ARKADELPHIA, Ark. (April 7, 2008) - Boater Kerry Milner of Bono, Ark., won the Bass Fishing League Arkie Division bass fishing tournament on DeGray Lake Saturday with a five-bass catch weighing 20 pounds, 13 ounces. The victory earned Milner $4,454 and placed him one step closer to qualifying for the Kentucky Lake Regional Championship in Gilbertsville, Ky., Oct. 2-4, where he could ultimately win a new 198VX Ranger boat and a Chevy truck.
"I stayed in one spot all day and worked it for all it was worth," Milner said. "I didn't miss any fish, and everything that I hooked, I got in the boat. It was a perfect day for me."
Milner threw a Carolina rig with a green-pumpkin Baby Brush Hog to staging fish and managed to land seven keepers for the day.
Rounding out the top five boaters are Dennis Bean of Hot Springs, Ark. (five bass, 16-11, $2,620); Tim Gartman of Conway, Ark. (four bass, 15-06, $1,748); Billy Holt Jr. of Sherwood, Ark. (five bass, 15-05, $1,223) and Quincy Houchin of Mabelvale, Ark. (five bass, 14-15, $1,048).
Milner took home the Boater Division Snickers Big Bass award, earning $825 for a 7-pound, 12-ounce bass.
Brian Liles of Texarkana, Ark., earned $2,620 as the co-angler winner Saturday thanks to four bass weighing 12 pounds, 14 ounces that he caught on a football-head jig off points about 12 feet out.
Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Johnny Manning of Arkadelphia, Ark. (three bass, 11-12, $1,310); Jesse Hays of Bryant, Ark. (four bass, 11-01, $877); Jason Ballentine of Bryant, Ark. (five bass, 10-12, $611) and Scott Boatright of Sheridan, Ark. (three bass, 10-08, $524).
Lee Smithwick of Hot Springs, Ark., and Steve Lee of Benton, Ark., each earned $206 as the co-angler Big Bass winners after catching 5-pound, 1-ounce bass.