Walker wins Carolina Division event on Santee Cooper

SUMMERTON, S.C. – Nelson Walker of Manning earned $4,291 Saturday as winner of the third regular-season Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League Carolina Division event, held on the Santee Cooper lakes near Summerton. He caught five bass weighing 21 pounds to claim the win and 200 points in the Boater Division.

Walker caught his tournament-winning bass on a Bomber crankbait around breaklines in the upper lake. He also earned a $1,000 bonus from Ranger Boats as the highest-finishing participant in the Ranger Cup incentive program, and because his boat is powered by a Yamaha outboard, he also received another $500 from Yamaha. Garmin also awarded him $1,000 for using only Garmin electronics during the event.

Rounding out the top four boaters are Brent Riley of Ridgeville (five bass, 18 pounds, 3 ounces, $2,145); Bernie Davis of Charlotte, N.C. (five bass, 14 pounds, 13 ounces, $1,459); and Bryan Thrift of Shelby, N.C. (three bass, 12 pounds, 15 ounces, $1,116). Tied for fifth were Norm Attaway of North Augusta (three bass) and Ronnie McCoy of Lamar (four bass). Both anglers caught 12 pounds, 10 ounces worth of bass to earn $858 each.

McCoy earned Boater Division big-bass honors and $815 for a 7-pound, 14-ounce bass he caught on a Zoom Ole Monster Worm.

Curtis Sims of Woolwine, Va., claimed $2,090 as winner of the Co-angler Division with a two-bass catch weighing 9 pounds, 11 ounces that he caught on a spinnerbait. He also earned $393 as the big-bass award winner in the Co-angler Division with an 8-pound, 2-ounce bass.

Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Chris Brunson of Sumter (three bass, 8 pounds, 6 ounces, $1,045); James Blackstock of Linwood, N.C. (four bass, 8 pounds, 4 ounces, $710); Chuck Knowles of Columbia (three bass, 6 pounds, 14 ounces, $543); and James Billings of Millers Creek, N.C. (three bass, 6 pounds, 13 ounces, $460).

The Carolina Division’s next stop will be June 19 on High Rock Lake in Salisbury, N.C., and the regular season will come to a close Sept. 18-19 with a two-day Super Tournament on Lake Wylie near York.

Following the regular season, the top 30 boaters and 30 co-anglers based on year-end points standings will advance to the Kerr Lake regional near Henderson, N.C., Oct. 5-9, where they will compete against anglers from the Buckeye, Northeast and Savannah River divisions for one of six slots in the 2005 All-American. With a $100,000 cash prize going to the winning boater and $50,000 to the winning co-angler, the All-American is one of the most prestigious and lucrative events in competitive 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 Carolina 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.