MONROE, La. — When it counts, Paul Mueller knows how to catch a big limit of fish. That’s what he did on the final day of the 2014 B.A.S.S. Nation Championship tournament on the Ouachita River, when his 14-pound, 9-ounce sack earned him the top spot and the Bryan V. Kerchal Memorial Trophy. Mueller, of Naugatuck, Conn., has a track record of catching the big ones when he needs them. He did it earlier this year at the 2014 Bassmaster Classic when, after a dismal first day that threatened to eliminate him from competition, he went and caught 32 pounds, 3 ounces — the biggest five-bass limit in Bassmaster Classic history — to show that he was still in the game.
Mueller’s final three-day weight on the Ouachita was only a little more than his one-day record-busting bag in the Classic at 32 pounds, 15 ounces. But for the Ouachita River during this tournament, that was enough, by far, to secure the top crown — and a second shot at the Bassmaster Classic.
“This is incredible,” said Mueller after his win. “I’ve been thinking about the Bassmaster Classic all year. Anytime you get a chance to fish against the best in the sport, it’s amazing.”
Mueller bested the rest of the field by a significant margin. In second place was Coby Carden of Alabama, who finished more than 7 pounds back with 25 pounds, 9 ounces. Behind Carden was Jeff Lugar of Virginia, who had 25-2. Interestingly, all of the Top 3 went to the Classic last year together as rookies, and all three of them are returning with back-to-back berths. Mueller’s victory came courtesy of just two lures: a 4-inch soft plastic Reins craw tube in black blue fleck and a Zoom WEC E1 square bill crankbait in chartreuse shad.
“I fished in Horseshoe Creek all three days,” said Mueller. “It took an hour to get back in there. You have to go through Moon Lake and then a little canal that goes back. It’s really shallow.”
A water drop on Day 2 hurt many competitors who couldn’t get back to their areas because the low water made them unnavigable by a bass boat. For Mueller, it made it a little harder to get there, but it didn’t keep him out.
“Every day, I threw the crankbait in the morning before the sun came up,” he said. “The fish were off the trees in the roots. Then, when the sun came up, I’d go to areas that create shade, fishing deeper cypress trees, around 3 to 6 feet.”
On Days 1 and 2, the majority of his weight came in the later hours on the tube, but on the final day, the crankbait produced more for him. His first two days, he brought in sacks around 9 pounds. On the final day, he had 13 1/2 pounds by 11 a.m. Then he felt comfortable with his lead and headed back, hoping to get in before any treacherous water or boat trouble — both problems that have plagued his competitors the last two days — could affect him getting in on time. He got back to the ramp 2 hours early.
“So I just hit a couple of boat docks not far from the check-in area — the corners of boat docks that had a little bit of brush on it — and I upgraded with a 3 3/4-pounder,” said Mueller. The late-in-the-day catch pushed him to nearly 15 pounds for the day. It was the biggest bag of the tournament.
What made the difference on Day 3 was that the changing water level drove dirty water into his area, which pushed the shad back. Bait was in the area, then, that hadn’t been there the previous two days. That’s when he started experimenting with his Zoom crankbait, fan casting it into the roots of cypress trees, right onto a ledge that dropped 3 to 5 feet. In a tournament in which the average fish only weighed 1 1/2 pounds, Mueller averaged 3 pounds per fish on Day 3, a huge difference in a small-fish tournament.
Along with Mueller, Carden and Lugar, three other anglers earned qualifications to compete in the 2015 Bassmaster Classic, and all three will be Classic rookies. Teb Jones of Mississippi, Steve Lund of Arizona and Troy Diede of South Dakota will join Mueller and company on the biggest stage in bass fishing.
“I always dreamed of making the Bassmaster Classic, but I never thought it would come true,” said Lund. It was a sentiment echoed by comrades Diede and Jones.
Mueller may have ended the tournament with the biggest bag, but Carden ended with the Big Bass of the tournament for a 4-10 he caught on Day 1. He’ll earn a $500 from Carhartt for his efforts, in addition to the $250 he won with the Livingston Lures Leader Award for leading on Day 2.
2014 BASS Nation Championship 11/6-11/8
Ouachita River, Monroe LA.
