Crumpton wins Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League tournament on Arkansas River

Wayne Crumpton of Royal, Ark., used a catch of 11 pounds, 2 ounces to capture first place in the Angler Division at the May 5 Wal-Mart BFL tournament on the Arkansas River.

May 5, 2001 • MLF • Archives

PINE BLUFF, Ark. – Wayne Crumpton of Royal, Ark., outpaced 89 competitors Saturday with four bass weighing 11 pounds, 2 ounces to win $3,526 and 200 points on the boater side of the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League (BFL) Arkie Division tournament on the Arkansas River.

Crumpton, who also won $1,000 as the highest finishing participant in the Ranger Cup incentive program, edged out Shannon Pierce of Pine Bluff, Ark., by 1 pound, 10 ounces in the one-day event that set out from Pine Bluff Regional Park. Pierce finished with a five-bass catch weighing 9 pounds, 8 ounces to win $1,763. Crumpton caught his bass using crankbaits and Carolina rigs during the rainy, windy day.

Russell Carothers of Pine Bluff, Ark., took third place and collected $881 with five bass weighing 9 pounds, 7 ounces. Scott Davis of Sheridan, Ark., placed fourth and earned $764 with four bass weighing 8 pounds, 15 ounces, while Brad Smith of Van Buren, Ark., placed fifth and earned $705 with three bass weighing 8 pounds, 7 ounces.

Steve Howard of Conway, Ark., won the boater Big Bass Award and collected $445 with a 4-pound, 4-ounce bass that he caught in Pine Bluff Harbor on a Zara Spook.

First place in the Co-Angler Division and $1,763 went to Randy Staggs of Atkins, Ark., who topped 89 competitors with five bass weighing 9 pounds, 13 ounces. Second place in the division and $881 went to Bruce Glover of Conway, Ark., with four bass weighing 8 pounds, 4 ounces, while Jeff Hicks of Sheridan, Ark., took third place and $441 with two bass weighing 7 pounds, 12 ounces.

Glover also won the co-angler Big Bass Award of $222 with a 5-pound, 2-ounce bass that he caught on the main river using a yellow lizard.

Overall, 208 bass were caught during the tournament, including 9 five-bass limits.

The BFL will visit Lake Dardanelle for the fourth of five events in the Arkie Division. The boater with the most points after the division’s season finale, a two-day Super Tournament Sept. 15-16 on the Arkansas River, 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 Arkie Division will advance to regional competition Oct. 16-20 on the Red River near Shreveport, La., where they will go up against top competitors from the Cowboy, Okie and Mississippi 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.