Price Wins Walmart Bass Fishing League Savannah River Division on Lake Russell
OutdoorHub 04.30.12
Bo Price of Westminster, S.C., weighed a five-bass limit totaling 14 pounds, 5 ounces Saturday to win the Walmart Bass Fishing League Savannah River Division event on Lake Russell. For his victory, Price earned $3,794 plus a $2,000 Ranger bonus.
“I have worked so hard to win one of these; this feels special,” said Price. “Things just came together for me on Saturday. Typically there is a strong shallow bite, and I am a deep-water fisherman. I have always been consistent on Russell fishing deep, but it never seemed to be enough in the past. Today it was.”
Price thanked an hour-long fog delay and a cold front that moved through for shutting down the shallow bite. Price indicated the shallow bite is usually good early, and with the fog delay it was completely shut down and opened the door for his deep-fishing pattern. He was targeting pre-spawn bass in about 35 feet of water with Strike King Series 6XD crankbaits and homemade football-head jigs.
“I was fishing against some great fisherman,” Price continued. “God really blessed me today in making things go my way.”
Rounding out the top 10 boaters were:
- 2nd: Richard Phillips, Asheville, N.C., five bass, 12-6
- 3rd: Brandon Cobb, Greenwood, S.C., five bass, 12-4, $1,265 plus $1,000 Evinrude bonus
- 4th: Eddie Whitten Jr., Six Mile, S.C., five bass, 11-14, $885
- 5th: Cason Mabry, Clinton, S.C., five bass, 11-13, $759
- 6th: Jerry Kotal, Elberton, Ga., five bass, 11-11, $696
- 7th: Stacy Lowe, Belton, S.C., five bass, 11-10, $632
- 8th: Dan Roberts, Flowery Branch, Ga., five bass, 11-2, $569
- 9th: Greg Glouse, Liberty, S.C., five bass, 10-15, $506
- 10th: Mick Rhinehart, Pelzer, S.C., five bass, 10-14, $443
Complete results can be found at FLWOutdoors.com.
Anthony Lively of Lincolnton, Ga., weighed a five-bass limit totaling 11 pounds, 6 ounces Saturday to win $1,897 in the co-angler division.
Rounding out the top 10 co-anglers were:
- 2nd: Michael Smith, Piedmont, S.C., five bass, 9-0, $949
- 3rd: Tony Hudson, Liberty, S.C., five bass, 8-6, $633
- 4th: Roger A Jr Deveau, Green Ville, S.C., four bass, 8-4, $443
- 5th: Adam Fincher, Roebuck S.C., five bass, 8-2, $379
- 6th: Bill Hawkins, Piedmont, S.C., five bass, 7-11, $332 & Jeff Penland, Leicester, N.C., five bass, 7-11, $332
- 8th: Graham Rogers, Cleveland, Ga., five bass, 7-9, $285
- 9th: Charles Pruitt, Greenwood, S.C., five bass, 7-2, $253
- 10th: David Faulkner, Greenbille, S.C., five bass, 7-1, $221
The next BFL Savannah River Division tournament is the two-day super tournament scheduled for Sept. 22-23 on Lake Hartwell in Lavonia, Ga. After this fifth and final event in the Savannah River Division tournament is complete, the top 40 boaters and 40 co-anglers based on point standings will qualify for the Oct. 4-6 Regional Championship on Lake Seminole in Bainbridge, Fla. 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.
