Warfield wins Wal-Mart BFL Bulldog Division tournament - Major League Fishing

Warfield wins Wal-Mart BFL Bulldog Division tournament

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Brad Warfield from Sharpsburg, Ga., topped 178 Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League competitors June 15 on West Point Lake. Angler: Brad Warfield.
June 15, 2002 • MLF • Archives

LAGRANGE, Ga. – Brad Warfield from Sharpsburg, Ga., topped 178 Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League competitors Saturday on West Point Lake with four bass weighing 13 pounds, 9 ounces. The catch earned him $4,623 and 200 points in the Boater Division.

Warfield caught his limit on a green pumpkin lizard in shallow water. The catch topped second-place boater Frank Eslinger of LaGrange, Ga., by 4 ounces. Eslinger finished the one-day tournament with a five-bass catch weighing 13 pounds, 5 ounces worth $2,312.

Brian Scarbrough of Gordon, Ga. (three bass, 11 pounds, 6 ounces, $1,387); Troy Barfield of Bainbridge, Ga. (five bass, 11 pounds, 3 ounces, $1,110); and Jim Beavers of Manchester, Ga., (three bass, 10 pounds, 14 ounces, $1017) rounded out the top five boaters.

Don Luther of Marietta, Ga., earned boater big bass honors and $895 with a 6-pound, 13-ounce bass. He finished in 15th place overall with two bass weighing 7 pounds, 13 ounces.

Leroy Davis of Albany, Ga., received a $500 bonus from Ranger Boats as the highest-finishing participant in the Ranger Cup incentive program. He finished 13th with a three-bass catch weighing 8 pounds, 3 ounces.

Tony Campbell of Newnan, Ga., claimed first place and $2,312 in the 179-competitor Co-angler Division with four bass weighing 8 pounds, 3 ounces. He surpassed second-place co-angler Tracy Rowcliff of Columbus, Ga., by 4 ounces. Rowcliff finished with a three-bass catch weighing 3 pounds, 3 ounces worth $1,156.Tony Campbell of Newnan, Ga., claimed first place in the 179-competitor Co-angler Division on June 15 at West Point Lake.

Bo Talley of Columbus, Ga., finished third with one bass weighing 7 pounds, 14 ounces for $693. This one bass also netted him co-angler big bass honors and $447 in his division. Scott Cooper of Opelika, Ala., (three bass, 7 pounds, 8 ounces, $555) and David Geeter of Augusta, Ga., (two bass, 7 pounds, 6 ounces, $509) rounded out the top five co-anglers.

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

The Wal-Mart BFL will visit Lake Eufaula for the division’s season finale Oct. 5-6. 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 Bulldog Division boaters and co-anglers will advance to regional competition presented by BC Powder Oct. 29-Nov. 2 on Wheeler Lake near Rogersville, Ala., where they will go up against top competitors from the LBL, Music City and Shenandoah 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.