NATCHITOCHES, La. (Oct. 3, 2005) - Boater Chad Porto of Donaldsonville earned $4,327 Saturday as winner of the Bass Fishing League Louisiana Division Super Bass Fishing Tournament on the Red River. The tournament earned Porto 300 points in the Boater Division.
Porto's two-day winning catch of 10 bass weighed 21 pounds, 13 ounces.
Rounding out the top five pros are Bill Hardman of Metairie (10 bass, 21 pounds, 1 ounce, $2,112); Conrad Picou of Scott (10 bass, 19 pounds, 8 ounces, $1,030); Roger Hudnall of Denham Springs (10 bass, 18 pounds, 9 ounces, $927); and Wayne Tucker of Lafayette (10 bass, 17 pounds, 7 ounces, $824).
Picou earned $500 as winner of the Ranger Cup award. Hardman took Boater Division big-bass award honors, earning $650 for a 4-pound, 4-ounce bass. He caught his big bass on a Colorado-blade spinnerbait.
Drew Ratley of Clewiston, Fla., earned $2,163 as the co-angler winner, thanks to five bass weighing 18 pounds, 4 ounces that he caught while flipping a Baby Paca Craw.
Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Derek Hudnall of Denham Springs (10 bass, 18 pounds, 1 ounce, $1,056); Alan Hults of Gautier, Miss. (10 bass, 16 pounds, 2 ounces, $515); Bill McCarty of Morgan City (10 bass, 15 pounds, 1 ounce, $464); and Steve Morgan of Grand Bay, Ala. (10 bass, 14 pounds, 8 ounces, $412).
Burns earned $325 as the co-angler big-bass award winner with a 5-pound bass he caught on a Colorado-blade spinnerbait.
Following the regular season, the Louisiana 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 Louisiana Division boaters and co-anglers based on year-end points standings will advance to the Lake Ouachita Regional near Hot Springs, Ark., Oct. 18-22 where they will compete against Cowboy, Okie and Ozark Division anglers for one of six slots in the 2006 All-American.