Harness wins Wal-Mart BFL tournament on Ohio River

Brandon Harness of Bethel, Ohio, outpaced 117 competitors with four bass weighing 7 pounds, 4 ounces to win $4,208 and 200 points. Angler: Brandon Harness.

July 21, 2001 • MLF • Archives

LAWRENCEBURG, Ind. – Brandon Harness of Bethel, Ohio, outpaced 117 competitors Saturday with four bass weighing 7 pounds, 4 ounces to win $4,208 and 200 points on the boater side of the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League (BFL) Buckeye Division tournament on the Ohio River.

Harness edged out Jim Willoughby of Amelia, Ohio, by 1 pound, 1 ounce in the one-day event that set out from the Lawrenceburg ramp. Willoughby finished with a four-bass catch weighing 6 pounds, 3 ounces to win $2,104. Harness caught his bass using jigs around stumps.

Mark Hurst of Troy, Ohio, took third place and collected $1,052 with three bass weighing 4 pounds, 10 ounces. He also earned a $500 bonus from Ranger Boats as the highest finishing participant in the Ranger Cup incentive program.

Terry Squire of Medina, Ohio, placed fourth and earned $912 with two bass weighing 4 pounds, 8 ounces, while Ken Jones of Shelby, Ohio, placed fifth and earned $842 with three bass weighing 4 pounds, 5 ounces.

Darrell Turner of Middletown, Ohio, won the boater Big Bass Award and collected $585 with a 3-pound, 12-ounce bass that he caught on a white, ¼-ounce spinnerbait.

First place in the Co-Angler Division and $2,086 went to Eric Meachem of Marion, Ohio, who topped 117 competitors with two bass weighing 4 pounds. Second place in the division and $1,043 went to Stephen Bayless Sr. of Piqua, Ohio, with one bass weighing 3 pounds, 14 ounces, while Eric Scott of Mogadore, Ohio, took third place and $522 with one bass weighing 3 pounds, 6 ounces.

Bayless won the co-angler Big Bass Award of $290 with a 3-pound, 14-ounce bass that he caught on a brown jig wile fishing in Hogan creek.

Overall, 111 bass were caught during the tournament.

The Wal-Mart BFL will visit Sandusky Bay Sept. 8-9 for the division’s season finale, a two-day Super Tournament that will determine the Divisional Points Champion who will be 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 Buckeye 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, Piedmont and Michigan 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.