HENDERSON, N.C. (June 26, 2006) - Boater Jamey Way of McLeansville, N.C., earned $5,658 Saturday as winner of the Bass Fishing League Piedmont Division bass fishing tournament on Kerr Lake. The tournament was the fourth of five regular-season Piedmont Division events and earned Way 200 points in the Boater Division.
Way's winning catch of five bass weighed 16 pounds, 13 ounces. He was throwing a combination of jigs and topwater poppers to catch his bass.
Rounding out the top five boaters are Steve Roberts of Lynchburg, Va. (five bass, 15 pounds, 4 ounces, $2,829); Michael Luckado of Ararat, Va. (five bass, 13 pounds, 5 ounces, $1,886); Larry Inman of Greensboro, N.C.(five bass, 13 pounds, 2 ounces, $1,320); and David Farrington of Greensboro, N.C. (five bass, 13 pounds, 1 ounces, $1,132).
Luckado also took home an additional $500 for being the highest placing Ranger Cup participant.
Wayne Smelser of Rural Retreat, Va., took Boater Division big-bass award honors, earning $915 for a 5-pound, 4-ounce bass he caught on a jig. George Bost of Hickory, N.C., won the Co-angler Division to earn $2,728 thanks to five bass weighing 15 pounds, 6 ounces that he caught on a combination of spinnerbaits and Carolina-rigged soft plastics.
Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Lance Spencer of Newport News, Va. (five bass, 15 pounds, 1 ounce, $1,364); Bobby Peaslee of Roanoke, Va. (five bass, 13 pounds, 13 ounces, $911); Billy Odom of Benson, N.C. (five bass, 12 pounds, 2 ounces, $637); and Bradley Stain of New Bern, N.C., tied for fifth with Randy Waterman of Keysville, Va. (five bass, 11 pounds, 6 ounces, $523).
Anthony Rouse of South Boston, Va. earned $437 as the co-angler big-bass award winner with a 6-pound, 12-ounce bass he caught on a Zoom soft-plastic.
The Piedmont Division will wrap up its regular season Sept. 23-24 with a two-day Super Tournament, the division's fifth and final event, on Kerr Lake near Henderson, N.C.
Following the regular season, the Piedmont Division boater with the most points who advances farthest in the Wal-Mart BFL All-American will earn $10,000 as the Yamaha "Be the Best" points champion. The co-angler points champion who advances farthest will earn $5,000 as the Yamaha "Be the Best" points champion in the Co-angler Division.
Every angler who receives weight credit in a tournament earns points, with 200 points going to the winner, 199 for second, 198 for third, and so on except for Super Tournaments, which award 300 points to the winner, 299 for second, 298 for third, and so on. The top 40 Piedmont Division boaters and co-anglers based on year-end points standings will advance to the Smith Mountain Regional near Moneta, Va., Oct. 19-21, where they will compete against Bama, Hoosier, and Mountain anglers for one of six slots in the 2007 All-American.