SENECA FALLS, N.Y. – Dave Lefebre of Erie, Pa., topped 183 Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League competitors Saturday on Cayuga Lake with five bass weighing 19 pounds, 2 ounces. The catch earned him $4,684 and 200 points in the Boater Division.
Lefebre caught his limit on a 1/2-ounce jig. The catch topped second-place boater J.T. Kenney of Frostburg, Md., by 1 pound. Kenney finished the one-day tournament with a five-bass catch weighing 18 pounds, 2 ounces worth $2,342.
Lefebre also earned boater big-bass honors and $915 with a 5-pound, 7-ounce bass. Kenney received a $500 bonus from Ranger Boats as the highest-finishing participant in the Ranger Cup incentive program.
Michael Trickler of Waterloo, N.Y. (five bass, 16 pounds, 13 ounces, $1,405); Mark Harold of Rochester, N.Y. (five bass, 16 pounds, 12 ounces, $1,124); and Dean Meckes of Clayton, N.Y., (five bass, 16 pounds, 9 ounces, $1,031) rounded out the top five boaters.
Roy Diviney Jr. of Dysart, Pa., claimed first place and $2,329 in the 181-competitor Co-angler Division with five bass weighing 19 pounds, 2 ounces. He surpassed second-place co-angler Raymond Conley III of Albany, N.Y., by 12 ounces. Conley finished with a five-bass catch weighing 17 pounds, 13 ounces worth $1,165.
Eric Johnson of Bloomsburg, Pa. (five bass, 16 pounds, 11 ounces, $699); Gary Olson of Lakewood, N.Y. (five bass, 16 pounds, 4 ounces, $559); and Kamil Stachowicz of Middletown, Conn., (five bass, 15 pounds, 8 ounces, $512) rounded out the top five co-anglers.
Johnson also earned big-bass honors and $455 in his division with a 5-pound, 8-ounce bass.
Overall, 164 five-bass limits were caught during the tournament.
The Wal-Mart BFL will visit Lake Champlain Aug. 24 for the fourth of five Northeast Division events. The boater with the most points after the division’s season finale, a two-day Super Tournament Sept. 14-15 on Cayuga Lake, 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 Northeast Division boaters and co-anglers will advance to regional competition Oct. 15-19 on Kerr Lake near Henderson, N.C., where they will go up against top competitors from the Buckeye, Mountain and Savannah River 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, 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.