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CRAIG CROWNED TBF NATIONAL CHAMPION
T
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ennessean Preston Craig bested
all the other state champions
from The Bass Federation who
traveled from across the U.S. and
Canada to compete on the legendary
waters of Kentucky Lake in Paris,
Tenn., in April at the TBF National
Championship. His three-day total of
50.04 pounds was nearly 10 pounds
better than the next closest boater,
earning Craig the $120,000 “Living
the Dream” prize package. The pack-
age includes paid entry fees on the
FLW Tour next season, plus a travel
stipend, use of a tow vehicle and a
wrapped Ranger bass boat. Craig also
earned a spot in the 2019 FLW Cup.
That’s just part of a record National
Championship payout valued at more
than $400,000 that was apportioned
to the top finishers from a field of 102
boaters and co-anglers. Among the
prizes, the top seven boaters and co-
anglers – representative of each TBF
division – qualified for the 2019 T-H
Marine FLW Bass Fishing League All-
American.
Craig, who’s understandably excit-
ed to fish the FLW Tour in 2020, says a
positive attitude and intense focus
helped him claim the top spot.
“I just kept it in my head, ‘I’ve got
to keep grinding,’” he says. “‘I’ve got
to keep fishing.’
“I told my camera guy after finish-
ing my limit, ‘I think I’ve got it.’ Luckily,
it happened. I got the right bites, and
it’s an amazing feeling. It’s a lot of
work to get here, and finishing my
limit, that was a weight lifted off. That
was it.”
Preston Craig won the 2019 TBF
National Championship by nearly
10 pounds on Kentucky Lake.
FLWFISHING.COM I SUMMER 2019