J.R. McCay of Helen Wins Weekend Fishing Tournament

2/8/18

J.R. McCay of Helen, Georgia

(SENECA, S.C.) – BoaterJ.R. McCay of Helen, Georgia , caught five bass weighing 15 pounds, 7 ounces, Saturday to win the 2018 T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Savannah River Division opener on Lake Keowee presented by Navionics. For his efforts, McCay took home $4,004.

“I had a couple places where I was catching 10 or 11 pounds consistently during practice, but by 9 a.m. Saturday morning I didn’t have a bite from either,” said McCay, who earned his first career win in FLW competition. “I decided to head into the back of a creek on the north end that had stained water, laydowns, docks and stump flats. I threw a swimbait and only had one fish swirl on it, which told me they weren’t very active.”

McCay said he began flipping a ½-ounce brown Spot Sticker Casting Jig with a green-pumpkin-colored Strike King Rage Tail Craw trailer, and was able to put two 4-pounders and a 3-pounder in the boat. Around 2 p.m., he said that he left the area for a long flat with scattered rock on the main lake.

“I used the Spot Sticker and nabbed another 3-pounder,” said McCay. “I caught my last fish on the south end, in 70 feet of water, from a rock pile where fish typically school up. I guess I pulled up to the right place at the right time.”

McCay said he used a blueback-colored Tim Farley Custom Baits Pro X Swimbait to catch his last keeper.

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:

               1^st:          J.R. McCay, Helen, Ga., five bass, 15-7, $4,004

               2^nd:         Jayme Rampey, Liberty, S.C., five bass, 13-11, $2,002

               3^rd:          Brian Tidwell, Seneca, S.C., five bass, 13-8, $1,267

               4^th:          Edward Humphreys, Alum Creek, W. Va., five bass, 12-8, $888

               5^th:          Matthew Justice, Fair Play, S.C., five bass, 11-10, $761

               6^th:          Daniel Atkins, Anderson, S.C., five bass, 11-9, $697

               7^th:          Marcus Church, Seneca, S.C., five bass, 11-3, $634

               8^th:          Chris Nelson, Social Circle, Ga., five bass, 11-1, $571

               9^th:          Brian Callahan, Gainesville, Ga., five bass, 11-0, $507

               10^th:        Jerry Morgan, Inman, S.C., five bass, 10-12, $444

Complete results can be found atFLWFishing.com .