SPRING CITY, Tenn. (June 7, 2004) - Boater Division competitor Garry Collins of Russell Springs, Ky., earned $3,988 Saturday as winner of the Bass Fishing League Mountain Division bass fishing tournament on Watts Barr Lake in Spring City. The tournament was the fourth of five regular-season Mountain Division events. The regular season will wrap up Oct. 2-3 with a two-day Super Tournament that will be held on Cherokee Lake in Morristown.
Collins bested 146 Boater Division competitors with a five-bass catch weighing 17 pounds, 6 ounces that he caught on a Zara Spook and a Brush Hog. Included in that stringer was a 5-pound, 12-ounce bass that earned him $730 as the Boater Division big-bass award winner. He also earned $1,000 from Ranger Boats as the highest-finishing participant in the Ranger Cup incentive program.
Rounding out the top five boaters are Jonathan Pelfrey of Rockwood (five bass, 17 pounds, 2 ounces, $1,994); Tim Wyatt of Crossville (five bass, 15 pounds, 15 ounces, $1,356); Ott Defoe of Knoxville (five bass, 12 pounds, 5 ounces, $1,037); and Curtis Hall of Florence, Ky. (five bass, 11 pounds, 11 ounces, $877). Joey Boling of Walland won the 146-competitor Co-angler Division with a four-bass catch weighing 10 pounds, 12 ounces. He caught his tournament-winning bass on a Brush Hog and crankbaits and earned $1,994 for the win.
Rounding out the top four co-anglers are Billy Gardner of Livingston (three bass, 7 pounds, 11 ounces, $997); Trent Colvin of Greensburg, Ky. (two bass, 6 pounds, 12 ounces, $678); and Rusty Elmore of Lancaster, Ky. (two bass, 6 pounds, 8 ounces, $518). Tied for fifth were Charles Jenkins of Corbin, Ky., and Todd Lyons of Bardstown, Ky. Both anglers caught two bass that weighed 6 pounds, 6 ounces to earn $399 each.
Jeremy Ratliff of Rockwood caught a 4-pound, 13-ounce bass to win Co-angler Division big-bass honors and $365.