OKEECHOBEE, Fla. (Feb. 28, 2005) - Boater Robert Beatty of Clermont earned $4,195 Saturday as winner of the Bass Fishing League Everglades Division bass fishing tournament on Lake Okeechobee. The tournament was the second of five regular-season Everglades Divsion events and featured 136 boaters vying for the win, which earned Beatty 200 points in the Boater Division.
Beatty's winning catch of five bass weighed 26 pounds, 8 ounces. He was flipping a Gambler Cricket in the Tin House Cove area. Beatty won an additional $1,500 as the recipient of the Ranger Cup and Powered by Yamaha awards.
Finishing second was Roger Crafton of Boca Grande with five bass weighing 23 pounds, 14 ounces that earned him $2,097. Casey Gonzalez of Tampa claimed $1,373 as the third-place finisher thanks to five bass weighing 22 pounds, 7 ounces. In fourth was Patrick Layhew of Bradenton with five bass weighing 22 pounds, 2 ounces worth $1,068, and finishing fifth and earning $877 was John Bitter of Maitland with five bass weighing 22 pounds even.
In addition, Gonzalez took Boater Division big-bass award honors, earning $680 for a 9-pound, 13-ounce bass. He caught his big bass on a War Eagle spinner bait.
Alan Williams of Hollywood bested 136 Co-angler Division competitors to earn $2,097 as the co-angler winner, thanks to four bass weighing 20 pounds, 11 ounces that he caught on a Horny Toad spinner bait in the Monkey Box area. Williams won an additional $340 as the co-angler big-bass award winner with a 7-pound, 3-ounce bass.
Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Greg Sorrell of South Fort Myers (five bass, 17 pounds, 12 ounces, $1,049); Michael D. McCoy of Jupiter (five bass, 16 pounds, 1 ounce, $685); Bruce Greer of Lake Worth (five bass, 14 pounds, 14 ounces, $534); and Anthony Valachovic of Coral Springs (five bass, 14 pounds, 10 ounces, $439).
The Everglades Division's next two events will be held March 19 and April 16 on Lake Okeechobee near Okeechobee. The Everglades Division will wrap up its regular season Oct. 1-2 with a two-day Super Tournament on Lake Okeechobee near Clewiston.