 pounds. He weighed 2.10 pounds on day one and added the largest bag of the day at 8.08 pounds on day two to earn $625.

Finishing in fourth place with 9.48 pounds, Lamar Spade of Brodheadsville, PA, caught 6.38 pounds on day one and added 3.10 pounds on day two.

Rounding out the top-five of the 102 co-anglers with five bass for 9.29 pounds, Brendon Schneider of Leicester, NC, caught 6.03 pounds on day one and added 3.26 pounds on day two.

Courtesy of American Bass Anglers/David Hagood.

JASPER, Ala. — Tough lakes tend to favor local experts, and Lewis Smith Lake is fishing tough this week for the season finale of the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Southern Opens. For Cullman, Ala., pro Craig Daniel, tough is good. Tough favors intimate knowledge of the lake. Tough has helped put him in first place.

In seventh place at the end of Day 1 with a limit catch weighing 13 pounds, 11 ounces, Daniel was the lone angler among the leaders who was able to duplicate his first-day catch. On Day 2 he produced another five bass limit, and this one weighed 13-7 for a two-day total of 27-2, just four ounces better than North Carolina’s Hank Cherry, who has 26-14.

Kevin Hawk, who led after the first day, struggled in the second round. His best five bass weighed just 10-5, good enough for a two-day total of 26-12 and third place.

“I didn’t catch any big ones on top today,” Hawk confessed. “I just didn’t make the right stops at the right time. I’m excited to be fishing tomorrow, though, and I hope to run into the fish I need.”

“Today I started about 40 miles from where I fished yesterday,” Swindle said, “and I struggled in the afternoon. I had to overlap some of my areas from the first day, but I plan to fish new water in the finals. The fish I’m catching are ‘resident’ bass that don’t seem to replenish very quickly after you catch one from a brush pile.”

The Carhartt Big Bass for Day 2 belonged to Paul Ham of West Columbia, S.C., who caught a 5-1 lunker.

Courtesy of BASS Communications.