EARN A TRIP TO THE 2018 TBF NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
Final Showdown
Sunny skies and air temperatures pushing into the 70s set the stage for the last day of competition . Boyd responded by putting together a 12- pound , 10-ounce limit for a three-day tally of 38-10 .
It was enough to seal the victory and hold off a charge by Brodnicki , who ’ d been consistent throughout the event and finished second with 35-5 . Harkness ’ deep-water pattern came up short at the end , and he finished third with 34-2 .
Boyd ’ s winning area was tucked away far up the lake and required a long run .
“ I ran up into Arkansas near Crooked Creek Marina ,” he reports . “ I knew the fish were there to win it , so I kept fishing it hard .”
A crawfish pattern Strike King KVD 1.5 square-bill crankbait accounted for many of his fish .
“ Keeping the boat in about 12 feet of water , I cast tight to the bank and ticked the rocky bottom ,” he says .
He also punched a Texas-rigged green pumpkin Hawgback Lures tube , made by a friend back in Indiana , through tangles of driftwood matted on the surface .
“ Bass go under these mats for shade when stained water clears up ,” he notes . “ The water had been getting progressively clearer every day , so I Texas-rigged the 3 1 / 2-inch tube with a pegged 1 / 2-ounce tungsten sinker and punched it through the mats .
“ That last morning I got a real hard bite and a good hookset on about a 4- pound fish ,” he recalls . “ I pulled it out of the mat , but it came unbuttoned and flopped on top of the driftwood until it finally got back into the water .” The incident got on Boyd ’ s nerves . “ I was really rattled ,” he admits . “ My co-angler [ Brad Jernigan ] kept reminding me to stay focused . It proves the importance of staying mentally strong and not giving up .”
At 11 o ’ clock , he got his first bass on the tube rig .
“ Then the wind picked up and started howling down a bank we ’ d had a few bites on earlier ,” he says . “ So , we picked up our square-bills and started casting the bank again .”
With the wind blowing , Boyd ’ s reaction bite improved , and he was able to track down the winning bass with his combo approach .
EARN A TRIP TO THE 2018 TBF NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
To earn a shot at following in Allen Boyd ’ s footsteps as the next TBF national champion , there ’ s no time like the present for an angler to start fishing his way to the top .
Anglers can qualify through the TBF National Semi-Finals . Comprised of 22 district competitions , the new National Semi-Finals framework is designed to make it more cost-effective for TBF grassroots anglers to fish premier events by minimizing travel time and expenses while increasing payouts across the board .
The new system pits top grassroots anglers from each state in a close-tohome weekend event with neighboring states for significant cash prizes and advancements .
Anglers qualify for the National Semi-Finals in one of two ways : 1 ) Active state clubs in good standing can send their top two anglers directly to the Semi-Finals . 2 ) The top 10 percent of state event participation , or a minimum of 12 anglers per state , whichever is greater , qualify .
To learn more about the National Semi-Finals and other TBF opportunities in your area , visit bassfederation . com .
Allen Boyd became the second angler in TBF history to win two national titles and the first to claim two $ 100,000 Living the Dream prize packages .
PHOTO BY DAN JOHNSON
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FLWFISHING . COM I JULY 2017