A midweek cold front followed by high pressure, bright skies, and a rapid rise in lake level set the stage for a challenging conclusion to the 2023 Bull Shoals Division. Frigid temperatures at take off made for brutal conditions for those making long runs, while varying water clarity throughout the lake added to the complexity of dialing in a winning pattern. The tough conditions manifested in 23 teams bringing in only 9 limits while once again showing that every fish weighed proves valuable for qualifying points for the Joe Bass Invitational to be held Stockton Lake next fall.
Rodney Shockey paired with Pete Pearson to improve one spot from his runner-up position in the previous tournament, taking daily bragging rights by winning the season finale. Rodney shared their Mid America RV Key to Success included an A-rig coupled with spoons to put 10 keepers in the boat. Their best five totaled 16.80 pounds. Rodney noted theirs was an early bite as their deep fish scattered as the day progressed.
Cody Ellison and Jacob Wade leaned on the NAPA Big Bass of the event, a 6.88 behemoth largemouth, to anchor a 16.76 pound bag. Cody explained they needed every bite on their A-rigs, as they struggled to catch six keepers scattered throughout the day. The fished a variety of locales, both deep, shallow, steep and flat to amass their second place bag.
Dustin and Eric Blevins wrapped up a truly extraordinary season with a third place finish. As the third place score proved to be their “mulligan”, Eric and Dustin took home the division points championship with a perfect score for the season, a feat that may never be challenged. Both noted they mixed an ice jig with an umbrellas rig to boat 10 keepers throughout the day. Their five fish limit pushed the scales to 16.01 pounds and put the seal on a fantastic winter season.
Roger Satterfield and Kelly Jones brought in a 11.69 bag to take the Top Skeeter honors for the event. They caught a few fish on a rig, but focused on their jig bites fished from Roger’s 2022 ZXR Skeeter.
Special thanks to Darren for another fantastic Bull Shoals Division season hosted by Buck Creek Marina. Having a nice warm spot to check in prior to take off sure helps fend off the cold, and a warm breakfast burrito or two sure doesn’t hurt!
Photos
Results
| Place | Team Members | Fish | B/F | TotWgt | Pts | Payout |
| 1 | Rodney Shockey – Pete Pearson | 5 | 4.54 | 16.8 | 220 | $1,658.00 |
| 2 | Cody Ellison – Jacob Wade | 5 | 6.88 | 16.76 | 219 | $1,000.00 |
| 3 | Dustin Blevins – Eric Blevins | 5 | 3.92 | 16.01 | 218 | $560.00 |
| 4 | John Campbell – Brock Rogers | 5 | 5.25 | 15.62 | 217 | $290.00 |
| 5 | Eric Toliver – Zach Lawrence | 5 | 3.78 | 14.03 | 216 | |
| 6 | Roy Bryant – Lee Bryant | 5 | 3.79 | 13.24 | 215 | |
| 7 | Roger Harp – Jeremy Brewer | 5 | 3.71 | 13.01 | 214 | |
| 8 | Kelly Jones – Roger Satterfield | 5 | 11.69 | 213 | $250.00 | |
| 9 | Mark Thompson – Mark Thompson II | 5 | 2.96 | 11.02 | 212 | |
| 10 | David Honey – Zech Honey | 2 | 5.05 | 211 | ||
| 11 | Jacob Delong – *Mike Eutsler | 2 | 3.06 | 4.84 | 210 | |
| 12 | Justin Sanders – *Dennis Shepard | 2 | 4.26 | 209 | ||
| 13 | Bob Neff – Greg Wood | 2 | 3.97 | 208 | ||
| 14 | Cledas Manuel – Ben Jones | 1 | 3.36 | 3.36 | 207 | |
| 15 | Charles Abbott – Tim Wells | 1 | 1.99 | 1.99 | 206 | |
| 16 | Laryme Campbell – David Rogers | 0 | 20 | |||
| Jacob Garrett – Kem Wallace | 0 | 20 | ||||
| Richie Huebner – Brandon Lowry | 0 | 20 | ||||
| Craig LaPointe – *Fished Alone | 0 | 20 | ||||
| Wyatt Marler – Bailey Bewley | 0 | 20 | ||||
| Tom Mason – Chris Reese | 0 | 20 | ||||
| Tony Mayfield – Fisher Mayfield | 0 | 20 | ||||
| Paul Persson – Ryan Persson | 0 | 20 |
*alternate