Riley wins Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League tournament on Lake Santee Cooper

Pro angler Brent Riley of Ridgeville, S.C., finished in first place in the March 24 Wal-Mart BFL event on Lake Santee Cooper. Riley, who landed an incredible 35-pound, 5-ounce catch, received $5,966 for his efforts. Angler: Brent Riley.

March 24, 2001 • MLF • Archives

MANNING, S.C. – Brent Riley, 40, of Ridgeville, S.C., nearly doubled the weight of his closest competitor Saturday on Lake Santee Cooper as he won $5,966 and 200 points on the boater side of the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League (BFL) Carolina Division tournament with a five-bass limit weighing 35 pounds, 5 ounces.

Jay Brown of Kingstree, S.C., finished a distant second in the one-day event that set out from the John C. Land III Boating and Sportfishing Facility near Summerton, S.C., with four bass weighing 17 pounds, 14 ounces. Brown earned $2,983 for his catch.

Riley caught his impressive limit, which included a 10-pound, 1-ounce largemouth worth $980 as the biggest bass in the Boater Division, by slowly fishing a spinnerbait.

Mark Rohdenburg of Conway, S.C., took third place and collected $1,492 with five bass weighing 17 pounds, 5 ounces. Norm Attaway of N. Augusta, S.C., placed fourth and earned $1,293 with five bass weighing 16 pounds, 8 ounces, while Cecil Wolfe III of Goose Creek, S.C., placed fifth and earned $1,193 with five bass weighing 13 pounds, 8 ounces.

First place in the Co-Angler Division and $2,953 went to Grady Allen, 54, of Columbia, S.C., who topped 200 competitors with five bass weighing 11 pounds, 15 ounces. Second place in the division and $1,476 went to Joe Madden of Moncks Corner, S.C., with four bass weighing 10 pounds, 10 ounces, while Dave Murdock of Florence, S.C., took third place and $738 with three bass weighing 9 pounds, 15 ounces.

John Sturkie, 37, of Swansea, S.C., won the co-angler Big Bass Award of $485 with a 6-pound, 9-ounce bass that he caught on a 1/2-ounce white spinnerbait.

Boater Bo Chappell of Olanta, S.C., won $500 as the highest finishing participant in the Ranger Cup incentive program. He finished in ninth place with five bass weighing 11 pounds, 14 ounces.

Overall, 352 bass weighing 943 pounds, 3 ounces were caught during the tournament, including 12 five-bass limits.

The BFL will visit Lake Wateree April 28 for the third of five events in the Carolina Division. The boater with the most points after the division’s season finale, a two-day Super Tournament Sept. 29-30 on Lake Wylie, 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 Carolina Division will advance to regional competition Oct. 9-13 on Weiss Lake near Cedar Bluff, Ala., where they will go up against top competitors from the Ozark, Choo Choo and Illini 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.