Morris wins Wal-Mart BFL Mississippi Division tournament

Preston Morris of Lakeland, Tenn., topped 89 Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League competitors June 15 on Lake Ferguson.

June 15, 2002 • MLF • Phoenix Bass Fishing League

GREENVILLE, Miss. – Preston Morris of Lakeland, Tenn., topped 89 Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League competitors Saturday on Lake Ferguson with five bass weighing 13 pounds, 6 ounces. The catch earned him $2,859 and 200 points in the Boater Division.

Morris caught his limit using a plastic worm that he fished around concrete cover. The catch topped second-place boater Jody Thornhill of Cordova, Tenn., by 3 pounds, 7 ounces. Thornhill finished the one-day tournament with a four-bass catch weighing 9 pounds, 15 ounces worth $1,430.

Allen Powell of Clarksdale, Miss. (four bass, 9 pounds, 14 ounces, $858); Todd Ratcliff of Meridian, Miss. (five bass, 9 pounds, 8 ounces, $686); and Mark Clark of Crawford, Miss., (five bass, 8 pounds, 3 ounces, $629) rounded out the top five boaters. Clark received a $500 bonus from Ranger Boats as the highest-finishing participant in the Ranger Cup incentive program.

Danny Carter of Hernando, Miss., earned boater big bass honors and $445 with a 4-pound, 8-ounce bass that he caught on a pumpkin green Strike King Flip-N-Tube one mile from the mouth of the river. He finished in 8th place overall with three bass weighing 7 pounds.

Charles Conn of Pearl, Miss., claimed first place and $1,430 in the 89-competitor Co-angler Division with four bass weighing 11 pounds, 2 ounces. He surpassed second-place co-angler Steven West of Tupelo, Miss., by 12 ounces thanks to a baby brush hog with a black and red metal plate that he was fishing in laydowns, logs and duckweed. West finished with a five-bass catch weighing 10 pounds, 6 ounces worth $715.

Scott Kirk of Etta, Miss. (three bass, 8 pounds, 7 ounces, $429); Shaun Marodis of Biloxi, Miss. (three bass, 7 pounds, 2 ounces, $343); and James Presswood of Greenville, Miss., (four bass, 6 pounds, 14 ounces, $315) rounded out the top five co-anglers.

Co-angler Joe Lipsey of Hernando, Miss., earned big bass honors and $222.50 in his division with a 5-pound, 7-ounce bass. He finished seventh.

Overall, 7 five-bass limits were caught during the tournament.

The Wal-Mart BFL will visit Columbus for the Mississippi Division’s season finale Sept. 21-22. 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 Mississippi 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 Cowboy 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.