(BOATER) Standings Day 3
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts
1. Paul Mueller Naugatuck, CT (East) 15 32-15 0
2. Coby Carden Shelby, AL (South) 12 25-09 0
3. Jeff Lugar Mcgaheysville, VA (MidA 15 25-02 0
4. Teb Jones Hattiesburg, MS (Cntrl) 15 25-00 0
5. Daniel Gray Butler, PA (MidAt) 14 24-01 0
6. Steve Lund Glendale, AZ (West) 11 23-10 0
7. Albert Collins Nacogdoches, TX (Cntrl) 15 23-07 0
8. Randy Huffman Charleston, WV (MidAt) 15 23-04 0
9. Levi McNeill West Valley, UT (West) 11 23-03 0
10. Doug Brownridge Milton ONTARIO CANADA ( 15 23-03 0
11. Josh Wray Omaha, AR (Cntrl) 13 23-01 0
12. George Cooper Buxton, ME (East) 13 22-04 0
13. Troy Diede Sioux Falls, SD (North) 12 21-10 0
14. John Soukup Jr Agra, OK (Cntrl) 15 21-02 0
15. Preston Frazell Cleveland, OK (Cntrl) 14 20-07 0
16. Tim Johnston Kalispell , MT (West) 14 20-01 0
17. David Cavell Prairieville, LA (Cntrl 14 20-00 0
18. Leo Bevelaqua Wyoming, RI (East) 11 19-12 0
19. Mike Lavallee Sandy, UT (West) 12 19-03 0
20. Kurt Denning St Meinrad, IN (North) 12 19-03 0
21. Jason Hickey Weiser, ID (West) 14 19-02 0
22. JJ Patton Eldridge, IA (North) 12 19-00 0
23. Chad Prough Bonifay, FL (South) 12 18-15 0
24. Mark Wiese Jr High Ridge, MO (Cntrl) 14 18-03 0
25. Raleigh Todd Lexington, TN (South) 11 18-02 0
26. Stratos Orphanides MARONDERA ZIMBABWE (Mid 10 17-10 0
27. Cody King Island City, OR (West) 13 16-15 0
28. Rodney Rice Narrows, VA (MidAt) 12 16-02 0
29. Scott Sheldon Loveland, CO (West) 13 16-01 0
30. Greg Alexander Hebron, MD (MidAt) 12 15-10 0
31. Gianni Rizzo BOARA PISANI ROVIGO IT 10 15-06 0
32. Michael Sentore Gloucester City, NJ (Mi 10 14-11 0
33. Eric Corbella Salvia Mollerusa SPAIN (East) 13 14-02 0
34. Japie Botha Groblersdal SOUTH AFRIC 9 13-11 0
35. Will Duncan Conway, SC (South) 8 13-10 0
36. Russell Phillips Guilford, VT (East) 11 13-08 0
37. Koji Kuroda Tarumi JAPAN (West) 9 13-04 0
38. Richard Lindgren Lakeville, MN (North) 11 12-14 0
39. Ken Golubjatnikov Pittsford, NY (East) 8 12-08 0
40. Ian MacDonald Downers Graove, IL (Nor 11 12-08 0
41. Brian Trieschman Ellicott City, MD (MidA 12 12-08 0
42. Rob Messenger Sunapee, NH (East) 10 12-04 0
43. Jesse Weener Holland, MI (North) 9 11-14 0
44. Waine Pittman Villa Rica, GA (South) 9 11-04 0
45. Randy Burch Ladysmith, WI (North) 7 10-15 0
46. Rob Digh Denver, NC (South) 7 10-09 0
47. Max Pieper Windhoek NAMIBIA (MidAt 10 10-09 0
48. Jeffrey Kenney Franklin, MA (East) 8 10-05 0
49. Clint Johanson Benton City, WA (West) 8 09-08 0
50. Michael Boggs II Portsmouth, OH (South) 8 08-06 0
51. Kevin Wiggins Las Vegas, NV (West) 6 08-04 0
52. Ricardo Mira Azaruja PORTUGAL (North 6 08-02 0
53. Danny Ryan Jr Cleves, OH (North) 6 07-05 0
54. Lee Wubbels Lincoln, NE (Cntrl) 5 06-13 0
55. Ronald Welch Corona, CA (West) 6 05-12 0
56. Edgar Romero Renteria Bumgamilias Leon Guanaj 5 05-08 0
57. Tony Choe Fairfax, VA (MidAt) 5 05-05 0
58. Troy Danes New South Wales New Sou 2 02-05 0
59. Earl Conway Albuquerque, NM (West) 2 01-14 0
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Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 29 220 319-13
2 25 199 310-02
3 24 203 297-06
