AUGUSTA, Ga. (Oct. 17, 2005) - Boater Clark Smith Jr. of Pell City, Ala., earned a fully rigged Ranger 519VX and a new Chevy truck Saturday as winner of the Bass Fishing League Regional bass fishing tournament on Clarks Hill Lake. The top 40 boaters and the top 40 co-anglers from the Choo Choo, Dixie, North Carolina and Shenandoah divisions competed in the three-day event.
Smith's winning three-day catch of 15 bass weighed 30 pounds, 1 ounce. In addition to the new truck and boat, Smith earned a ticket to the 2006 $1 million Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League All-American.
Smith caught his winning bass by throwing a white spinnerbait over grassy humps in the Little River.
The top six boaters and the top six co-anglers fishing the event also earned a berth into the All-American. Rounding out the top six boaters were Jim Beavers of Manchester (15 bass, 28 pounds, 2 ounces, $6,000); Dalton Bobo of Northport, Ala. (15 bass, 26 pounds, 5 ounces, $3,000); Rusty Taylor of Muscle Shoals, Ala. (14 bass, 25 pounds, 14 ounces, $2,500); Robert Walser of Lexington, N.C.(15 bass, 25 pounds, 8 ounces, $2,000); and Keith Buterbaugh of Douglasville (nine bass, 16 pounds, 11 ounces, $1,800).
Buterbaugh earned an additional $500 as winner of the Ranger Cup award.
Rocky Burnette of Kennesaw earned a new Ranger boat as the co-angler winner, thanks to a three-day total of nine bass weighing 20 pounds, 2 ounces that he caught on a Texas-rigged trick worm fished around brush piles.
Rounding out the top six co-anglers were Dennis Surratt of Denton, N.C. (10 bass, 18 pounds, 8 ounces, $3,000); Pat Lay of Cleveland, Tenn. (10 bass, 16 pounds, 11 ounces, $1,500); David Marr of Cleveland, Tenn. (11 bass, 16 pounds, 10 ounces, $1,250); Bryan Chatham of Fredericksburg, Va. (five bass, 15 pounds, 8 ounces, $1,000); and Carl Whipple of Fredericksburg, Va. (four bass, 14 pounds, 5 ounces, $900).