Hometown favorite Gil Summerlin won the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Weekend Series, operated by American Bass Anglers, Alabama North Division 1 championship tournament, held Sept. 17-18, 2011, on Lake Guntersville.

Running out of Val-Monte Lakeside Resort Landing near his hometown of Guntersville, Ala., Summerlin landed nine bass weighing 28.93 pounds. He caught 9.04 pounds on Day 1, but jumped into the Boater Division winner circle with a 19.89-pound effort, by far the biggest sack on Day 2. For the win, Summerlin collected $4,117.

“I only fished two areas,” Summerlin said. “I caught most of my fish on a swimming jig, but I also caught some on a frog. I was fishing the mid-river area.”

In second for the 63 boaters, Casey Whitehead of Robbinsville, N.C., landed nine bass for 26.95 pounds with a 5.49-pound kicker. He landed 9.44 pounds on Day 1 and added 17.51 pounds on Day 2 to collect $2,059. One week earlier, he won the Tennessee East Division 4 championship tournament, also held on Lake Guntersville, with a two-day limit of 10 bass weighing 33.28 pounds.

“I’ve been fishing in the same spot for about a month,” Whitehead confessed. “I ran for about an hour. I lost big fish after big fish on the first day. I caught all my fish on a frog.”

Taking third for the boaters, Alex D. Davis of Guntersville, Ala., landed eight bass going 26.50 pounds. Holding second on Day 1 with 17.75 pounds, he added 8.75 pounds the following day to pocket $1,372.

“I fished the same spots, but didn’t get the bites on the second day,” Davis said. “I got seven bites on Day 1 and three on Day 2. I flipped a 1-ounce weight with a green pumpkin Sweet Beaver on the main river.”

Just behind, Allan Glasgow of Ashville, Ala., caught two consecutive five-bass daily tournament limits of 26.38 pounds with weights of 13.98 and 12.40 pounds. Rick Armstrong Owens of Cross Roads, Ala., brought in nine bass for 24.50 pounds with catches of 9.76 and 14.74 pounds for fifth place. Darian Kyle of Athens, Ala., landed the division lunker, a 6.46-pound bucketmouth on Day 1 to earn $472.

“I caught the big one on my third cast after a 30-minute run,” Kyle said. “It hit a frog way back in the grass. I lost some good fish.”