Lake Murray, SC – In a powerful display of consistency and knowledge, Andy Wicker of Columbia, South Carolina, emerged victorious at the 2024 American Fishing Tour (AFT) National Championship, held on the scenic waters of Lake Murray. Wicker not only captured the championship title but also clinched Angler of the Year, earning a Caymas Boat powered by Mercury Outboards for his efforts.
“I stuck to a full-on herring pattern all week,” said Wicker. “Flukes, swimbaits, and topwaters—those were my key baits. Most of the fish were shallow, around three feet, but the bite changed during the day. The storms made it tough, especially today. I only caught about seven fish, but they were the right ones.”
Wicker, who spent years fishing Lake Murray while attending school in Anderson, used his familiarity with the lake’s herring bite to edge out a strong field of the nation’s top weekend anglers. He caught 15–20 fish on day one, 12–15 on day two, and just seven on the final day—enough to seal the win.
After the Day One weigh-in, Wicker sat in third place with a solid 25.88-pound bag. Justin Raines set the pace early with a massive 27.79 pounds, while Bradley Day secured second with an impressive 26.25 pounds.
On Day Two, Wicker mounted a strong charge, weighing in 26.63 pounds to take the lead with a two-day total of 50.97 pounds—just 1.67 pounds ahead of Raines. With such a slim margin, the championship was still very much up for grabs heading into the final day.
Wicker stepped up on Championship Friday and delivered a final-day bag of 20.67 pounds, bringing his total to 71.64 pounds. With the title on the line, Raines followed at the scales and weighed in 19.66 pounds, bringing his three-day total to 68.96 pounds.
With a final margin of 2.68 pounds, Andy Wicker was crowned the 2024 AFT National Champion and also claimed the prestigious Angler of the Year title.
Taking second place was Justin Raines of Eastlake, South Carolina, who also earned a Caymas-Mercury prize package. Raines relied on a mobile strategy, rotating through 10–12 spots each day and burning as much as 40 gallons of gas daily to stay on fish.
“I kept it simple and fished a lot of herring stuff,” said Raines. “I threw a Zoom fluke in Giver Blue most of the time, sometimes switched to a caffeine shad. Day one I had 27 pounds and a limit in about an hour and a half. By day three, I had a limit in ten minutes.”
Bradley Day, from Anderson, South Carolina, claimed third place by combining a morning topwater bite with a brush pile pattern later in the day. “The first day was insane—I probably caught 40 largemouth,” Day said. “I rotated two or three shallow points and used flukes, topwaters, and shaky heads. Day three, it just died. I only caught seven fish.”
Dalton Tankersley, from Blue Ridge, Georgia, finished in fifth place, thanks to a fast-paced run-and-gun strategy. “I was fishing cane piles and schools on points,” he said. “A pearl white fluke was the deal. I covered 98 miles the first day, 85 the second, and 103 today.”
Big Bass each day was:
Day 1: Johnny Smith from Albany, GA, 6.52 lbs – $1600 cash
Day 2: Andy Wicker, 6.84 lbs – $1600 cash (over all biggest bass of the event)
Day 3: Rick Streich, 6.60 lbs – $1600 cash
Also, a part of the American Fishing Tour Championship recognizes the top anglers from each competition team (Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard/DHS, Non-Military, and Lady Anglers). Each Competition team AOY was also given a full set of WattCycle Trolling 100Ah trolling batteries.
Army Service Team
1 Kenneth Draskovic
2 Timothy Kelley
3 Karl Youngblood
3 George Kunkle III
5 Paul Selle
Army Angler of the Year – Kenneth Draskovic
Navy Service Team
1 Richard Plemons
2 Lance Eckford
3 William Nelson
4 Tom O’Bryant
5 Johnny Smith
Navy Angler of the Year – Richard Plemons
Air Force Service Team
1 Barry Woodward
2 John Lambert
3 Randy McFadden
4 James Wilson
5 Gerald Powe
Air Force Angler of the Year – Barry Woodward
Marine Service Team
1 James Brown
2 Scott Randall
3 Jamie Andries
4 Paul Dunn
5 Eric Riffer
Marine Corps Angler of the Year – James Brown
Homeland Security Service Team
1 Rodney Cromer
2 Kevin Thomas
3 Richard Bates
4 Joseph Toth
5 Chuck Cunningham
Coast Gaurd/Homeland Security Angler of the Year – Rodney Cromer
Non Military
1 Justin Raines
1 Andy Wicker
3 Joshua Rennebaum
4 Dalton Tankersly
5 Bradley Day
Eagle Team (non-military) Angler of the Year – Justin Raines
Lady Anglers
1 Gretta Pittman
2 Cathy Eades
3 Amy Taylor
4 Olivia Hendricks
5 Delores Hunter
Lady Team Angler of the Year – Gretta Pittman
Hosted by Capital City/Lake Murray Country, the championship welcomed anglers from across the country to compete on one of the Southeast’s most renowned fisheries. Known for its clear waters and productive herring spawn, Lake Murray set the stage for a week of top-level grassroots competition.
The 2024 Championship was made possible thanks to support from dedicated sponsors, including Caymas Boats, Mercury Marine, T-H Marine, Power Pole, WattCycle Batteries, Hotel Planner.com. Their commitment to American Bass Anglers and the weekend tournament angler continues to elevate the championship experience for every competitor.
WattCycle Winners! Each winner received a complete set of WattCycle 100Ah Lithium Trolling Batteries.
With a patriotic opening ceremony, competitive field, and outstanding host community, the 2024 AFT Championship at Lake Murray once again highlighted why American Bass Anglers remains the home for grassroots bass fishing excellence.
The AFT Championship for 2025, the American Fishing Tour Championship, will be held on Lake Eufaula, AL October 8-10, 2025.
About American Bass Anglers
American Bass Anglers is dedicated to organizing affordable, local tournaments for weekend anglers while offering opportunities for individual angler advancement. To learn more about American Bass Anglers, including the Team Series, American Fishing Tour, American Couples Series, annual Military Team Bass Tournament, ABA Team Series, Top 150 Solo Tour, and Professional League, all presented by Caymas Boats, please visit www.americanbassanglers.com or call (256) 232-0406.
American Bass Anglers is proud to be sponsored by Caymas Boats, Mercury Marine, T-H Marine, Power Pole, WattCycle Batteries, Hotel Planner.com, and LurePartsOnline.com.
For more information, visit www.americanbassanglers.com
Courtesy of American Bass Anglers.
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