For additional information, please contact:
Dave Washburn, Communications Director, (270) 252-1607
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CLINE WINS WAL-MART BASS FISHING LEAGUE PIEDMONT DIVISION TOURNAMENT
RALEIGH, N.C., (July 22, 2002) – Gary Cline of Lexington, N.C., topped
152 Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League competitors Saturday on the Neuse River
with five bass weighing 14 pounds, 5 ounces. The catch earned him $4,101
and 200 points in the Boater Division.
Cline caught his limit using a pink floating worm. The catch
topped second-place boater Joey Padgett of Willard, N.C., by 4 pounds, 3
ounces. Padgett finished the one-day tournament with a five-bass catch
weighing 10 pounds, 2 ounces worth $2,050.
Tied for third with a 9-pound, 8-ounce catch were Chris Elliott
of Raleigh, N.C., (five bass, $1,107) and Ronald Wolfarth of Locust,
N.C. (four bass, $1,107). Jeremy Ives of Burgaw, N.C., finished fifth
with a five-bass catch weighing 9 pounds, 7 ounces worth $902. Ives also
received a $500 bonus from Ranger Boats as the highest-finishing
participant in the Ranger Cup incentive program.
Larry Inman of Greensboro, N.C., earned boater big bass honors
and $760 with a 4-pound, 14-ounce bass that he caught using a buzzbait.
He finished in sixth place overall with three bass weighing 8 pounds, 6
ounces.
Sixteen-year-old Zach Morrison of Hampstead, N.C., claimed first place
and $2,050 in the 152-competitor Co-angler Division with five bass
weighing 8 pounds, 13 ounces. He surpassed second-place co-angler Robert
Layne of Mebane, N.C., by 6 ounces thanks to a Gambler worm that he was
fishing in shallow water. Layne finished with a five-bass catch weighing
8 pounds, 7 ounces worth $1,025.
Hume Hawkins of Fayetteville, N.C. (five bass, 8 pounds, 3
ounces, $615); Keith Joyce of Apex, N.C. (three bass, 6 pounds, 14
ounces, $492); and David Farman of Semora, N.C., (three bass, 6 pounds,
$451) rounded out the top five co-anglers.
Co-angler Joe Manley of Wilmington, N.C., earned big bass honors and
$380 in his division with a 3-pound, 9-ounce bass. He finished eighth
with two bass weighing 5 pounds, 3 ounces.
Overall, 14 five-bass limits were caught during the tournament.
The Wal-Mart BFL will visit Clark Hill Sept. 21-22 for a two-day
Super Tournament, the Piedmont Division’s final regular-season event.
The boater with the most points after the two-day Super Tournament will
be declared the Yamaha “Be the Best” Points Leader and awarded $1,000.
The co-angler amassing the most points by the end of the season will
receive $500.
The top 30 Piedmont Division boaters and co-anglers will advance
to regional competition Oct. 22-26 on Lake Seminole near Bainbridge,
Ga., where they will go up against top competitors from the Carolina,
Gator and Choo Choo divisions for a shot at qualifying for the Wal-Mart
BFL All-American – one of the most lucrative post-season tournaments in
competitive angling.
2002 BFL awards could reach $7 million based on full fields.
Sponsors of the 2002 Wal-Mart BFL are Wal-Mart, ALPO Pet Foods,
BC Powder, BFGoodrich Tires, Castrol, Chevy Trucks, Conseco, Energizer,
EverStart Batteries, Evinrude, Faded Glory, Frito-Lay, FujiFilm, Garmin,
Kellogg’s, Land O’Lakes, Minn Kota, Newell Rubbermaid, Pepsi, Poulan,
Ranger Boats, Shop-Vac, Snickers, Stanley Works, Stren, US Bank, Weed
Eater and Yamaha Outboards.