Walser Wins Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League North Carolina Division Tournament
LITTLETON, N.C. (May 2, 2005) - Boater Robert Walser of Lexington earned
$2,874 Saturday as winner of the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League North
Carolina Division event on Lake Gaston. The tournament was the third of
five regular-season North Carolina Division events and earned Walser 200
points in the Boater Division.
Walser's winning catch of five bass weighed 17 pounds, 10 ounces. He was
fishing a spinnerbait and a buzzbait around stumps and grass when he
caught his bass. Walser earned an additional $1,000 as winner of the
Garmin Grand award.
Finishing second was Wally Szuba of Cary with five bass weighing 17
pounds, 5 ounces that earned him $1,437. Jeff Chandler of New London
claimed $940 as the third-place finisher thanks to five bass weighing 17
pounds, 3 ounces. In fourth was Flash Butts of Roanoke Rapids with five
bass weighing 15 pounds, 14 ounces worth $731, and finishing fifth and
earning $601 was Hank Cherry of Charlotte with five bass weighing 15
pounds, 10 ounces.
Butts earned an additional $500 as winner of the Ranger Cup award.
Spruce Benson of Salisbury took Boater Division big-bass award honors,
earning $400 for a 6-pound, 6-ounce bass. He caught his big bass on a
spinnerbait.
Nathan Webber of Kernersville earned $1,437 as the co-angler winner,
thanks to five bass weighing 15 pounds, 13 ounces that he caught on a
spinnerbait.
Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Brian K. Smith of Winston Salem
(five bass, 13 pounds, 10 ounces, $718); Kurt Koedyker of Hopewell, Va.
(three bass, 11 pounds, 5 ounces, $470); Robert Parrish of Albemarle (four
bass, 11 pounds, 3 ounces, $366); and David Lynch of Mooresville (four
bass, 8 pounds, 12 ounces, $300).
Junior Self of Vale earned $200 as the co-angler big-bass award winner
with a 6-pound, 8-ounce bass he caught on a jig.
The North Carolina Division's next event will be held June 4 on High Rock
Lake near Salisbury. The North Carolina Division will wrap up its regular
season Oct. 1-2 with a two-day Super Tournament on Lake Wylie near Lake
Wylie, S.C.
Following the regular season, the North Carolina Division boater with the
most points will earn $1,000 as the Yamaha "Be the Best" points champion.
The co-angler amassing the most points will earn $500 as the Yamaha "Be
the Best" points champion in the Co-angler Division.
Every angler who receives weight credit in a tournament earns points,
with 200 points going to the winner, 199 for second, 198 for third, and so
on except for Super Tournaments, which award 300 points to the winner, 299
for second, 298 for third, and so on. The top 40 North Carolina Division
boaters and co-anglers based on year-end points standings will advance to
the Clarks Hill Lake Regional near Augusta, Ga., Oct. 11-15 where they
will compete against Choo Choo, Dixie, and Shenandoah division anglers for
one of six slots in the 2006 All-American.
The $8.4 million Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League features 28 divisions
nationwide. In BFL competition, boaters and co-anglers are randomly
paired, with boaters supplying the boat and fishing against other boaters
and co-anglers fishing from the back deck against other co-anglers. For
more information or to enter a tournament, call (270) 252-1000 or visit
FLWOutdoors.com.
