Ray Hanselman became the first Rayovac FLW Series angler to ever win three consecutive events in one division in a single season on Saturday as he claimed the trophy at the Texas Division derby at Lake Texoma. His 18-09 final-day sack gave him a 3-day total of 58-13, which topped the field by 12 pounds.
"The win really hasn’t sunk in yet," he said. "I tried to keep the record out of my mind so I wouldn’t get nervous fishing. I just came into this event focused on winning Angler of the Year.”
Hanselman said he targeted mid-lake pockets, particularly where there was a separation between the bank and flooded weeds.
“The fish feed in there and there’s some spawning going on so the larger males tend to guard the area,” Hanselman said.
He said the flooded creeks and tributaries that filled the lake with red, muddy water worked to his advantage.
“Anglers abandoned their favorite spots to try and find the cleanest water. I was lucky and found water that was stained but not muddy. If that flood wouldn’t have happened a few days prior to the tournament, I wouldn’t have won.”
Full details of his winning pattern will be posted in the coming days.
Here are the totals for the final Top 10:
1. Ray Hanselman: 58-13
2. Bradley Hallman: 46-13
3. Nick Lebrun: 46-06
4. Joe Don Setina: 45-13
5. Jeff Reynolds: 39-04
6. Cody Bird: 38-02
7. Brian Ankrum: 33-03
8. Robert Brown: 32-09
9. Russell Cecil: 31-08
10. Craig Frilot: 23-04
