BRACEY, Va. (Sept. 30, 2013) – Chris Cox of Greenville, N.C., weighed in a two-day total of 10 bass totaling 31 pounds, 5 ounces Sunday to win the Bass Fishing League Piedmont Division Super Tournament on Lake Gaston. For his victory, Cox earned $7,077.
“I basically had to fish history,” said Cox. “The lake was so tough; I just caught them on docks I’d caught fish on in the past.
“I already had an idea of what I was going to do,” continued Cox. “I fished all day Friday trying to find a secondary pattern, but I never did. I think the majority of the people who finished well were fishing jigs on docks, too.
“Time on the water was my key to winning,” said Cox. “Four years ago I finished second in the BFL Super Tournament on Lake Gaston in 2009. That finish motivated me to get better and really fine-tune my tackle and skills. It feels good to win. I’m excited.”
Cox said he caught his fish on a green pumpkin-colored hand-tied 3/8-ounce jig with a green pumpkin-colored Zoom Big Salty Chunk. Rounding out the top 10 pros were:
2nd: David Williams, Maiden, N.C., 10 bass, 31-1, $2,539 + $300 Evinrude Bonus
3rd: Shane Burns, Durham, N.C., 10 bass, 30-5, $1,694
4th: Joel Richardson, Kernersville, N.C., 10 bass, 30-2, $1,185
5th: Rodney Bell, Salisbury, N.C., 10 bass, 27-3, $1,015
6th: William Shelton III, La Crosse, Va., 10 bass, 23-12, $931
7th: Mark Robertson, Henderson, N.C., nine bass, 23-8, $846
8th: Maurice Freeze, Concord, N.C., 10 bass, 21-12, $762 + $300 Evinrude Bonus
9th: Derrick Loflin, Asheboro, N.C., eight bass, 21-10, $677
10th: Billy Bledsoe, Fayetteville, N.C., seven bass, 20-3, $592
Kristopher Queen of Catawba, N.C., weighed in a two-day total of seven bass weighing 14 pounds, 5 ounces Sunday to win $2,539 in the co-angler division. Rounding out the top 10 co-anglers were:
2nd: John Wilson, Six Mile, S.C., six bass, 14-1, $1,269
3rd: David Collins, Littleton, N.C., six bass, 13-1, $846
4th: Anthony Spivey, Aynor, S.C., five bass, 11-8, $592
5th: Dennis Surratt, Denton, N.C., four bass,10-9, $508
6th: Roy Alston, Henrico, N.C., three bass, 10-9, $465
7th: Trevor Holman, Durham, N.C., four bass, 9-6, $423
8th: Bill Burton, Vernon Hill, Va., three bass, 7-9, $381
9th: Brian Bailey, Durham, N.C., three bass, 6-15, $339
10th: Frank White, Marion, N.C., four bass, 6-13, $296
The top 40 boaters and 40 co-anglers based on point standings will qualify for the Oct. 17-19 Regional Championship on Lake Hartwell in Lavonia, Ga. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518 with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard and a Chevy Silverado, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518 with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard.