HENDERSON, N.C. (April 18, 2005) - Boater Phil Bain of Youngsville earned $4,898 Saturday as winner of the Bass Fishing League Piedmont Division bass fishing tournament on Kerr Lake. The tournament was the second of five regular-season Piedmont Division events and featured 168 boaters vying for the win, which earned Bain 200 points in the Boater Division.
Bain's winning catch of five bass weighed 19 pounds, 3 ounces. Bain was fishing a Honeyhole jig along windy points in the Nutbush Creek area when he caught his bass.
Finishing second was Mike Lenier of Leland with five bass weighing 18 pounds, 3 ounces that earned him $2,449. Rich McWhirter of Mechanicsville, Va., claimed $1,602 as the third-place finisher thanks to five bass weighing 17 pounds, 13 ounces. In fourth was Sam Cole of Lexington with five bass weighing 17 pounds, 9 ounces worth $1,247. Greg Stallings of Dry Fork, Va., and Todd Sumner of Southern Pines tied for fifth place. Each angler caught five bass weighing 17 pounds, 6 ounces worth $935. Lenier earned an additional $750 as winner of the Ranger Cup and Powered by Yamaha awards.
Larry Inman of Greensboro took Boater Division big-bass award honors, earning $840 for a 6-pound, 4-ounce bass. He caught his big bass on a Zoom Mag II.
Gary Vick of Wilson bested 168 Co-angler Division competitors to earn $2,449 as the co-angler winner, thanks to five bass weighing 21 pounds, 4 ounces that he caught on a spinnerbait.
Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Randy Groves of Creedmoor (five bass, 16 pounds 10 ounces, $1,225); Tim Privette Sr. of Wendell (five bass, 15 pounds, 10 ounces, $802); Randy Buchanan of Bullock (five bass, 14 pounds, 13 ounces, $623); and Jim Nichols of Chapel Hill (four bass, 14 pounds, 12 ounces, $512).
Brad Pegram of Henderson earned $420 as the co-angler big-bass award winner with a 6-pound, 5-ounce bass he caught on a spinnerbait.
The Piedmont Division's next event will be held May 21 on Kerr Lake near Henderson, followed by an event on the Chickahominy River near Williamsburg, Va., July 23. The Piedmont Division will wrap up its regular season Sept. 17-18 with a two-day Super Tournament on Kerr Lake near Henderson.