Poteat Wins Walmart Bass Fishing League Savannah River Division Super Tournament on Lake Hartwell
OutdoorHub 09.24.12
Donald Poteat of Morganton, N.C., had a two-day total of 10 bass that weighed 28 pounds, 13 ounces to win the Walmart Bass Fishing League Savannah Division Super Tournament on Lake Hartwell Sunday. For his victory, Poteat earned $5,690 plus $1,000 Evinrude bonus.
Not having fished a tournament with FLW since 2006, Poteat’s wife bought his entry fee as a birthday present and what a present it turned out to be!
“I fished the same 200 yard stretch in Gumlog Creek for two days straight,” said Poteat. “All the fish I weighed were caught with a Zoom Old Monster on 20 pound test line with an 1/8-ounce sinker, Texas rigged. This is the kind of fishing that I like to do.”
Rounding out the top 10 boaters were:
2nd: Jerry Kotal, Elberton, Ga., 10 bass, 28-8, $2,845
3rd: Blake Campbell, Anderson, S.C., 10 bass, 28-1, $1,897
4th: Brandon Cobb, Greenwood, S.C., 10 bass, 27-6, $1,328
5th: Kerry Partain, Elberton, Ga., 10 bass, 27-3, $1,138
6th: Mike Strickland, Watkinsville, Ga., 10 bass, 27-0, $1,043
7th: Conrad Bolt, Seneca, S.C., 10 bass, 26-10, $948
8th: Michael Anders, Pelzer, S.C., 10 bass, 26-6, $853
9th: Dustin Ross, Lyman, S.C., 10 bass, 26-1, $759
10th: James Sanders, Hartwell, Ga., 10 bass, 25-9, $664
Complete results can be found at FLWOutdoors.com.
Bryan Cothran of Belton, S.C., weighed 10 bass totaling 22 pounds, 6 ounces Sunday to win $2,845 in the co-angler division.
Rounding out the top 10 co-anglers were:
2nd: Laura Gober, Pendergrass, Ga., 10 bass, 19-11, $1,422
3rd: Derek Lehtonen, Woodruff, S.C., 10 bass, 18-5, $948
4th: Adam Fincher, Roebuck, S.C., six bass, 18-2, $664
5th: Brian McHone, Laurens, S.C., nine bass, 17-3, $569
6th: Chris Threlkeld, Elberton, Ga., 10 bass, 16-10, $522
7th: Cody Coker, Comer, Ga., nine bass, 16-7, $474
8th: Bill Hawkins, Piedmont, S.C., 10 bass, 16-7, $427
9th: Anthony Marks, Spartanburg, S.C., eight bass, 14-6, $379
10th: Scott Roberts, Asheville, N.C., nine bass, 13-5, $332
The top 40 boaters and 40 co-anglers in the Savannah River Division, based on point standings, have now qualified for the Oct. 4-6 Regional Championship on Lake Seminole in Bainbridge, Ga. 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.
