Matual wins Rayovac FLW Series Northern Division finale on Lake Erie
Category: press release
Aug 30th, 2015 by OutdoorsFIRST
Modified Aug 30th, 2015 at 12:00 AM
David Matual of Chicago, Illinois, weighed a five-bass limit totaling 22 pounds, 6 ounces Saturday to win the Rayovac FLW Series Northern Division finale on Lake Erie presented by Evinrude with a three-day total of 15 bass weighing 65 pounds even. For his win, Matual earned $31,229 and a new Ranger Z518 with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard.
“I’m shaking, I don’t think the win has set in yet,” said Matual, who earned his first career win as a boater in Rayovac FLW Series competition. “I had a tough practice so I didn’t know what to expect. The cold weather had dropped the surface temperature of the water nearly eight degrees during the week.”
Despite the difficult practice, Matual said he was able to dial in on bass that were chasing baitfish within a 100-foot stretch of reef just south of Pelee Point.
“I went to that area and had a five-bass limit within 30 minutes each day,” said Matual. “I was dropping-shotting a Jackall Crosstail Shad in a variety of colors. If that missed, I used a green-pumpkin-colored Chompers Tube. The bass were so aggressive I could see them breaking the top of the water going after baitfish. I figured they would bite any lure I threw down there.”
Matual said he caught approximately 55 keepers, in around 15 to 18 of water, over the course of the tournament.
“I was all alone in my area,” said Matual. “No one else was fishing around me. It was the perfect storm.”
The top 10 pros on Lake Erie were:
1st: David Matual, Chicago, Ill., 15 bass, 65-0, $31,229, Ranger Z518 w/ 200-horsepower outboard
2nd: Jared Rhode, Port Clinton, Ohio, 15 bass, 64-9, $12,101
3rd: Dave Lefebre, Erie, Pa., 15 bass, 64-8, $9,369
4th: Trevor Jancasz, White Pigeon, Mich., 15 bass, 62-1, $7,807
5th: Matt Vermilyea, Perrysburg, Ohio, 15 bass, 61-2, $7,027
6th: Matt Elkins, Spencerville, Ohio, 15 bass, 60-5, $6,246
7th: Joe Balog, Harrison Township, Mich., 15 bass, 58-5, $5,465
8th: Jeff Vizachero, Grosse Ile, Mich., 15 bass, 53-6, $4,684
9th: Michael Sitko, Pinckney, Mich., 14 bass, 48-4, $3,904
10th: Mike Oberski, Ann Arbor, 12 bass, 42-9, $3,123
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.