Octogenarian wins BFL at Shelbyville

Bobby McMullin, an 82-year-old resident of Pevely, Mo., caught a five-bass limit weighing 14 pounds, 3 ounces Saturday to win a BFL Illini Division event at Lake Shelbyville in Illinois. He collected $2,748 for his third career BFL victory.

According to the most up-to-date records, McMullin has competed in 254 tournaments with MLF and its predecessors, dating back to the Operation Bass Red Man Tournament Trail days that preceded the FLW era of the Bass Fishing League. Some Red Man records were lost in an office fire years ago, so the number of tournaments he’s entered is probably actually higher.

Whatever the exact total, McMullin is a diehard grassroots angler. He says he started fishing a lot more tournaments after he wrapped up a 37-year-long career at Chrysler back around 2001. He’s spent his long retirement enjoying competition and getting a few wins, including on Saturday.

“It means a lot to win one at 82 because I didn’t get a check at all last year,” he said. “That’s the first year I’ve ever gone without getting a check. I was about ready to give up. I had one keeper in the first tournament and won this one. It’s been a pretty good year so far.”

And in case you were wondering, McMullin is fully rigged with all the latest fish-finding technology – plus a good sense of humor.

“I’ve got LiveScope on the boat, but I don’t know how to use it,” he said with a chuckle.

As far as the fishing, McMullin claims it was all luck, though anyone who’s fished as long as he has knows there’s always more to winning than chance.

“I’m 82 years old, so I’m surprised I got bit the way I did,” he joked. “I only had one keeper yesterday (Friday in practice). I got there today and just had two small bass – 13-inchers. But as we got toward the back of the cove, the fishing picked up and it got better all the sudden. Then it cut off again after I got those fish. But I was able to catch one right a quittin’ time that gave me a limit.”

McMullin fished several coves in 3 to 5 feet of water. He stayed close to the takeoff area and kept his tactics simple, sticking with a confidence bait.

“I caught ’em on a blue (Yamamoto) Senko,” he said, adding that he fished it Texas-rigged with a light weight. “I had two baits tied on. I had a black Senko tied on, and I had a blue one, but I never did throw the black one. I caught all the fish on a blue one.”

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