Lineberger lifts trophy on Lake Wylie - Major League Fishing

Lineberger lifts trophy on Lake Wylie

Smelser wins co-angler title
Image for Lineberger lifts trophy on Lake Wylie
Shane Lineberger of Licolnton, N.C., won the April 5 North Carolina Division event on Lake Wylie with his 18-pound, 11-ounce limit. He earned a check for over $4,200 with his victory.
April 5, 2014 • MLF • Archives

LAKE WYLIE, S.C. – Shane Lineberger of Lincolnton, N.C., weighed a five-bass limit totaling 18 pounds, 11 ounces Saturday to win the second Walmart Bass Fishing League North Carolina Division tournament of 2014 on Lake Wylie. For his victory, Lineberger earned $4,235.

A 20-year veteran, Lineberger earned the fifth BFL win of his career – his first on Lake Wylie – and pushed his career earnings with FLW to over $100,000.

“It’s special to get a win close to home,” said Lineberger. “I’ve won a lot of other places, but Lake Wylie is only about a half hour from me and it’s like my second home.

“I fished a True South Lures buzzbait and a Brian’s Crankbaits Scatter Bee in super-shallow pockets. The bass were spawning, but because of the dirty water you couldn’t sight-fish them. The water was so shallow that sometimes you could see them tailing like a redfish.

“I’m not a slow fisherman, but I had to fish very thoroughly,” Lineberger explained. “A lot of times I would have to make two or three casts to a stump or a piece of wood that looked like it would have a fish on it. I had the weight I weighed in by 10 a.m.”

Rounding out the top 10 pros:

2nd: Jason Lowman, Hickory, N.C., five bass, 17-11, $2,118

3rd: Richard Stankwytch, Troutman, N.C., five bass, 16-13, $1,413

4th: Rob Digh, Denver, N.C., five bass, 15-15, $917 + $300 Evinrude Bonus

4th: Marcos Malucelli, Fort Mill, S.C., five bass, 15-15, $917

6th: Matt Arey, Shelby, N.C., five bass, 15-10, $776 + $300 Evinrude Bonus

7th: Kelly Logan, Morganton, N.C., five bass, 15-3, $706

8th: Klaus Hadschin, Granite Falls, N.C., five bass, 14-5, $635

9th: Brian Travis, Conover, N.C., five bass, 14-3, $565

10th: Chris Marshall, Forest City, N.C., five bass, 13-14, $494

Complete results can be found here.

Smelser claims co-angler crown

Co-angler Wayne Smelser of Rural Retreat, Va., won the April 5 North Carolina Division event on Lake Wylie with a 14-pound, 11-ounce limit. He walked away with over $2,000 in tournament winnings.Wayne Smelser of Rural Retreat, Va., weighed in a five-bass limit totaling 14 pounds, 11 ounces Saturday to win $2,118 in the co-angler division.

Rounding out the top 10 co-anglers:

2nd: Nicholas Shaver, Marion, N.C., five bass, 14-8, $1,059

3rd: Shorty Vaow, Cornelius, N.C., five bass, 13-6, $706

4th: John Novinger, Bluefield, W.Va., five bass, 13-2, $494

5th: Andy Kearns, High Point, N.C., five bass, 12-15, $424

6th: Darrin Albertson, Fort Mill, S.C., four bass, 12-13, $388

7th: Dwight Martinez, Whiteville, N.C., five bass, 12-1, $353

8th: George Hirapetian, Charlotte, N.C., five bass, 10-14, $318

9th: Chris Carnes, York, S.C., five bass, 10-6, $264

9th: Cole Huskins, Mt. Holly, N.C., four bass, 10-6, $264

Complete co-angler results can be found here.

The top 40 boaters and 40 co-anglers based on point standings will qualify for the Oct. 9-11 Regional Championship on Lake Cherokee in Morristown, Tenn. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard and a Chevy Silverado, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518C 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 2014 BFL All-American is being held June 5-7 on Wilson Lake in Florence, Ala. Top winners in the BFL can move up to the Rayovac FLW Series or even the Walmart FLW Tour.

About FLW

FLW is the industry’s premier tournament-fishing organization, providing anglers of all skill levels the opportunity to compete for millions in prize money nationwide in 2014 over the course of 229 tournaments across five tournament circuits, four of which provide an avenue to the sport’s richest payday and most coveted championship trophy – the Forrest Wood Cup. FLW tournament fishing can be seen on the Emmy-nominated “FLW” television show and is broadcast to more than 564 million households worldwide, making it the most widely distributed weekly outdoors-sports television show in the world. FLW is committed to providing a lifestyle experience that is the “Best in Fishing, On and Off the Water.” For more information about FLW visit FLWOutdoors.com and look for FLW on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and YouTube.