BOYDTON, Va. (June 21, 2004) - Spence Brunson of Salisbury, N.C., earned $4,543 Saturday as winner of the third regular-season Bass Fishing League Shenandoah Division bass fishing tournament on Kerr Lake near Boydton. He caught five bass weighing 11 pounds, 9 ounces to claim the win and 200 points in the Boater Division.
Brunson caught his tournament-winning bass on a deep cranking pattern. The win marked Brunson's third career BFL victory.
Rounding out the top five boaters are David Cole of Chester (four bass, 10 pounds, 9 ounces, $2,272); Barton Wines of Marshall (five bass, 10 pounds, 5 ounces, $1,545); Lynn Fox of Gibsonville, N.C. (five bass, 10 pounds, 3 ounces, $1,181); and Frank Poirier of Hopewell (four bass, 9 pounds, 14 ounces, $1,000).
Cole earned a $500 bonus from Ranger Boats as the highest-finishing participant in the Ranger Cup incentive program, and because his boat is powered by a Yamaha outboard, he also earned $250 from Yamaha. Aaron Bussard of Clayton, N.C., collected $800 as the Boater Division big-bass award winner, thanks to a 5-pound, 10-ounce bass.
Brandon Stapleton of Keller claimed $2,158 as winner of the Co-angler Division with a five-bass catch weighing 11 pounds, 3 ounces that he caught on a Carolina rig around deep rock piles.
Rounding out the top four co-anglers are Randy Waterman of Keysville (four bass, 8 pounds, $1,079); David Powroznik of Prince George (four bass, 7 pounds, 14 ounces, $734); and Mark Whitman of Elon College, N.C. (three bass, 7 pounds, 5 ounces, $561). Tied for fifth were John Murphy of Chesterfield and Bill Dibble of Dinwiddie. Both anglers caught three bass that weighed 6 pounds, 15 ounces to earn $432 each.
Keith Ruley of Lexington caught a 5-pound, 4-ounce bass on a Hawg Caller to earn $410 as the big-bass award winner in the Co-angler Division.
The Shenandoah Division's next stop will be July 17 on the James River in Richmond, and the regular season will come to a close Sept. 25-26 with a two-day Super Tournament on the Potomac River in Woodbridge.