Reault wins Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League tournament on Lake St. Clair

David Reault (left) of Livonia, Mich., outpaced 74 competitors Saturday with five bass weighing 19 pounds, 2 ounces to win $3,069 and 200 points on the boater side on Lake St. Clair. First place in the Co-Angler Division and $1,535 went to Charles Hasty of Toledo, Ohio, who topped 74 competitors with five bass weighing 14 pounds, 12 ounces. Anglers: David Reault, Chuck Hasty.

August 18, 2001 • MLF • Archives

DETROIT – David Reault of Livonia, Mich., outpaced 74 competitors Saturday with five bass weighing 19 pounds, 2 ounces to win $3,069 and 200 points on the boater side of the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League (BFL) Michigan Division tournament on Lake St. Clair.

Reault edged out Steve Clapper of Lima, Ohio, by 7 ounces in the one-day event that set out from Metro Beach Metropark in Mt. Clemens, Mich. Clapper finished with a five-bass catch weighing 18 pounds, 11 ounces to win $1,535. Reault caught his limit using a ¾-ounce white spinnerbait and jerkbait along sand breaks and weed edges. In addition to his tournament winnings, Reault received a $1,000 bonus from Ranger Boats as the highest finishing participant in the Ranger Cup incentive program. He also collected a $1,000 bonus as part of the GARMIN Grand Giveaway for winning the tournament while using a fixed-mount GARMIN sonar. This put his total earning for the tournament at $5,069

Andy Sanders of Ottawa, Ohio, took third place and collected $767 with five bass weighing 16 pounds, 15 ounces. Cecil Cole of Durand, Mich, placed fourth and earned $665 with five bass weighing 16 pounds, 8 ounces, while David Likens of Angola, Ind., placed fifth and earned $614 with five bass weighing 15 pounds, 9 ounces.

Cecil Cole of Durand, Mich., won the boater Big Bass Award and collected $370 with a 4-pound, 6-ounce bass that he caught on a smoke-colored tubebait.

First place in the Co-Angler Division and $1,535 went to Charles Hasty of Toledo, Ohio, who topped 74 competitors with five bass weighing 14 pounds, 12 ounces. Second place in the division and $767 went to Bob Snyder of Marion, Ind., with five bass weighing 12 pounds, 12 ounces, while Eric Ling of Washington, Mich., took third place and $384 with five bass weighing 12 pounds, 7 ounces.

Tim McCafferty of Canton, Mich., and Bruce Bailey of Churubusco, Ind., tied for the co-angler Big Bass Award. Each man caught a 5-pound, 2-ounce bass and received $92.

Overall, 373 bass were caught during the tournament, including 33 five-bass limits.

The Wal-Mart BFL will visit the Detroit River Sept. 15-16 for the Michigan Division’s season-ending 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 Michigan 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, Piedmont and Michigan divisions for a shot at qualifying for the $250,000 All-American. 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.