The CopperState Tackle Limited Team Open kicked off with a bang in its inaugural event at the Suwannee River on February 21st. The new series features a restricted field of no more than 60 boats in a high-stakes team format, offering a 1-in-6 payout with a $600.00 team entry. Twenty-four teams hit the water to help launch the series.
Despite low water levels and a tougher-than-average bite leading up to the event, Joey Pate and Jessy Nash capitalized. They smashed the field with a 22.13-pound, 5-bass limit to win the $5,000.00 first-place prize.
Anchoring their winning bag was a 9.10-pound TrophyCatch, which earned them an additional $600.00.
The pair grabbed the top spot on the leaderboard by throwing a Boogerman Buzzbait early in the day, quickly putting a 4-pounder in the boat. They then padded their bag, including their 9.10-pound Big Bass, by sight fishing.
“Everyone who knows me knows I throw a Boogerman Buzzbait,” Pate exclaimed to the crowd gathered at Sandy Point Campground. “We had 22 pounds by 10:00 this morning.”
Joey Wood and CopperState Tackle Pro Bryson O’Steen took home the runner-up spot, bringing in a 15.23-pound, 5-bass limit for a $3,100.00 payday.
“It started off pretty slow this morning, and the gameplan we had, we had to scrap,” stated O’Steen. “We found a big one on the bed that we worked on for [a while] trying to catch her, but could not get her to bite. We ended up leaving her and were able to cull up to 15 pounds.”
Securing third place and $2,200.00 were Seth Slanker and Jackson Swisher with a 12.74-pound limit.
“Our biggest fish we caught on a jerkbait,” Swisher noted. “Everything else was caught bed fishing.”
Rounding out the Top 4, Darren Faulkner and Dalton Blakley secured a 12.41-pound limit to earn $1,100.00.
The event paid out a total of $12,000.00. A full field of 60 boats at future events will pay back the Top 10 spots for a total cash pot of $30,000.00, including a $10,000.00 first place prize. The Top 15 from each event will be invited to the end of season championship for a guaranteed $20,000.00 first place prize.
Order tackle for your next event today at www.CopperStateFlorida.com.
2026 CopperState Tackle Limited Open: Suwannee River Results
| Pl | Team | # of Fish | Weight | Big Fish | Penalty | Total Weight | Winnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Joey Pate & Jessy Nash | 5 | 22.13 | 9.10 | 22.13 | $5,600.00 | |
| 2 | Joey Wood & Bryson O'Steen | 5 | 15.23 | 15.23 | $3,100.00 | ||
| 3 | Seth Slanker & Jackson Swisher | 5 | 12.74 | 12.74 | $2,200.00 | ||
| 4 | Darren Faulkner & Dalton Blakley | 5 | 12.41 | 4.17 | 12.41 | $1,100.00 | |
| 5 | Jeremy Dohrn & Matt Cummings | 5 | 11.66 | 11.66 | |||
| Brandon Williams & Jesse Williams | 5 | 11.96 | 0.50 | 11.46 | |||
| 7 | Trevor Lamb & Dylan Mock | 5 | 10.52 | 10.52 | |||
| 8 | Raymond Galler & Jimmy Hertl | 5 | 10.47 | 2.82 | 10.47 | ||
| 9 | Jamie Lanier & Kevin Roberts | 5 | 9.85 | 9.85 | |||
| 10 | Robin Shiver & Hunter Lindsey | 5 | 9.69 | 9.69 | |||
| 11 | BJ Shirah & Tim Webb | 5 | 9.40 | 9.40 | |||
| 12 | Deryl Williams & Tyler Griffis | 5 | 9.59 | 0.50 | 9.09 | ||
| 13 | Derek Manning & Beth Manning | 5 | 8.80 | 8.80 | |||
| 14 | Donnie Feagle & Josh Lester | 5 | 8.66 | 8.66 | |||
| 15 | Neil Davis & David Simpson | 5 | 8.48 | 8.48 | |||
| 16 | William Barnett & Curt Johnson | 5 | 8.42 | 8.42 | |||
| 17 | Bryant Allen & Dempsey Allen | 5 | 8.14 | 8.14 | |||
| 18 | Steve Hacht & Melvin Shepard | 5 | 8.04 | 8.04 | |||
| 19 | Edward Mathis & Chris Lee | 5 | 7.60 | 7.60 | |||
| 20 | Cory Gibbs & Danny Thompson | 5 | 7.52 | 7.52 | |||
| 21 | Justin Carrier & Mark Peiser | 3 | 5.76 | 5.76 | |||
| 22 | Shane Semmes & Jerry Kelley | 5 | 5.46 | 5.46 | |||
| 23 | Derek Daniels & Michael Johnson | 4 | 3.89 | 3.89 | |||
| 24 | Craig Cavanna & Danny Hunter | 0.00 |
Event Totals
Number of Fish Weighed: 112
Number of Limits Weighed: 21
Total Weight (lbs): 226.42
Average Bag Weight (lbs): 9.80
Event Photos
