Rikard Wins Walmart Bass Fishing League South Carolina Division on Clarks Hill Lake
OutdoorHub 10.02.12
Greg Rikard of Leesville, S.C., weighed a two-day total of 10 bass totaling 31 pounds, 8 ounces to win the Walmart Bass Fishing League South Carolina Division super tournament on Clarks Hill Lake in Greenwood, S.C., on Sunday. For his victory, Rikard earned $6,400.
“It feels real good to win, but I’ve been there before,” said Rikard, who has more than $80,000 in career winnings on the Walmart BFL circuit. “My knowledge and experience on the lake was the key to my victory this weekend.”
Rikard was running and gunning fishing shallow. He said that he fished around 30 unique areas each day, and all of his fish came out of 5 feet of water or less.
“I was targeting shallow points of grass in the mid-lake area,” Rikard said. “I threw three main baits this week. I alternated throwing a shad-colored and a white-colored Santone Lures spinnerbait. I caught quite a few fish on them. I also threw a chartreuse shad-colored Ima Bill Lowen Square Bill crankbait and a homemade buzzbait. All three baits produced fish that I weighed in.
“There were time windows when the bite would just turn on,” Rikard continued. “The bite was real good until around 10 a.m., and then it would fade. Then, it would pick up for me again in the afternoon and they would bite pretty good from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. I caught a lot of fish, and you just had to cull through them to get the weight.
“The main thing that helped me win this event was my equipment,” Rikard went on to say. “My Ranger boat ran great, and my Denali Rods were crucial. I also ran a HydroWave on both days, and I’m positive that it got me a few more bites than I would have normally.”
Rounding out the top 10 pros were:
2nd: Mark Abbott, Ninety Six, S.C., 10 bass, 30-2, $2,200
3rd: Lyn Langston, Timmonville, S.C., 10 bass, 26-1, $1,466
4th: Tim Jones, North Augusta, S.C., 10 bass, 24-14, $1,027
5th: Michael Murphy, Lexington, S.C., 10 bass, 24-13, $880 + $1,000 Evinrude Bonus
6th: Eddie Herlong Sr., Prosperity, S.C., 10 bass, 22-8, $807
7th: Kenneth Miles, Evans, Ga., 10 bass, 22-4, $733
8th: Mark Inman, Greensboro, N.C., 10 bass, 21-8, $660
9th: Chad Cook, Summerville, S.C., 10 bass, 20-15, $587
10th: Casey Ashley, Donalds, S.C., 10 bass, 20-2, $513
Complete results can be found at FLWOutdoors.com.
Tim Moore of Newton, N.C., weighed in 10 bass totaling 20 pounds even Sunday to win $2,200 in the co-angler division.
Rounding out the top 10 co-anglers were:
2nd: Jeff Rikard, Leesville, S.C., 10 bass, 18-8, $1,100
3rd: James Spivey, Whiteville, N.C., nine bass, 17-5, $734
4th: Keith Thomasson, Abbeville, S.C., nine bass, 17-1, $513
5th: Todd Lawrence, Rock Hill, S.C., 10 bass, 16-13, $440
6th: Brian Moss, Inman, S.C., eight bass, 16-11, $403
7th: Jason Hueble, Whitmire, S.C., nine bass, 16-11, $367
8th: Shane Cantley, Elgin, S.C., 10 bass, 15-10, $330
9th: John Cook, Matthews, N.C., eight bass, 15-8, $293
10th: Stuart Toney, Raeford, N.C., seven bass, 13-10, $257
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.
