The inaugural CopperState Tackle Limited Team Open Championship is underway on Lake Seminole, and after one day of fishing it is shaping up to be a real shootout for the top spot. Thirty-two qualified teams launched out of Earle May Boat Basin this morning with plenty on the line. First place is a guaranteed $20,000, courtesy of CopperState Tackle.
Every team in the field earned its spot through a series of four open events, where a Top 15 finish at any one event punched a ticket to the championship. Each open was capped at the first 60 teams to register. A smaller field with a higher entry means bigger paybacks for the teams that get in.
Leading the charge after day one are brothers Clayburn and Christian Reed, who double qualified with Top 15 finishes at both the Lake Rousseau and Kissimmee Chain opens. The Reeds struggled through most of the day but put together a five bass limit weighing 18.62 pounds to take the lead heading into day two. Their bag was anchored by a 6.45 pound kicker that also earned them day one Big Bass honors and $500. Clayburn hails from Dade City, FL and Christian from Lakeland, FL.
The lead is anything but commanding. Bradley Enfinger, a local angler from Donalsonville, GA who qualified through the Kissimmee Chain event, sits in second with five bass weighing 18.36 pounds, just over a quarter pound off the pace.
Third place belongs to Mike Davis of Alachua, FL and Tony Davis of Williston, FL, who weighed a five bass limit of 18.18 pounds.
Rounding out the Top 5 are Eric Panzironi and Rick Bak in fourth with 17.86 pounds and Brad Hambric and Nicky DaVico in fifth with 17.77 pounds. Less than a pound separates first from fifth, so day two is wide open.
The Top 5 teams will split the $36,000 purse, a 187.5 percent payback, and Big Bass pays out each day.
The field heads back out Sunday morning for the final round, with the championship decided on combined two day weight. Weigh-in gets underway at 3:00 pm at Earle May Boat Basin, and with $20,000 on the line for first place and less than a pound covering the Top 5, it should be worth the trip.
| Pl | Team | Day 1 Fish | Day 1 Big Bass | Day 1 Weight | Day 2 Fish | Day 2 Big Bass | Day 2 Weight | Total Weight | Winnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Clayburn Reed & Christian Reed | 5 | 6.45 | 18.62 | 5 | 5.41 | 21.34 | 39.96 | $20,500 |
| 2 | Bradley Enfinger | 5 | 4.77 | 18.36 | 5 | 16.88 | 35.24 | $7,000 | |
| 3 | Mike Davis & Tony Davis | 5 | 18.18 | 5 | 17.04 | 35.22 | $4,000 | ||
| 4 | Matt Wieteha & Nick Hoinig | 5 | 17.45 | 5 | 16.61 | 34.06 | $2,500 | ||
| 5 | Kane Weekley | 5 | 17.66 | 5 | 14.78 | 32.44 | $1,500 | ||
| 6 | Cory Gibbs & Danny Thompson | 5 | 17.53 | 5 | 14.59 | 32.12 | |||
| 7 | Eric Panzironi & Rick Bak | 5 | 4.96 | 17.86 | 5 | 13.87 | 31.73 | ||
| 8 | Brad Hambric & Nicky DaVico | 5 | 17.77 | 5 | 11.97 | 29.74 | |||
| 9 | Ben Harris & Taylor Harris | 5 | 13.71 | 5 | 14.13 | 27.84 | |||
| 10 | Jamie Lanier & Kevin Roberts | 5 | 14.15 | 5 | 13.23 | 27.38 | |||
| 11 | Robin Shiver | 4 | 4.43 | 12.36 | 5 | 14.81 | 27.17 | ||
| 12 | Darren Faulkner & Dalton Blakley | 5 | 14.06 | 5 | 12.96 | 27.02 | |||
| 13 | Josh Hubbard & Robby Anderson | 5 | 12.91 | 5 | 5.72 | 13.82 | 26.73 | $500 | |
| 14 | Brandon Williams & Jesse Williams | 5 | 12.56 | 5 | 13.98 | 26.54 | |||
| 15 | Colby Robertson & Dave Turner | 5 | 10.89 | 5 | 15.19 | 26.08 | |||
| 16 | Rocky Lamascolo & Michael Kuzara | 5 | 14.17 | 5 | 9.60 | 23.77 | |||
| 17 | Derek Daniels & Michael T. Johnson | 5 | 9.42 | 5 | 14.22 | 23.64 | |||
| 18 | Joey Pate & Jessy Nash | 5 | 14.18 | 5 | 8.82 | 23.00 | |||
| 19 | Shane Semmes & Jerry Kelley | 5 | 11.76 | 3 | 5.08 | 9.02 | 20.78 | ||
| 20 | Curt Johnson & William Barnett | 5 | 8.45 | 5 | 11.27 | 19.72 | |||
| 21 | Brad Reynolds & Lance Reynolds | 5 | 14.61 | 0 | 0.00 | 14.61 | |||
| 22 | Jeremy Dohrn & Matt Cummings | 5 | 4.67 | 12.18 | 0 | 0.00 | 12.18 | ||
| 23 | Mark Peiser & Justin Carrier | 5 | 11.05 | 0 | 0.00 | 11.05 | |||
| 24 | Jeff Flagg | 5 | 10.24 | 0 | 0.00 | 10.24 | |||
| 25 | Jason Brewer & Cheryl Brewer | 1 | 1.16 | 5 | 8.95 | 10.11 | |||
| 26 | BJ Shirah | 5 | 9.84 | 0 | 0.00 | 9.84 | |||
| 27 | Dennis Redd & Kimrod Stephenson | 5 | 7.77 | 0 | 0.00 | 7.77 | |||
| 28 | Deryl Williams & Tyler Griffis | 4 | 7.60 | 0 | 0.00 | 7.60 | |||
| 29 | Garrett Stewart & Zebb Bowman | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | |||
| 29 | Derek Manning & Beth Manning | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | |||
| 29 | Harold Beasley & Tommy Beasley | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | |||
| 29 | Keith Burden & Christine Burden | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
