LITTLETON, N.C. (May 2, 2005) - Boater Robert Walser of Lexington earned $2,874 Saturday as winner of the Bass Fishing League North Carolina Division bass fishing tournament on Lake Gaston. The tournament was the third of five regular-season North Carolina Division events and earned Walser 200 points in the Boater Division.
Walser's winning catch of five bass weighed 17 pounds, 10 ounces. He was fishing a spinnerbait and a buzzbait around stumps and grass when he caught his bass. Walser earned an additional $1,000 as winner of the Garmin Grand award.
Finishing second was Wally Szuba of Cary with five bass weighing 17 pounds, 5 ounces that earned him $1,437. Jeff Chandler of New London claimed $940 as the third-place finisher thanks to five bass weighing 17 pounds, 3 ounces. In fourth was Flash Butts of Roanoke Rapids with five bass weighing 15 pounds, 14 ounces worth $731, and finishing fifth and earning $601 was Hank Cherry of Charlotte with five bass weighing 15 pounds, 10 ounces.
Butts earned an additional $500 as winner of the Ranger Cup award. Spruce Benson of Salisbury took Boater Division big-bass award honors, earning $400 for a 6-pound, 6-ounce bass. He caught his big bass on a spinnerbait.
Nathan Webber of Kernersville earned $1,437 as the co-angler winner, thanks to five bass weighing 15 pounds, 13 ounces that he caught on a spinnerbait.
Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Brian K. Smith of Winston Salem (five bass, 13 pounds, 10 ounces, $718); Kurt Koedyker of Hopewell, Va. (three bass, 11 pounds, 5 ounces, $470); Robert Parrish of Albemarle (four bass, 11 pounds, 3 ounces, $366); and David Lynch of Mooresville (four bass, 8 pounds, 12 ounces, $300).
Junior Self of Vale earned $200 as the co-angler big-bass award winner with a 6-pound, 8-ounce bass he caught on a jig.
The North Carolina Division's next event will be held June 4 on High Rock Lake near Salisbury. The North Carolina Division will wrap up its regular season Oct. 1-2 with a two-day Super Tournament on Lake Wylie near Lake Wylie, S.C.