Hayes wins BFL event on Lake Gaston

Taylor nets co-angler crown during Shenandoah Division contest

Boater Jimmy Hayes of Fayetteville, N.C., won the March 24 Walmart BFL Shenandoah Division event on Lake Gaston with a total catch of 22 pounds, 10 ounces. Hayes walked away with nearly $4,600 in winnings.

March 24, 2012 • MLF • Archives

BRACEY, Va. – Jimmy Hayes of Fayetteville, N.C., weighed a five-bass limit totaling 22 pounds, 10 ounces Saturday to win the Walmart Bass Fishing League Shenandoah Division event on Lake Gaston. For his victory, Hayes earned $4,584.

“I was fishing in the mid-lake area, below Eaton Ferry,” said Hayes. “I was doing a little sight-fishing, but it was hard due to a big pollen film and the all of the rain. I caught six fish on the day, and my 6-pound 14-ounce kicker came near the end of the day. I was Texas-rigging with a Reaction Innovations Kinky Beaver and Smallie Beaver. That was the only thing the fish would react to. I tried throwing a tube, a craw and a drop-shot rig with no luck. But when I threw that Kinky Beaver in there they jumped all over it.

“My main weapon in this tournament was my Power Poles,” Hayes continued. “Without them I would not have been able to set up on those fish. I stayed in about 3 feet of water all day, and was trying to find water as clear as possible, but it was really nasty.

“I’ve had a lot of stress on me these past few years,” said Hayes. “I forgot about all of that and just went fishing, and I think things are starting to look up. I’ll be fishing the entire Shenandoah circuit, and I look forward to competing in the next tournament.”

Rounding out the top 10 pros:

2nd: Ronnie Baker, Providence Forge, Va., five bass, 20-15, $2,292

3rd: Ryan Powroznik, Prince George, Va., five bass, 20-13, $1,529

4th: Tommy Little, Chester, Va., five bass, 18-14, $1,070

5th: Frank Poirier, Hopewell, Va., five bass, 18-9, $917

6th: Christopher Carmell, Moyock, N.C., five bass, 18-3, $802

6th: Bo Grosvenor, Forest, Va., five bass, 18-3, $802

8th: Michael Belter, Reidsville, N.C., five bass, 17-15, $688

9th: Richard Heath Jr., Rockville, Va., five bass, 17-10, $611

10th: Rich McWhirter, Bruington, Va., five bass, 17-1, $535

For a complete list of results, click here.

Taylor takes co-angler title

Ralph Taylor of Rockville, Va., weighed a five-bass limit totaling 15 pounds, 7 ounces Saturday to win $2,292 in the co-angler division.

Rounding out the top 10 co-anglers:

2nd: Jeff White, Rhoadesville, Va., four bass, 15-2, $1,146

3rd: Kevin Hensley, Clarksville, Va., four bass, 14-14, $765

4th: Gary Atwell, Mechanicsville, Va., five bass, 12-10, $535

5th: Justin Dodson, Chesterfield, Va., five bass, 11-12, $458

6th: Mike Dandois, Saint Albans, W.Va., five bass, 11-5, $420

7th: Mitchell Camden, Rockbridge Baths, Va., five bass, 10-10, $382

8th: Derek Brown, Charlottesville, Va., four bass, 10-4, $344

9th: Jerry Pyles, Middletown, Md., five bass, 10-3, $306

10th: Mike Wray, Chester, Va., four bass, 9-10, $267

The next BFL Shenandoah Division tournament is scheduled for May 5 on Smith Mountain Lake in Huddleston, Va. After the fifth Shenandoah Division tournament is complete, the top 40 boaters and 40 co-anglers based on point standings will qualify for the Oct. 18-20 Regional Championship on Kerr Lake in Henderson, N.C. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518 with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard and a Chevy Silverado, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518 with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard.

The BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 120 tournaments throughout the season, five in each division. The top 40 boaters and co-anglers from each division qualify for a regional tournament and compete to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the Walmart BFL All-American presented by Chevy. The 2012 BFL All-American is being held May 17 – 19 on the Potomac River in National Harbor, Md. Top winners in the BFL can move up to the EverStart Series or even the Walmart FLW Tour.

About FLW

FLW is the industry’s premier tournament-fishing organization, providing unparalleled fishing resources and entertainment to our sponsors, fans and host communities. FLW is offering anglers of all skill levels the opportunity to compete for millions in prize money nationwide in 2012 over the course of 191 tournaments across five tournament circuits, each providing an avenue to the sport’s richest payday and most coveted championship trophy – the Forrest Wood Cup. FLW is committed to providing a lifestyle experience that is the “Best in Fishing, On and Off the Water,” through a variety of platforms including tournaments, outdoor expos and the world’s richest fantasy sports game – FLW Fantasy Fishing. For more information about FLW and FLW Fantasy Fishing, visit FLWOutdoors.com or FantasyFishing.com and look for FLW on Twitter and Facebook.