CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Bob Burgess of Charleston only recently bought a smart phone and still doesn’t completely understand how it works. He has social media sites, but he lets others handle posting on them. Therefore he was overwhelmed when the congratulatory messages started lighting up his I-phone last weekend.
“I couldn’t believe how my phone blew up,” he laughed. “Everybody was telling me, ‘Congratulations.’ I really appreciated that.”
A few hours earlier, Burgess had claimed a spot in bass fishing Utopia at the BFL All-American Tournament on Kentucky Lake. Burgess won the co-angler side of the event with three amazing days of fishing. Burgess hauled a three day total of 52 lbs-6 oz. to the weigh-in scales.
“I got real comfortable with the event and was able to stay focused,” said Burgess. “I drew really well and that was a big part of it. I was set with a number of baits after talking to a lot of buddies who have fished down there. When you go on the co-angler side you’ve got to carry a little bit of everything.”
Burgess’ wasn’t kidding about drawing well. His partners for the three days finished on the professional side in second, third, and fourth place. Each was fishing in largely the same area only a few miles from the launch and targeting bass suspended on deep ledges.
“It was predominantly a jig bite. We were on some ledges and were throwing football jigs with green pumpkin trailers. We’d make long casts using 7-foot 4-inch rods and we both had a limit real early,” said Burgess. “Later in the day we moved back into a big creek and started throwing spoons and big swim baits.”
With the exception of one brief departure, jigging the ledge was Burgess’ winning pattern. One partner made the long run to the dam, but only stayed about 20 minutes before returning to the same general area.
Burgess was in the field having qualified through the West Virginia Bass Federation at the nationals. This isn’t the first rodeo for the 66-year old veteran angler, but it’s the first time he wasn’t bucked off.
“I’ve been going into the final day at the regionals and something always wasn’t in place or just didn’t happen,” he said. “I’ve always been close, but just never could get there. This time, I guess it was just my turn.”
The victory earned Burgess a $50,000 payday. It also earned him a spot in the Forest Wood Cup event in August. The Cup is the pinnacle tournament of the FLW tournament series and will be on Lake Ouachita in Hot Springs, Arkansas.
“I’m still learning how to pronounce that name,” laughed Burgess. “I got back here and by the time you get the grass cut and the bills paid, I just haven’t had time to even look at it. I’ll figure some stuff out before I get there and we’ll see what happens.”
Burgess is well known in West Virginia fishing circles. He’s the owner and longtime director of the Trail of Dreams Tournament Series which draws bass fishermen from West Virginia, eastern Kentucky,and southeastern Ohio.