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78 622 927-05
TEAM STANDINGS Day 3
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State Lbs-Oz
1 WESTERN 176-13
2 MID-ATLANTIC 164-14
3 CENTRAL 163-09
4 EASTERN 160-13
5 NORTHERN 138-13
6 SOUTHERN 122-07
INDIVIDUAL STANDINGS Day 3
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NORTHERN
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz
1 Troy Diede Sioux Falls, SD 12 21-10 0
2 Kurt Denning St Meinrad, IN 12 19-03 0
3 JJ Patton Eldridge, IA 12 19-00 0
4 Gianni Rizzo BOARA PISANI ROVIGO IT 10 15-06 0
5 Richard Lindgren Lakeville, MN 11 12-14 0
6 Ian MacDonald Downers Graove, IL 11 12-08 0
7 Jesse Weener Holland, MI 9 11-14 0
8 Randy Burch Ladysmith, WI 7 10-15 0
9 Ricardo Mira Azaruja PORTUGAL 6 08-02 0
10 Danny Ryan Jr Cleves, OH 6 07-05 0
CENTRAL
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz
1 Teb Jones Hattiesburg, MS 15 25-00 0
2 Albert Collins Nacogdoches, TX 15 23-07 0
3 Josh Wray Omaha, AR 13 23-01 0
4 John Soukup Jr Agra, OK 15 21-02 0
5 Preston Frazell Cleveland, OK 14 20-07 0
6 David Cavell Prairieville, LA 14 20-00 0
7 Mark Wiese Jr High Ridge, MO 14 18-03 0
8 Lee Wubbels Lincoln, NE 5 06-13 0
9 Edgar Romero Renteria Bumgamilias Leon Guanaj 5 05-08 0
WESTERN
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz
1 Steve Lund Glendale, AZ 11 23-10 0
2 Levi McNeill West Valley, UT 11 23-03 0
3 Tim Johnston Kalispell , MT 14 20-01 0
4 Mike Lavallee Sandy, UT 12 19-03 0
5 Jason Hickey Weiser, ID 14 19-02 0
6 Cody King Island City, OR 13 16-15 0
7 Scott Sheldon Loveland, CO 13 16-01 0
8 Koji Kuroda Tarumi JAPAN 9 13-04 0
9 Clint Johanson Benton City, WA 8 09-08 0
10 Kevin Wiggins Las Vegas, NV 6 08-04 0
11 Ronald Welch Corona, CA 6 05-12 0
12 Earl Conway Albuquerque, NM 2 01-14 0
EASTERN
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz
1 Paul Mueller Naugatuck, CT 15 32-15 0
2 Doug Brownridge Milton ONTARIO CANADA 15 23-03 0
3 George Cooper Buxton, ME 13 22-04 0
4 Leo Bevelaqua Wyoming, RI 11 19-12 0
5 Eric Corbella Salvia Mollerusa SPAIN 13 14-02 0
6 Russell Phillips Guilford, VT 11 13-08 0
7 Ken Golubjatnikov Pittsford, NY 8 12-08 0
8 Rob Messenger Sunapee, NH 10 12-04 0
9 Jeffrey Kenney Franklin, MA 8 10-05 0
SOUTHERN
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz
1 Coby Carden Shelby, AL 12 25-09 0
2 Chad Prough Bonifay, FL 12 18-15 0
3 Raleigh Todd Lexington, TN 11 18-02 0
4 Japie Botha Groblersdal SOUTH AFRIC 9 13-11 0
5 Will Duncan Conway, SC 8 13-10 0
6 Waine Pittman Villa Rica, GA 9 11-04 0
7 Rob Digh Denver, NC 7 10-09 0
8 Michael Boggs II Portsmouth, OH 8 08-06 0
9 Troy Danes New South Wales New Sou 2 02-05 0
MID-ATLANTIC
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz
1 Jeff Lugar Mcgaheysville, VA 15 25-02 0
2 Daniel Gray Butler, PA 14 24-01 0
3 Randy Huffman Charleston, WV 15 23-04 0
4 Stratos Orphanides MARONDERA ZIMBABWE 10 17-10 0
5 Rodney Rice Narrows, VA 12 16-02 0
6 Greg Alexander Hebron, MD 12 15-10 0
7 Michael Sentore Gloucester City, NJ 10 14-11 0
8 Brian Trieschman Ellicott City, MD 12 12-08 0
9 Max Pieper Windhoek NAMIBIA 10 10-09 0
10 Tony Choe Fairfax, VA 5 05-05 0