COLUMBUS, Miss. – Shan Schoenrock of Carrollton, Ala., topped 72 Boater Division competitors on Columbus Lake this weekend with a two-bass catch weighing 11 pounds, 12 ounces. He earned $5,066 and 300 points for the win at the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League Mississippi Division season finale.
After qualifying for the final round of the two-day Super Tournament in eighth place with an opening-day catch of five bass weighing 6 pounds, 13 ounces, Schoenrock out-fished runner-up Matt Ferguson of Pontotoc, Miss., by 2 pounds, 11 ounces to take the win. Schoenrock caught his limit on day two using a spinner bait.
Ferguson qualified for the final round in sixth place with three bass weighing 7 pounds, 8 ounces and finished up with a five-bass catch weighing 9 pounds, 1 ounce to win $2,533. He also earned a $500 bonus as the highest-finishing participant in the Ranger Cup incentive program.
Gene Brown of West Point, Miss. (five bass, 7 pounds, 14 ounces, $1,372); Jason Frederick of Booneville, Miss. (five bass, 6 pounds, 2 ounces, $1,161); and Danny Walden of Columbus, Miss., (four bass, 6 pounds, 10 ounces, $950) rounded out the top five boaters.
Murphy Downing of Hernando, Miss., took boater big-bass honors and $720 for a 4-pound, 10-ounce bass he caught on a buzzbait.
Joel Ross of Brandon, Miss., topped 72 competitors in the Co-angler Division to take first place and $2,533 thanks to a final-round catch of five bass weighing 12 pounds, 1 ounce. Second place in the division and $1,266 went to John Breeden of Brandon, Miss., with a five-bass catch weighing 10 pounds, 5 ounces, followed by Skipper Livingston of West Point, Miss., in third place with three bass weighing 6 pounds, 2 ounces worth $686.
Phillip Bedwell of Yazoo City, Miss., won the co-angler big-bass award of $360 with a 3-pound, 14-ounce bass.
Walden is the Mississippi Division’s Yamaha “Be the Best” points leader, winning $1,000 for the 1,061 points he earned during five regular-season tournaments. Ross is the Yamaha “Be the Best” points leader in the Co-angler Division. He earned $500 for his division-leading 1,038 points.
The top 30 boaters and top 30 co-anglers in the Mississippi Division 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 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.