LAS VEGAS – Morizo Shimizu of Alberta, Canada, topped 50 Boater Division competitors on Lake Mead this weekend with a five-bass catch weighing 7 pounds, 3 ounces. He earned $4,004 and 300 points for the win at the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League Colorado River 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 7 pounds, 7 ounces, Shimizu out-fished runner-up Clayton Meyer of San Diego by 13 ounces to take the win. Shimizu caught his limit on day two using a Zara Spook in 15 to 20 feet of water.
Meyer qualified for the final round in seventh place with five bass weighing 5 pounds and finished up with a five-bass catch weighing 6 pounds, 6 ounces to win $2,002.
Jack Trahan of Kingman, Ariz. (five bass, 6 pounds, 2 ounces, $1,084); Cameron Karber of Phoenix, Ariz. (five bass, 5 pounds, 3 ounces, $918); and Mike Goodwin of Lake Havasu City, Ariz., (two bass, 2 pounds, 10 ounces, $751) rounded out the top five boaters.
Trahan earned a $500 bonus as the winner of the Ranger Cup incentive program. Craig McCoy of Lake Havasu City, Ariz., won the boater big-bass award and collected $500 with a 2-pound, 5-ounce bass.
Eric Rietz of Henderson, Nev., topped 50 competitors in the Co-Angler division to take first place and $2,002 thanks to a final-round catch of five bass weighing 6 pounds, 3 ounces. Second place in the division and $1,001 went to Wayne Zunker Sr. of Placentia, Calif., with a five-bass catch weighing 4 pounds, 15 ounces, followed by Kirk Beardsley of Huntington Beach, Calif., in third place with three bass weighing 3 pounds, 9 ounces, worth $542.
Beardsley won the co-angler big-bass award of $250 with a 2-pound, 3-ounce bass.
Trahan is the Colorado River Division’s Yamaha “Be the Best” points leader, winning $1,000 for the 1,052 points he earned during five regular-season tournaments. Jason Marquez of Lake Havasu, Ariz., is the Yamaha “Be the Best” points leader in the Co-angler Division. He earned $500 for his division-leading 1,017 points.
The top 30 boaters and top 30 co-anglers in the Colorado River Division will advance to regional competition Nov. 12-16 on Lake Havasu near Lake Havasu, Ariz., where they will go up against top competitors from the Western Division 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.