TAVARES, Fla., (April 11, 2005) - Boater Steve Hatler of Lakeland earned $3,762 Saturday as winner of the Bass Fishing League Gator Division bass fishing tournament on the Harris Chain of Lakes. The tournament was the third of five regular-season Gator Division events and featured 117 boaters vying for the win, which earned Hatler 200 points in the Boater Division.
Hatler's winning catch of five bass weighed 18 pounds, 13 ounces. Hatler was flipping Gambler junebug worm around grass when he caught his bass. Hatler earned an additional $1,500 as winner of the Ranger Cup and Powered by Yamaha awards.
Finishing second was Matthew Phillips of Lakeland with five bass weighing 17 pounds, 8 ounces that earned him $1,881. Clint Boyles of Deltona claimed $1,229 as the third-place finisher thanks to five bass weighing 17 pounds. In fourth was Tommy Hatfield of Kissimmee with five bass weighing 16 pounds, 5 ounces worth $958, and finishing fifth and earning $787 was Terry Free of Mount Dora with five bass weighing 15 pounds, 13 ounces.
Jeremy Smith of Plant City took Boater Division big-bass award honors, earning $585 for an 8-pound, 7-ounce bass. He caught his big bass on a Zoom junebug worm.
Richard Boogaerts of Cocoa bested 117 Co-angler Division competitors to earn $1,881 as the co-angler winner, thanks to three bass weighing 12 pounds, 2 ounces that he caught on a Zoom fluke. Boogaerts won an additional $293 as the co-angler big-bass award winner with a 7-pound, 13-ounce bass.
Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Lamar Carpenter of Gotha (four bass, 11 pounds, 15 ounces, $941); Lance Eckdahl of Valdosta, Ga. (five bass, 10 pounds, 12 ounces, $615); Mike Calloway of Titusville (five bass, 10 pounds, 7 ounces, $479); and Danny Drew of Polk City (four bass, 9 pounds, 8 ounces, $393).
The Gator Division's next event will be held April 23 on Kissimmee Lake near Lake Wales. The Gator Division will wrap up its regular season Sept. 24-25 with a two-day Super Tournament on Lake Toho near Kissimmee.