Wolak wins Wal-Mart BFL Shenandoah Division tournament
MONETA, Va. – David Wolak of Warrior Run, Pa., topped 199 Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League competitors Saturday on Smith Mountain Lake with five bass weighing 16 pounds, 9 ounces. The catch earned him $5,011 and 200 points in the Boater Division.
Wolak’s catch topped second-place boater Steve Roberts of Lynchburg by 1 pound, 8 ounces. Roberts finished the one-day tournament with a five-bass catch weighing 15 pounds, 1 ounce worth $2,506.
Wayne Jennings of Prince George (four bass, 13 pounds, 2 ounces, $1,704); Chris Jennings of Altavista (five bass, 12 pounds, 4 ounces, $1,303); and Terry Olinger of The Plains (five bass, 12 pounds, 3 ounces, $1,102) rounded out the top five boaters.
Tony Woodard of Four Oaks, N.C., earned a $500 bonus from Ranger Boats for being the highest-finishing participant in the Ranger Cup incentive program. Woodard also earned $995 as the big-bass winner thanks to a 7-pound, 4-ounce bass.
Charlie Beale of Danville (three bass, 7 pounds, 6 ounces) and William Price of Blacksburg (four bass, 7 pounds, 6 ounces) tied for first place in the 199-competitor Co-angler Division. Both earned $1,879 for the win. They surpassed second-place co-angler Gerald Dye of Honaker by 6 ounces. Dye finished with a two-bass catch weighing 7 pounds worth $852.
Tied for fourth place were Stephen Semelsberger Jr. of Mount Airy, Md. (two bass, 6 pounds, 3 ounces) and John Murphy of Chesterfield (three bass, 6 pounds, 3 ounces). Both earned $601 for their catch.
John Miller of Christiansburg earned big-bass honors and $498 in his division with a 5-pound, 9-ounce bass.
The Wal-Mart BFL will visit the Potomac River April 26 for the second of five Shenandoah Division events. The boater with the most points after the division’s season finale, a two-day Super Tournament Sept. 27-28 on the Potomac River, will be declared the Yamaha “Be the Best” Points Leader and awarded $1,000. The co-angler amassing the most points by the end of the season will receive $500.
The top 30 Shenandoah Division boaters and co-anglers will advance to regional competition Oct. 7-11 on Lake Chautauqua near Jamestown, N.Y., where they will go up against top competitors from the Buckeye, Michigan and Northeast divisions for a shot at qualifying for the Wal-Mart BFL All-American – one of the most lucrative postseason tournaments in competitive angling.
As much as $6 million will be awarded in the 2003 Wal-Mart BFL.
For more information or to enter a tournament, call (270) 252-1000 or browse this Web site.
Editor’s Note: Ranger Cup award winners are pending verification by Ranger Boats and thus are unofficial at this time.