Gamble pays off
Angler hooks first major title of season
Toowoomba’s Cody Haynes has hooked the first major title of B.A.S.S. Australia Nation Series 5.
Reeling in nearly 4kg of Wilson River bass, Haynes won the Wilson River Rumble - 670 grams ahead of his nearest rival.
Haynes said he took a massive gamble at the tournament near Lismore in New South Wales but it paid off handsomely.
“I took the boat close to 90 minutes down river where the water is a lot shallower and more tidal,” Haynes said.
“It was a massive gamble but it’s a fantastic spot and I hooked plenty of fish.”
Haynes also changed his technique approach during the Friday pre-fish prior to last weekend’s tournament.
“I was originally going to use spinner baits,” he said.
“But I changed things up a little and went with crank baits because I found that technique was getting the
bigger hits in the pre-fish.”
The win gives Haynes an early advantage in the race
to claim the coveted Angler of the Year title, a title he won as a non-boater in the past.
“This is my third year in the pro division after two years as a non-boater. I won Angler of the Year as a non-boater and I’d love to win it as a pro.”
Winning the bass series and the AOY title brings with it a lucrative reward: The winner gains entry into the Bassmaster Classic in America.
The classic is considered to be the most prestigious title in fishing worldwide.
Haynes’ next tournament will be the Glenbawn Challenge in NSW.