Jeff Sullivan of Frostproof won the co-angler division in the Bassmaster Southern Open on Wheeler Lake in North Alabama.
Sullivan earned a Triton/Mercury boat package valued at $32,000 with the victory on Saturday. He weighed in 32 pounds, 10 ounces over three days with a green pumpkin Zoom Ultravibe Craw and a 1/2-ounce Gambler football jig rigged with a Gambler Flappy Daddy craw. Chris Payne of Alabama won the pro title wire-to-wire with 45 1/2 pounds. Sullivan led the Polk County contingent of seven pros and two co-anglers in the tour’s second of three events this season. Lee Sisson of Winter Haven finished 20th in the pro division with 34 pounds. Arnie Lane of Lakeland took 25th at 31 pounds, 1 ounce. Kyle Fox of Lakeland just missed the cut to the top 30 for the finals, settling for 34th with 22 pounds, 6 ounces. Bobby Lane of Lakeland was 48th at 20 3/4 pounds.
Also missing the cut were Will Evans of Polk City (67th), Chris Lane of Winter Haven (84th) and Cecil Douberly of Lakeland (150th).