Atkinson wins Wal-Mart BFL Carolina Division tournament

Greg Atkinson from Lugoff, S.C., topped 136 Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League competitors Saturday on Lake Wateree.

June 15, 2002 • MLF • Archives

CAMDEN, S.C. – Greg Atkinson from Lugoff, S.C., topped 136 Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League competitors Saturday on Lake Wateree with five bass weighing 17 pounds, 14 ounces. The catch earned him $3,776 and 200 points in the Boater Division.

Atkinson caught his limit with crankbaits and buzzbaits near humps and points. The catch topped second-place boater Johnny Barfield of Hartsville, S.C., by 1 pound, 7 ounces. Barfield finished the one-day tournament with a five-bass catch weighing 16 pounds, 7 ounces worth $1,888.

Joey Bramlett of Darlington, S.C. (five bass, 14 pounds, 2 ounces, $1,133); Michael Peach of Lancaster, S.C. (five bass, 12 pounds, 13 ounces, $906); and Roger Fulk of Clemmons, N.C., (five bass, 12 pounds, 8 ounces, $831) rounded out the top five boaters. Fulk received a $500 bonus from Ranger Boats as the highest-finishing participant in the Ranger Cup incentive program.

Randy Brown of Lugoff, S.C., earned boater big bass honors and $680 with a 5-pound, 2-ounce bass that he caught with a Pop R in 3 feet of water. He finished in 57th place overall with this one-bass catch.

Kerry Murphy of Mooresville, N.C., claimed first place and $1,860 in the 134-competitor Co-angler Division with five bass weighing 9 pounds, 14 ounces. He surpassed second-place co-angler Bud Moser of Monroe, N.C., by 13 ounces thanks to the tubes, jigs and worms he was fishing up river near piers. Moser finished with a five-bass catch weighing 9 pounds, 1 ounce worth $930.

Timothy Schneider of Gastonia, N.C. (three bass, 8 pounds, 11 ounces, $558); Jeff Stidom of Columbia, S.C. (four bass, 8 pounds, 8 ounces, $446); and Nathan White of Kings Mountain, N.C., (three bass, 7 pounds, 10 ounces, $409) rounded out the top five co-anglers.

Stidom earned co-angler big bass honors and $335 in his division with a 5-pound bass. He caught it using worms in open water.

Overall, 48 five-bass limits were caught during the tournament.

The Wal-Mart BFL will visit Lake Wylie Oct. 5-6 for the division’s season finale. The boater with the most points after the two-day Super Tournament 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 Carolina Division boaters and co-anglers will advance to regional competition Oct. 22-26 on Lake Seminole near Bainbridge, Ga., where they will go up against top competitors from the Gator, Piedmont and Choo Choo 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.

Sponsors of the 2002 Wal-Mart BFL are Wal-Mart, ALPO Pet Foods, BC Powder, BFGoodrich Tires, Castrol, Chevy Trucks, Coleman, Conseco, Energizer, EverStart Batteries, Evinrude, Faded Glory, Frito-Lay, FujiFilm, Garmin, Kellogg’s, Land O’Lakes, Minn Kota, Newell Rubbermaid, Pepsi, Poulan, Ranger Boats, Shop-Vac, Snickers, Stanley Works, Stren, US Bank, Weed Eater and Yamaha Outboards. Associate sponsors are Abu Garcia, Berkley, Eagle Claw, Hover-Lure, Laker, Maxwell House, Plano and Solar Bat.