Elrod nets title on James River - Major League Fishing

Elrod nets title on James River

Baird and Smith share co-angler title
Image for Elrod nets title on James River
Bryan Elrod of Mechanicsville, Va., won the July 21 Shenandoah Division event on the James River with a total weight of 19 pounds, 7 ounces. Elrod earned a check worth over $3,600 with his victory. Angler: Bryan Elrod.
July 21, 2012 • MLF • Archives

RICHMOND, Va. – Bryan Elrod of Mechanicsville, Va., weighed a five-bass limit totaling 19 pounds, 7 ounces Saturday to win the Walmart Bass Fishing League Shenandoah Division event on the James River. For his victory, Elrod earned $3,679.

“The river has been fishing really tough lately,” said Elrod. “Like I told everyone else, I just got lucky. I ran to a spot about 30 minutes down-river near lower James Creek to a spot where you can usually get a quick limit, but instead of 14-inchers I was finding 4-pounders.”

Elrod targeted grassy marsh areas and was fishing shallow with a black buzzbait. He had around 10 keepers on the day, and found the bite was much better in the morning. All of the fish that Elrod weighed in came on the buzzbait.

“I caught most of my fish within my first 45 minutes on the spot,” Elrod continued. “It was weird, because the tide actually got better but the bite got worse. My knowledge of the river definitely helped me out there. It was a cloudy, rainy overcast day and that kind of changed everything for a lot of guys. I had about 25 spots that I knew of and hit, but really only the one mattered.”

Rounding out the top 10 pros:

2nd: Spencer Barrow, Snow Hill, N.C., five bass, 16-8, $1,840

3rd: Wayne Vaughan, Richmond, Va., five bass, 12-14, $1,225

4th: Brian Bersik, Disputanta, Va., five bass, 12-3, $859

5th: Francis Andrews, Matoaca, Va., five bass, 12-1, $736

6th: Richard Owen, Chester, Va., five bass, 11-8, $675

7th: Shawn Hammack, Gasburg, Va., five bass, 11-7, $613

8th: Mark Brannock, Chester, Va., five bass, 11-2, $521

8th: Chris Dillow, Waynesboro, Va., four bass, 11-2, $521

10th: Steve Miller, Mechanicsville, Va., five bass, 10-15, $429

Complete results can be found here.

Baird, Smith tie for title

Co-anglers Lenny Baird of Stafford, Va., and Donald Smith of Henrico, Va., tied for the title in the July 21 Shenandoah Division event on the James River with a total weight of 11 pounds, 14 ounces. For their efforts, both anglers received a check for $1,380. Lenny Baird of Stafford, Va., and Donald Smith of Henrico, Va. each weighed a five-bass limit totaling 11 pounds, 14 ounces Saturday to split the win in the co-angler division. The anglers each won $1,380.

Rounding out the top 10 co-anglers:

3rd: Mervin Henson, Nitro, W.Va., three bass, 6-11, $612

4th: Keven Smith, Moneta, Va., three bass, 6-9, $429

5th: Ronnie Bache, Fredericksburg, Va., three bass, 6-4, $368

6th: Richard Rodriguez, Williamsburg, Va., two bass, 6-0, $337

7th: Lee Johnson, Charlottesville, Va., three bass, 5-13, $307

8th: Kermit Crowder, Matoaca, Va., three bass, 5-9, $276

9th: Gary Atwell, Mechanicsville, Va., four bass, 5-7, $230

9th: Matt Mohler, Rockbridge Baths, Va., two bass, 5-7, $230

Complete co-angler results can be found here.

The final BFL Shenandoah Division tournament is scheduled for Sept. 22-23 on the Potomac River in Marbury, Md. After that fifth Shenandoah Division 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.