OKEECHOBEE, Fla. (Feb. 10, 2003) - Bill Rucker of Cocoa, Fla., topped 200 Bass Fishing League competitors Saturday on Lake Okeechobee with five bass weighing 25 pounds, 1 ounce. The catch earned him $5,000 and 200 points in the Boater Division.
Rucker caught his limit on a Gambler Flapp'n Shad in heavy cover under cloudy skies. The catch topped second-place boater Tommy Hatfield of Kissimmee, Fla., by 1 pound. Hatfield finished the one-day tournament with a five-bass catch weighing 24 pounds, 1 ounce worth $2,500. Rucker also received a $1,000 bonus from Ranger Boats as the highest-finishing participant in the Ranger Cup incentive program and another $1,000 from Garmin for using a fixed-mount Garmin Fishfinder or combination GPS/sounder.
Steve Fairtrace of Stuart, Fla. (five bass, 22 pounds, 1 ounce, $1,700); Mike Gouge of Okeechobee (five bass, 21 pounds, $1,300); and Dennis Woods of Port St. Lucie, Fla., (five bass, 20 pounds, 1 ounce, $1,100) rounded out the top five boaters.
Paul Dominguez of Port St. Lucie, Fla., claimed first place and $2,500 in the 200-competitor Co-angler Division with five bass weighing 19 pounds, 7 ounces. He surpassed second-place co-angler Buddy McDuffie of Lorida, Fla., by 15 ounces thanks to a Gambler Flapp'n Shad. McDuffie finished with a five-bass catch weighing 18 pounds, 8 ounces worth $1,250.
Jason Gonzales of Loxahatchee, Fla. (five bass, 15 pounds, 6 ounces, $850); Joe Sprouse of Belleview, Fla. (five bass, 14 pounds, 6 ounces, $650); and Richard Prowant of Moore Haven, Fla., (four bass, 14 pounds, 2 ounces, $550) rounded out the top five co-anglers.
Rucker earned boater big-bass honors and $1,000 with a 9-pound bass, and McDuffie earned co-angler big-bass honors and $500 in his division with an 8-pound, 9-ounce bass.
The BFL will visit the Harris Chain March 1 for the second of five Gator Division events. The boater with the most points after the division's season finale, a two-day Super Tournament Oct. 4-5 on Lake Okeechobee, will be declared the "Be the Best" Points Leader and awarded $1,000. The co-angler amassing the most points by the end of the season will receive $500.
The top 30 Gator Division boaters and co-anglers will advance to regional competition Oct. 21-25 on Clark Hill Lake near Thomson, Ga., where they will go up against top competitors from the Choo Choo, Mountain and Piedmont divisions for a shot at qualifying for the BFL All-American - one of the most lucrative postseason tournaments in competitive angling.