HENDERSON, N.C. – Ray Griffin of Henderson, N.C., topped 173 competitors on Kerr Lake this weekend with five bass weighing 16 pounds, 3 ounces to win $9,769 and 400 points on the boater side of the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League (BFL) Piedmont Division season finale.
After qualifying for the final round of the two-day Super Tournament in first place with an opening day catch of five bass weighing 13 pounds, 7 ounces, Griffin out fished runner up Todd Harris of Pfafftown, N.C., by 11 ounces to take the win.
Harris qualified for the final round in 18th place with three bass weighing 7 pounds, 10 ounces and finished up with a final round catch weighing 15 pounds, 8 ounces to win $4,885.
Wesley Cashwell of Roanoke Rapids, N.C., took third place and collected $2,442 with 10 pounds, 2 ounces. Kim Carver of Milledgeville, Ga., placed fourth and earned $2,117 with 10 pounds, while Bob Jennett of Kernersville, N.C., placed fifth and earned $1,954 with 7 pounds, 7 ounces. Jennett also earned a $1,000 bonus from Ranger Boats as the highest finishing participant in the Ranger Cup incentive program.
Michael Huminik of Dale City, Va., won the boater Big Bass Award and collected $1,730 with a 5-pound, 12-ounce bass on opening day.
First place in the Co-Angler Division and $4,885 went to Walter Whitman Jr. of Greensboro, N.C., who topped 173 competitors with a final round catch of five bass weighing 16 pounds, 2 ounces. Second place in the division and $2,442 went to James Patton of High Point, N.C., with 8 pounds, 12 ounces, while Charlie Reed Jr. of Hayes, Va., took third place and $1,221 with 8 pounds, 8 ounces.
Steven May Jr. of Radford, Va., won the co-angler Big Bass Award of $865 with a 5-pound, 8-ounce bass on opening day.
Chris Daves of Spring Grove, Va., landed the Divisional Points Championship and $1,000 with 1,103 points won during five regular season tournaments. Melvin Jennings of Altavista, Va., landed the Co-Angler Points Championship and $500 with 995 points.
The top 30 boaters and top 30 co-anglers in the Piedmont Division will advance to regional competition Oct. 9-13 on Chautauqua Lake near Jamestown, N.Y., where they will go up against top competitors from the Northeast, Buckeye and Michigan divisions for a shot at qualifying for the BFL All-American, which features an estimated purse of $345,000 and ranks as one of the most lucrative post-season tournaments in competitive angling. The top two boaters and co-anglers may also qualify for the Ranger M1 tournament in Mobile, Ala., Feb. 27-March 2, 2002, where they can win up to $1 million in the world’s richest freshwater tournament.
Awards for the 2001 BFL season could reach $5.7 million based on full fields at each tournament.
Sponsors of the 2001 Wal-Mart BFL are ALPO Pet Foods, BC Powder, BFGoodrich Tires, Black & Decker, Chevy Trucks, CITGO, Coleman, Conseco, Energizer, EverStart Batteries, Frito-Lay, FujiFilm, Garmin, Kellogg’s, Land O’Lakes, Mercury Marine, Minn Kota, Pepsi, Poulan, Pure Fishing, Ranger Boats, Snickers Cruncher Bar, Stren, Shop-Vac, Timex, US Bank, Visa, Weed Eater, Wrangler and Yamaha Outboards. ACDelco is an associate sponsor of the Wal-Mart BFL.