BAINBRIDGE, Ga. – Mason Brock of Marianna, Fla., topped 200 Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League competitors Saturday on Lake Seminole with five bass weighing 18 pounds. The catch earned him $5,000 and 200 points in the Boater Division.
Brock, who also earned a $1,000 bonus from Garmin for using a fixed-mount Garmin Fishfinder or combination GPS/sounder, topped second-place boater Jeremy York of Loganville by 2 pounds, 11 ounces. York finished the one-day tournament with a five-bass catch weighing 15 pounds, 5 ounces worth $2,500. York also received a $500 bonus from Ranger Boats as the highest-finishing participant in the Ranger Cup incentive program.
Richard Parson of Lithia Springs (five bass, 15 pounds, 4 ounces, $1,500) and Darryl Stewart of Slocomb, Ala., (five bass, 15 pounds, 4 ounces, $1,500) tied for third, and Chad Prough of Chipley, Fla., (five bass, 14 pounds, 9 ounces, $1,100) rounded out the top five boaters.
William Fortner of Jasper earned boater big-bass honors and $1,000 with an 8-pound, 6-ounce bass. He finished in 14th place overall with four bass weighing 12 pounds, 3 ounces.
Tim Adams of Tallapoosa claimed first place and $2,500 in the 200-competitor Co-angler Division with five bass weighing 17 pounds, 5 ounces. He surpassed second-place co-angler Bo Talley of Columbus by 3 pounds, 4 ounces. Talley finished with a four-bass catch weighing 14 pounds, 1 ounce worth $1,250.
Robert Gause of Warner Robins (five bass, 11 pounds, 1 ounce, $850); Morris Nix of Marietta (three bass, 10 pounds, 3 ounces, $650); and Chris Lumpkin of Milledgeville (three bass, 9 pounds, 14 ounces, $550) rounded out the top five co-anglers.
Co-angler Mark Tinsley of Boston earned big-bass honors and $500 in his division with an 8-pound, 12-ounce bass. He finished eighth thanks to the one bass.
The Wal-Mart BFL will visit Lake Sinclair April 12 for the second of five Bulldog Division events. The boater with the most points after the division’s season finale, a two-day Super Tournament Sept. 20-21 on Lake Eufaula, 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 Oct. 14-18 on Old Hickory Lake near Gallatin, Tenn., where they will go up against top competitors from the Carolina, Hoosier and Illini divisions for a shot at qualifying for the Wal-Mart BFL All-American – one of the most lucrative postseason tournaments in competitive angling.
As much as $6 million will be awarded in the 2003 Wal-Mart BFL.
For more information or to enter a tournament, call (270) 252-1000 or browse this Web site.
Editor’s Note: Ranger Cup award winners are pending verification by Ranger Boats and thus are unofficial at this time.