8.94 Lunker Wins Lake Guntersville McDonald's® Big Bass Splash®
Scottsboro,
AL - Harland Sutherland of
Soddy Daisy, TN weighed in his 8.94-pound lunker early Sunday morning to win the
McDonald’s® Big Bass Splash® on Lake Guntersville, AL Not only did
Sutherland take home his hourly victory worth $1,0000, he also took home a brand
new fully rigged Triton 18 Explorer bass boat equipped with a 115 Mercury OptiMax, Minn Kota trolling motor, and Lowrance electronics valued at $25,250
Harland Sutherland and partner Fred Tanner of Hixson, TN, started off Sunday morning fishing close to the weigh in site (Waterfront Tackle & Grill at Goose Pond) about 8 miles down the River. He was fishing with a 10 ½ inch Tequila Sunrise Zoom worm in 12 feet of water. With the cold front moving through, Sutherland said it never got rough. All he could think about when he landed the bass was getting back to the scales. This was his first Big Bass Splash® event to ever fish.
Scott Keeling of Guntersville, AL finished 2nd overall with an 8.27 pound bass earning him $2,500 cash. In third place was Jeremy Pond of Moody, AL with an 8.08 pound bass earning him $2,000 cash and 4th Place, Arnie Coons of Roanoke Rapids, NC weighed in his 7.59 pounder cashing in $1,500. Rounding out the top 5 overall was James Hastings of Scottsboro, ALwith a 7.41 pounder cashing in $1,000.
The Lake Guntersville Big Bass Splash® brought 738 anglers from 17 different states looking for the one bite to win their share of the $100,000 Guaranteed in cash and prizes. Bob Sealy, Tournament Director and Founder of the Big Bass Splash®, presented the Ronald McDonald House® & Select Children’s Charities® a check for $3,690.
Chris
Drake (Right) of Cullman, AL was the last man standing for the Elimination
Drawing during the awards ceremony. Sealy has a lot of fun with the five
lucky anglers who are randomly drawn for their chance to win a new Triton 17
Explorer bass bo
at
equipped with a 90 Mercury, Minn Kota trolling motor and Lowrance electronics
valued at $22,400.
Jimmie Allen (Left) of Scottsboro, AL took home a brand new Bad Boy Buggy valued at $8,999 in the Open Drawing on Sunday afternoon. This is a drawing that is open to all anglers and spectators 18 and over.
Sealy announced at the Final Awards Ceremony on Sunday big news for next year’s event at Lake Guntersville. He told the anglers he will be adding two additional places every hour and adding another Exact Weight Bass (4.00). Next year’s dates are scheduled for May 16 and 17, 2009 at Waterfront Tackle & Grill at Goosepond.
The Big Bass Splash® on Lake Guntersville, Alabama is hosted by the Greater Jackson County Chamber of Commerce and benefits the Ronald McDonald Houses® and Select McDonald’s® Charities.