SALISBURY, N.C. (May 18, 2026) – Boater Troy Watson of Mount Airy, North Carolina, caught a five-bass limit weighing 20 pounds, 6 ounces, to win the Bass Fishing League (BFL) tournament on High Rock Lake. The tournament was the third of five events of the season for the BFL Piedmont Division. Watson earned $2,980 for the win.
Watson put together his winning bag by capitalizing on an early-morning shad spawn bite before making a key adjustment later in the day. He got off to a fast start with a topwater presentation during low-light conditions, building momentum before the bite began to fade.
“Started off with a shad spawn in the morning and got it done with a Megabass popper real early,” Watson said.
When the action slowed, Watson changed gears and moved to a bridge, where a dropshot-rig produced the biggest bass of his tournament – a 5-pound, 9-ounce kicker that anchored his winning limit. The timely adjustment helped him separate himself from the field and secure the victory at High Rock Lake.
Watson credited more than just fishing decisions for the win, pointing first to his faith and support system.
“I think the key to victory was the good Lord above,” he said. “And I want to credit my parents – I’ve got a great support team.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament:
1st: Troy Watson, Mount Airy, N.C., five bass, 20-6, $2,980
2nd: Conrad Manuel, Pilot Mountain, N.C., five bass, 20-4, $1,420
3rd: Otis Darnell, Linden, Va., five bass, 19-2, $840
4th: Andrew George, Poplar Branch, N.C., five bass, 19-1, $1,100 (includes $500 Phoenix Bonus)
5th: Steve Allender, Fallston, Md., five bass, 18-11, $530
6th: Ben Reynolds, Callands, Va., five bass, 18-6, $455
6th: Donghyeon Kim, Ridgefield, N.J., five bass, 18-6, $455
8th: Adam Flora, Red House, W. Va., five bass, 18-1, $430
9th: Chris Brummett, Lynch Station, Va., five bass, 17-15, $410
10th: Carl Enos, Bracey, Va., five bass, 17-7, $400
Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Boater winner Troy Watson and fellow boater Otis Darnell split the Big Bass Boater award, as each landed a 5-pound, 9-ouncer, and each took home $100 after splitting the $200 prize. Jean Lacerte of Elm City, North Carolina, earned the victory in the co-angler division on Saturday with three bass weighing 12 pounds, 13 ounces. Lacerte earned $1,490 for his victory.
The top 10 co-anglers finished:
1st: Jean Lacerte, Elm City, N.C., three bass, 12-13, $1,490
2nd: Allen Haigh, Prospect Hill, N.C., three bass, 9-14, $760
3rd: Chip Crews, Trinity, N.C., three bass, 9-13, $370
4th: Shane Clark, Statesville, N.C., three bass, 9-6, $300
5th: Sean Tobatto, Greensboro, N.C., three bass, 9-1, $247
5th: David Everly, Conway, S.C., three bass, 9-1, $247
7th: James Roten, West Jefferson, N.C., three bass, 8-13, $230
8th: Demon Pittman, Timberlake, N.C., three bass, 8-12, $215
9th: Bart Hill, Clemmons, N.C., three bass, 8-11, $210
10th: Robert Wedding, Welcome, Md., three bass, 8-10, $300
Lacert also caught the Berkley Big Bass, landing a 5-pound, 10-ounce kicker to with the co-angler award and $100.
After three events, Chris Brummett of Lynch Station, Virginia, now leads the 7 Brew Piedmont Division Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 716 points, while Allen Haigh of Prospect Hill, North Carolina, leads the Piedmont Division Co-Angler of the Year race with 737 points.
https://www.bassresource.com/bass_fishing_123/bfl-high-rock-51826.html
Bass Fishing League (BFL) News