Waters wins Wal-Mart BFL Bulldog Division tournament

Tony Waters of Milledgeville, Ga., won the Bulldog Division?s second regular-season stop, held April 12 on Lake Sinclair near Milledgeville. Waters led the field of 197 boaters with a five-bass catch weighing 15 pounds, 15 ounces. Angler: Tony Waters.

April 12, 2003 • MLF • Archives

MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. – Tony Waters of Milledgeville claimed $4,961 as the winner of the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League Bulldog Division’s second regular-season stop, held Saturday on Lake Sinclair near Milledgeville. Waters led the field of 197 boaters with a five-bass catch weighing 15 pounds, 15 ounces.

Waters caught his bass Saturday using a spinner bait in the grass. He also earned a $1,000 bonus from Garmin for using a fixed-mount Garmin Fishfinder or combination GPS/sounder.

Rounding out the top five boaters are Sam Moody of Leesburg (five bass, 13 pounds, 8 ounces, $2,480); Billy Thompson of Albany (five bass, 13 pounds, 4 ounces, $1,687); David Huie of Dallas, Ga. (five bass, 13 pounds, 3 ounces, $1,290); and Tom Mitchell of Milledgeville (five bass, 12 pounds, 8 ounces, $1,091).

Hubert Stafford of Colquitt earned a $500 bonus from Ranger Boats as the highest-finishing participant in the Ranger Cup incentive program.

Edwin Hunt of Duluth topped 197 Co-angler Division competitors with a five-bass catch weighing 13 pounds, 7 ounces that he caught on a junebug Zoom worm in shallow water. Hunt earned $2,480 for the win.

Finishing second was Robert Smith of Douglasville with a five-bass catch weighing 12 pounds, 4 ounces worth $1,240. Tied for third were Andy Norman of Covington and Tim Crenshaw of Snellville. Both caught five bass weighing 11 pounds, 10 ounces that earned them $744. Finishing fifth was Michael Budrow of Warner Robins with a five-bass catch weighing 10 pounds, 3 ounces that earned him $546.

Huie earned boater big-bass honors and $985 with a 6-pound, 4-ounce bass, and Budrow earned co-angler big-bass honors and $493 in his division with a 6-pound, 5-ounce bass.

The Bulldog Division will make its third regular-season stop May 10 on Lake Oconee in Buckhead followed by an event on West Point Lake in Lanett, Ala., June 14. The final regular-season event, a two-day Super Tournament, will be held Sept. 20-21 on Lake Eufaula in Eufaula, Ala. Following the regular season, the boater with the most points will be declared the Yamaha “Be the Best” points leader and awarded $1,000. The co-angler with the most points following the regular season will earn $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.

Editor’s Note: Ranger Cup award winners are pending verification by Ranger Boats and thus are unofficial at this time.