CLEWISTON, Fla. (Oct. 3, 2005) - Boater Rick Burton of Wellington earned $5,839 Saturday as winner of the Bass Fishing League Everglades Division Super Bass Fishing Tournament on Lake Okeechobee. The tournament earned Burton 300 points in the Boater Division.
Burton's winning catch of 10 bass weighed 34 pounds, 7 ounces. Burton flipped grass mats in the Belle Glade area with a black and blue silver-flake craw to catch his bass. The win was Burton's second on Lake Okeechobee for the year, making him the points leader in the Everglades Division for the 2005 season.
Rounding out the top-five pros are Jimmy McMillan of Belle Glade (10 bass, 33 pounds, 14 ounces, $2,850); Mark Lamb of West Palm Beach (10 bass, 33 pounds, 7 ounces, $1,390); Jim Medlin of West Palm Beach (10 bass, 31 pounds, 3 ounces, $1,251); and Daryl Deka of Wellington (10 bass, 30 pounds, 6 ounces, $1,112).
Lamb earned $1,100 as winner of the big-bass award in the Boater Division, thanks to an 8-pound, 9-ounce bass. He earned an additional $500 as winner of the Ranger Cup award.
James Trudel of Lighthouse Point earned $2,920 as the co-angler winner, thanks to 10 bass weighing 28 pounds, 10 ounces that he caught on Rat-L-Traps and Yamamoto Senkos.
Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Michael Cass of Lake Worth (10 bass, 25 pounds, 7 ounces, $1,425); Greg Sorrell of Estero (10 bass, 23 pounds, 13 ounces, $695); Brian Peterson of Jupiter (10 bass, 22 pounds, 1 ounce, $626); and Wyatt Boyd of Winter Haven (10 bass, 22 pounds, 1 ounce, $556).
David Stout of Okeechobee earned $550 as the co-angler big-bass award winner with a 7-pound, 1-ounce bass.
Following the regular season, the Everglades Division boater with the most points will earn $1,000 as the Yamaha "Be the Best" points champion. The co-angler amassing the most points will earn $500 as the Yamaha "Be the Best" points champion in the Co-angler Division.
The top 40 Everglades Division boaters and co-anglers based on year-end points standings will advance to the Lake Martin Regional near Alexander City, Ala., Oct. 18-22 where they will compete against Gator, Mississippi and Savannah River division anglers for one of six slots in the 2006 All-American.