Morgan and Morgan comeback strong to collect $25,000
CLEWISTON, FL - After day one of the 2019 Roland Martin Marine Center Series Championship presented by HUK, the cousin team of Justin Morgan and Keith Morgan found themselves in 36th place with a little over twelve pounds and a busted lower unit to add a little more salt to their wounds. What a difference a day makes. Fast forward to the final bag hitting the scales 24 hours later and they went from 36th place to $25,000 dollars richer.
With the biggest limit of the tournament, their 28.4 pound final-day bag was just a half a pound better than the rest and enough to collect the crystal cups and the championship check.
“We made an adjustment to what we were doing on the first day and that made all the difference,” said Justin Morgan. “We started tight to the grass and then I made one cast out and caught a six-pounder. So we moved out a bit and started throwing frogs at them. It was a grind but we ended up putting together a pretty good bag.”
With the clearer water and blue skies, the beds were easy to see. It was also clear with the condition of the day one fish, that a post-spawn pattern could be key. By throwing Spro Popping Frogs and picking up two more good ones on a Bass Assasin Skunk Ape, team Morgan turned a slight adjustment into a big pay day. On top of their $25,000 Champion Check, they also collected $250 as the top Mercury Owner with an engine under warranty.
As the highest paying team tournament trail in Florida, the payouts continued deep into the field.
Missing the top spot by a little over half a pound with a two-day total of 39.86, the second place team of Dave Anderson and Donny Bass collected $10,000 for their second place finish along with the crystal trophies.
Finishing out the top three with a two-day total of 36.24 was the team of Ronnie Buck Jr. and Ray Guerra. They collected $3,500 for their 3rd place finish and another $250 as the highest finishing team wearing HUK Gear on stage.
With more ways to win, the payouts continued. Even by going small, our anglers win big. Bob Stevens and Don Brown collected $500 from AV Inspection for the smallest two-day total. Mary Ann Martin awarded Melinda Markley with a check for $100 as the highest finishing female angler. Harry Holstein and James Moretz collected $250 as the highest finishing Gilbert Family of Cars owner presented by South Florida Chevy Dealers. And $500 RMMC Bonus Bucks went to Mark Sommer as the highest finisher that bought a new boat at Roland Martin Marine Center.
With big bass the co-stars of the weekend, it’s only fitting they should pay out as well. The US Sugar day one Big Bass earned Robert Wood $500 with the day two Big Bass and $500 going to Breezy McMillan Davis. The Gambler 2nd Big Bass of day one went to the team of Kail Stevens and Bradley McQueen good for $100 and Cody Fornham collected $100 for the day two 2nd big bass.
Anglers weren’t the only ones cashing in at the Championship. Every kid in attendance for the final day received a FREE FISHING GEAR GIVEAWAY (Rod & Reel Combo and Tackle Pack) courtesy of Everglades Federal Credit Union. Rewarding other fans in attendance, which was clearly our biggest crowd ever for the Championship, raffle prizes treated lucky winners to everything from fishing gear to Big Screen TVs.
Now as we put a bow on the 2019 season, we want to thank all the competitors and fans that have helped make us the highest paying team tournament trail in Florida. With that said, we’re working on making 2020 even bigger. Until then, have a great holiday and we’ll see you all in the new year.