TBF
WHAT ’ S MAKING NEWS IN THE BASS FEDERATION
By Dan Johnson
BOYD MAKES HISTORY ON TABLE ROCK
DETERMINATION DRIVES HARD-CHARGING HOOSIER TO SECOND TBF CROWN
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Allen Boyd ’ s determination to win overcame Table Rock Lake ’ s best attempts to shake his confidence at the 2017 The Bass Federation National Championship . The Salem , Ind ., angler stuck to his guns in the face of a challenging bite , lost fish and fierce competition to win the coveted boater division crown .
It was Boyd ’ s second TBF National Championship victory , having won the 2011 title at Nickajack Lake in Tennessee . TBF President Robert Cartlidge was quick to note the odds stacked against such an achievement .
“ Hundreds of thousands of anglers have tried to earn a spot in the Federation championship in the past 49 years ,” Cartlidge explains . “ Few have qualified , and only one other angler , the late Mike Holt of Lexington , Tenn ., has won it twice .”
Square-billed crankbaits and Texas-rigged tubes fueled Boyd ’ s championship run .
PHOTO BY LAUREN RENEE ’ PAYNE
Holt won a Federation title on the Arkansas River in 1993 and another in 2001 on the Mobile-Tensaw Delta . His championship victories came before TBF launched the $ 100,000 Living the Dream program in 2005 , meaning Boyd has the distinction of being the first TBF member to win the coveted prize package twice . It includes cash , fully paid entry fees on the 2018 FLW Tour as a pro , a travel expense stipend for each event and use of a wrapped Ranger boat with Evinrude outboard for the year .
“ It ’ s an amazing experience living the dream ,” Boyd says . “ I ’ m definitely fishing the FLW Tour , and I ’ m ready to get started .”
Boyd also brought home a new Ranger Z518C bass boat for being the top finisher in the Ranger Cup program . And as the winning boater , he ’ s qualified to compete in the 2017 Forrest Wood Cup at Lake Murray for a shot at winning the $ 300,000 prize that goes to the winner .
The Road to Victory
Boyd , a construction worker by trade , qualified for the 2017 championship via TBF ’ s 2016 District 10 National Semi-Finals tournament on the Ohio River last October . There , he overcame a brutal bite to win the
FLWFISHING . COM I JULY 2017