Mauldin wins Wal-Mart BFL Cowboy Division tourney

David Mauldin of Tomball, Texas, won first place in the Boater Division at the March 16 Wal-Mart BFL event on Sam Rayburn Reservoir. Mauldin, who weighed in five bass weighing 23 pounds, 15 ounces, earned $5,000 for his efforts. Angler: David Mauldin.

March 16, 2002 • MLF • Archives

JASPER, Texas – David Mauldin of Tomball, Texas, topped 200 Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League competitors Saturday on Sam Rayburn Reservoir with five bass weighing 23 pounds, 15 ounces. The catch earned him $5,000 and 200 points in the Boater Division.

Mauldin caught his limit while sight fishing in Buck Bay with a crawfish tube bait. The catch topped second-place boater Charles King of Shreveport, La., by 2 pounds, 11 ounces. King finished the one-day tournament with a five-bass catch weighing 21 pounds, 4 ounces worth $2,500.

Scott David of Goodrich, Texas (five bass, 20 pounds, 13 ounces, $1,500); Archie Hayley of Mount Vernon, Texas (five bass, 20 pounds, 6 ounces, $1,200); and John Pierce of Rockwall, Texas, (five bass, 19 pounds, 13 ounces, $1,100) rounded out the top-five boaters.

Mark Richards of Houston earned boater big bass honors and $1,000 with a 9-pound, 3-ounce bass that he caught on a watermelon colored floating worm while fishing buck brush in the lake’s north end. He finished in 18th place overall with five bass weighing 16 pounds, 1 ounce.

Kelly Jones Jr. of Deer Park, Texas, received a $500 bonus from Ranger Boats as the highest finishing participant in the Ranger Cup incentive program. He finished sixth with a four-bass catch weighing 19 pounds, 12 ounces.

Joe Daw of Spring, Texas, claimed first place and $2,500 in the 200-competitor Co-angler Division with five bass weighing 16 pounds, 13 ounces. He surpassed second-place co-angler Rick Westfall of Houston by 1 pound, 1 ounce. Westfall finished with a five-bass catch weighing 15 pounds, 12 ounces worth $1,250.

Lee Saenz of Nacogdoches, Texas (five bass, 14 pounds, 5 ounces, $750); Michael Bass of Austin, Texas (three bass, 14 pounds, 3 ounces, $600); and Teddy Mendoza of Pitkin, La., (five bass, 13 pounds, 7 ounces, $550) rounded out the top-five co-anglers. Bass also earned big bass honors and $500 in his division with a 9-pound, 1-ounce bass.
Overall, 95 five-bass limits were caught during the tournament.

The Wal-Mart BFL will visit Lake Livingston May 18 for the third of five Cowboy Division events. The boater with the most points after the division’s season finale, a two-day Super Tournament Sept. 28-29 on Sam Rayburn Reservoir 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 Cowboy Division boaters and co-anglers will advance to regional competition Oct. 22-26 on the Pearl River near Slidell, La., where they will go up against top competitors from the Arkie, Bama and Mississippi divisions for a shot at qualifying for the Wal-Mart BFL All-American – one of the most lucrative post-season tournaments in competitive angling.

2002 BFL awards could reach $7 million based on full fields.