LAWRENCEBURG, Ind. – Gary Dees of Hamilton, Ohio, topped 77 Boater Division competitors on the Ohio River this weekend with a five-bass catch weighing 9 pounds, 11 ounces. He earned $5,275 and 300 points for the win at the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League Buckeye Division season finale.
After qualifying for the final round of the two-day Super Tournament in first place with an opening-day catch of five bass weighing 6 pounds, 6 ounces, Dees outfished runner-up Dan Moran of London, Ohio, by 1 pound, 7 ounces to take the win. Dees caught his limit on day two using a spinner bait. He also earned a $1,000 bonus from Ranger Boats as the highest-finishing participant in the Ranger Cup incentive program and another $1,000 from GARMIN for using a fixed-mount GARMIN GPS/sounder.
Moran qualified for the final round in fourth place with three bass weighing 5 pounds, 5 ounces and finished up with a catch weighing 8 pounds, 4 ounces to win $2,637.
Jim Hull of Sidney, Ohio (one bass, 3 pounds, 8 ounces, $1,429); Ken Jones of Shelby, Ohio (three bass, 3 pounds, $1,209); and Dennis Magoto of Waynesville, Ohio, (two bass, 2 pounds, 7 ounces, $989) rounded out the top five boaters.
James Richardson Jr. of Cincinnati won the boater big-bass award and collected $770 with a 3-pound, 8-ounce bass.
Brian Caudill of Groveport, Ohio, topped 77 competitors in the Co-angler Division to take first place and $2,637 thanks to a final-round catch of two bass weighing 6 pounds, 1 ounce. Second place in the division and $1,319 went to Bob Phelps of Shelby, Ohio, with a two-bass catch weighing 1 pound, 12 ounces.
James Easter of Middletown, Ohio, won the co-angler big-bass award of $385 with a 3-pound, 3-ounce bass that he caught on a jig.
Dees is also the Hoosier Division’s Yamaha “Be the Best” points leader, winning $1,000 for the 1,059 points he earned during five regular-season tournaments. Billy Crider Jr. of Kettering, Ohio, is the Yamaha “Be the Best” points leader in the Co-angler Division. He earned $500 for his division-leading 884 points.
The top 30 boaters and top 30 co-anglers in the Buckeye Division will advance to regional competition Oct. 15-19 on Lake Gaston near Littleton, N.C., where they will go up against top competitors from the Mountain, Northeast and Savannah River divisions for a shot at qualifying for the BFL All-American, one of the most lucrative postseason 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, U.S. Bank, Weed Eater and Yamaha Outboards.