Phillips lands title on Lake Wateree - Major League Fishing

Phillips lands title on Lake Wateree

McEachern wins co-angler title
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Steve Phillips of Lugoff, S.C., won the June 2 South Carolina Division event on Lake Wateree with a weight of 17 pounds, 1 ounce. For his bag Phillips took home over $3,000 in prize money.
June 2, 2012 • MLF • Archives

CAMDEN, S.C. – Steve Phillips of Lugoff, S.C., weighed a five-bass limit totaling 17 pounds, 1 ounce Saturday to win the Walmart Bass Fishing League South Carolina Division event on Lake Wateree. For his victory, Phillips earned $3,028.

“This tournament was slow and steady,” Phillips said. “I caught a couple of fish early in the morning, but the bite seemed to slow down a little bit after that. I only had seven bites all day. Later in the afternoon the wind picked up and there was a lot of boat traffic, so it seemed there was a small window of time to catch fish. I saw a lot of guys fishing the grass, and I knew that there were fish there, but it wasn’t the size needed to win. I wanted to either do or die with the big fish.

“I live 15 minutes away from the lake and have been fishing Lake Wateree since the early 70s,” Phillips continued. “I fished the mid-lake area looking for the steep drop-offs. I threw a crankbait all day long, fishing it from 10 to 15 feet deep. I figured that it was going to take 17 or 18 pounds to win, and I knew I had a pretty good bag when I was coming to the scales. I figured I was top three, but you never really know. I’m happy to get the win.”

Rounding out the top 10 pros:

2nd: Scott Peavy, Lugoff, S.C., five bass, 13-13, $1,514

3rd: Mark Inman, Greensboro, N.C., five bass, 13-7, $1,008

4th: Rick McLean, Dalzell, S.C., five bass, 12-14, $707

5th: Roby Kelley, Sumter, S.C., five bass, 12-8, $606

6th: Dennis Reedy, Siler City, N.C., five bass, 11-12, $555

7th: Derrick Compton, Columbus, N.C., three bass, 11-8, $505

8th: Jason Perrego, Raeford, N.C., five bass, 11-5, $429

8th: Daryl Watson, Matthews, N.C., five bass, 11-5, $429

10th: Jeremiah Jensen, Columbia, S.C., five bass, 11-1, $353

Complete results can be found here.

McEachern tops co-angler division

Co-angler DJ McEachern of Columbia, S.C., won the June 2 South Carolina Division event on Lake Wateree with a weight of 13 pounds, 2 ounces. For that catch he walked away with a check for over $1,500. D.J. McEachern of Columbia, S.C., weighed a five-bass limit totaling 13 pounds, 2 ounces Saturday to win $1,514 in the co-angler division.

Rounding out the top 10 co-anglers:

2nd: Vernie Haltiwanger, Lexington, S.C., five bass, 9-5, $757

3rd: Jerry Lineberger, Lincolnton, N.C., four bass, 8-14, $505

4th: Stuart Toney, Raeford, N.C., three bass, 8-11, $353

5th: Bobby Henderson, Charlotte, N.C., five bass, 8-10, $303

6th: Michael Smith, Piedmont, S.C., five bass, 8-0, $278

7th: Bobby Littlejohn, Spartanburg, S.C., two bass, 6-11, $252

8th: Jamie Amerson, Pooler, Ga., three bass, 6-3, $202

8th: Travis Decker, Dublin, Va., two bass, 6-3, $202

8th: Jason Hueble, Whitmire, S.C., four bass, 6-3, $202

Complete co-angler results can be found here.

The final BFL South Carolina Division tournament is scheduled for Sept. 29-30 on Clarks Hill Lake in McCormick, S.C. After that tournament is complete, the top 40 boaters and 40 co-anglers based on point standings will qualify for the Oct. 11-13 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. 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.