MILLEDGEVILLE — Ware County’s duo of Kolton Taft and Andrew Wilson clinched a berth into the Bass Fishing finals at Lake Sinclair.
The Taft-Wilson team finished 23rd here in the field of 226 teams at the Clarks Hill event Saturday, May 7 — the second tournament of the season. The Top 30 teams automatically qualify for the championship event.
Taft and Wilson are the second Ware County teammates to earn a spot in the finals. Brody Jeffers and Jackson Lee clinched their spot placing 20th in the first event held February 7 at West Point Lake.
The third tournament is scheduled for Saturday, April 11 at Lake Hartwell.
Clary Kinnon and Ethan Bruner placed 53rd with their five-catch limit weighing 10 lbs., 12 ozs. Waylon Smith and Kyler Mathews finished in a three-way tie for 84th with their five fish totaling 8 lbs., 4 ozs.
Kolby King and Evan Geiger tied another duo for 95th with a 7 lb., 9 0zs., for their five bass. Marc Taylor and Landon Walker finished in a three-way tie for 164th with their one bass weighing 2 lbs., 4 ozs.
Pierce County’s first-year program secured its first-ever bid with Grayson Arington and Chance Williams tying for 27th with their five-catch limit weighing 12 lbs., 12 ozs.
Brantley County had three twoperson teams qualify. The team of Saybree Niece and Waylon Thomas recorded BCHS’s highest-ever twoperson team finish placing fifth with a weight total of 16 lbs., 12 ounces for their five-catch limit.
Ryder Todd and Conner Wages placed 10th in the field, the first time BCHS has had two teams in the Top 10 positions, with a five-catch limit weight of 15 lbs., 4 ozs.
Randy Johns and Jesse Miller gave Brantley County three teams in the Top 21 spots for the first time totaling 13 lbs., 2 ozs.
They join the team of Hayden Hickox and Brysen Chancey with state berths Toombs County’s A.J. Bagby and Tessa Jones captured the title with a total combined weight of 19 lbs. 1 oz.
A total of 115 teams caught the five-bass limit. There were 741 bass caught with 737 released with a total weight of 1,478 lbs., 13 ozs.
