Lineberger Wins Walmart Bass Fishing League North Carolina Division Event on Lake Wylie
OutdoorHub 04.07.14
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 mark 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 Deep 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 were:
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 at FLWOutdoors.com.
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 were:
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
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.
