Bylotas wins season opener on Smith Mountain Lake

MONETA, Va. – The 2004 Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League Shenandoah Division season kicked off Saturday on Smith Mountain Lake near Moneta, and Brian Bylotas of Olyphant, Pa., claimed the win thanks to a five-bass catch weighing 16 pounds, 3 ounces. He bested 199 Boater Division competitors to earn $5,011 and 200 points.

Bylotas caught his tournament-winning bass using hair jigs and spinnerbaits. He also earned a $1,000 bonus from Ranger Boats as the highest-finishing participant in the Ranger Cup incentive program.

Rounding out the top five boaters are Charles Ginda of Fords, N.J. (five bass, 13 pounds, 12 ounces, $2,506); Chris Jennings of Altavista (four bass, 13 pounds, 11 ounces, $1,704); Grant Goldbeck of Gaithersburg, Md. (five bass, 13 pounds, 6 ounces, $1,303); and Brian Stacy of Radford (four bass, 12 pounds, 7 ounces, $1,102).

Ray Tweedy of Appomattox claimed Boater Division big-bass honors and $995 thanks to a 6-pound, 7-ounce bass that he caught on a crankbait.

Daniel Mox of Glen Burnie, Md., earned $2,505 as the Co-angler Division winner thanks to a three-bass catch that weighed 10 pounds, 9 ounces. He edged past 199 Co-angler Division competitors thanks to a Lucky Craft Pointer.

Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Jerry Comperatore of Tarentum, Pa. (three bass, 9 pounds, 6 ounces, $1,253); Brad Campbell of Lynchburg (three bass, 9 pounds, 1 ounce, $852); William Uzzell of Covington (four bass, 7 pounds, 14 ounces, $651); and Mickey Pettry of Manassas (three bass, 7 pounds, 7 ounces, $551).

Campbell earned $498 as the Co-angler Division big-bass winner with a 5-pound, 7-ounce bass.

The Shenandoah Division’s next stop will be May 8 on the Potomac River in Woodbridge. Each BFL division features four one-day events followed by a two-day Super Tournament to round out the regular season. The top 30 Shenandoah Division boaters and co-anglers based on year-end points standings will advance to the Wheeler Lake regional near Rogersville, Ala., Oct. 19-23, where they will compete against Bulldog, LBL and Mountain division anglers for a slot in the 2005 All-American. The winning boater at the All-American receives $100,000 cash, making it one of the most lucrative and prestigious championship events in bass fishing.

Every angler who receives weight credit in a tournament earns points, with 200 points going to the winner, 199 for second, 198 for third, and so on except for Super Tournaments, which award 300 points to the winner, 299 for second, 298 for third, and so on. These points determine angler standings. The Shenandoah Division boater who amasses the most points at the end of the regular season will earn $1,000 as the Yamaha “Be the Best” points leader, and the co-angler earning the most points will earn $500 as the Yamaha “Be the Best” points leader in the Co-angler Division.

The $6.3 million Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League features 24 divisions nationwide. In BFL competition, boaters and co-anglers are randomly paired, with boaters supplying the boat and fishing against other boaters and co-anglers fishing from the back deck against other co-anglers. For more information or to enter a tournament, call (270) 252-1000 or browse this Web site.

Wal-Mart and many of America’s most respected companies support FLW Outdoors and its six tournament trails. Wal-Mart has been the title sponsor of FLW Outdoors since 1997. For a complete list of FLW Outdoors sponsors and for more information about the premier products and services they offer, please visit FLWOutdoors.com’s sponsor page.