Spinnerbaits Win Bartletts Ferry Bass Tournament

Ryan Padgett (left) and Matt Ferman threw spinnerbaits around wood cover and put together a limit of Bartletts Ferry bass that weighed 11.88 pounds. They were fishing the Fishers of Men tournament on May 27.

Matt Ferman and Ryan Padgett had four fish at 1:45 p.m. in the May 27 Fishers of Men tournament at Bartletts Ferry.

“In 15 minutes we caught three, one of them 5 1/2 pounds,” said Matt.

The team started the day up the Chattahoochee River. They keyed on shady banks with spinnerbaits and topwater plugs.

“It was tough,” said Matt. “We had practiced the day before in a little short pocket in Halawakee (Creek) and caught a fish there. I told my partner that we need to try that area.”

With 1/2-oz., white-skirted, white-bladed spinnerbaits, they caught three fish in 15 minutes on stumps and blowdowns.

“The fish were in there feeding, we lucked up and hit right bank,” said Matt. “You could say we were in the right place at the right time.”

Matt said a cooler-than-normal spring had Mother Nature a few weeks behind, so the shad are pretty small.

“We’re still catching them on spinnerbaits — they’ve always said ‘match the hatch.’”

Here are the top-five teams.

1. Matt Ferman & Ryan Padgett – 11.88 pounds.

2. Bill Willisford & Tom Willisford – 7.91 pounds.

3. Danny Hall & Weyman Ledford – 7.32 pounds.

4. Jim Buntin & Jim Pass – 7.25 pounds.

5. Steve Stewart & Johnny Creel – 6.45 pounds.