BAINBRIDGE, Ga. – Steve Kennedy of Hoover, Ala., outpaced 200 competitors Saturday with five bass weighing 18 pounds, 15 ounces to win $6,000 and 200 points on the boater side of the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League (BFL) Bulldog Division opener on Lake Seminole.
Kennedy edged out Frank Jordan Jr. of Bainbridge, Ga., by 1 pound, 3 ounces in the one-day event that set out from Earl May Park Basin. Jordan finished with a five-bass catch weighing 17 pounds, 12 ounces to win $3,000. Kennedy caught the majority of his bass on a black trick worm while fishing off-river pockets for bedding fish.
Jim Blanchard of Albany, Ga., took third place and collected 1,500 with five bass weighing 16 pounds, 14 ounces. Darryl Stewart of Slocomb, Ala., placed fourth and earned $1,300 with five bass weighing 15 pounds, 14 ounces. He also won an additional $500 as the highest finishing participant in the Ranger Cup incentive program. Hubert Stafford of Colquitt, Ga., placed fifth and earned $1,200 with five bass weighing 15 pounds, 11 ounces.
Bobby Padgett of Columbus, Ga., won the boater Big Bass Award and collected $1,000 with a 7-pound, 4-ounce bass. He caught the bass on a green, Carolina-rigged lizard while fishing the main lake.
First place in the Co-Angler Division and $3,000 went to Marcus Rickets of Crawfordville, Fla., who topped 200 competitors with five bass weighing 12 pounds, 1 ounce. Second place in the division and $1,500 went to Doug Corman of Hinesville, Ga., with five bass weighing 12 pounds, while Lyle Burns of Bishop, Ga., took third place and $750 with three bass weighing 10 pounds, 9 ounces.
Eddie Cash of Covington, Ga., won the co-angler Big Bass Award of $500 with a 6-pound, 1-ounce bass. He caught the bass on a Carolina rig while fishing main lake bars.
Overall, 545 bass weighing 1,145 pounds, 11 ounces were caught during the tournament, including 29 five bass limits.
On March 17, the BFL will visit Lake Eufaula for the second of five events in the Bulldog Division. The boater with the most points after the division’s season finale, a two-day Super Tournament Sept. 29-30 on Lake Sinclair, will be declared the Divisional Points Champion and awarded $1,000. The co-angler amassing the most points by the end of the season will receive $500.
The top 30 boaters and top 30 co-anglers in the Bulldog Division will advance to regional competition Oct. 23-27 on Wateree Lake near Camden,
S.C., where they will go up against top competitors from the Gator, Mountain and Bama divisions for a shot at qualifying for the $250,000 All-American.
Awards for the 2001 BFL season could reach $5.7 million based on full fields at each tournament.