SALISBURY, N.C. (June 29, 2009) - Spence Brunson of Salisbury, N.C., won the Bass Fishing League North Carolina Division bass fishing tournament on High Rock Lake Saturday with a five-bass catch weighing 22 pounds, 1 ounce. The victory earned Brunson $4,428 and placed him one step closer to qualifying for the Clarks Hill Lake Regional Championship in Appling, Ga., Oct. 15-17, where he could ultimately win a new Ranger boat and a Chevy truck.
"This is my fourth win fishing the BFLs," said Brunson. "It always feels good to go out and whip them all."
Brunson was fishing water 15 feet deep on the main lake with a chartreuse crankbait with a green back.
"I fished shallow all morning and did not catch a keeper," Brunson said. "Around 9 a.m. I started fishing a chartreuse crankbait a little bit deeper. I caught my first 7-pounder about 9:15 a.m. and caught a second 7-pounder around 10 a.m."
Rounding out the top five boaters are David Wright of Lexington, N.C. (three bass, 20-3, $2,214); Rob Digh of Denver, N.C. (5 bass, 18-8, $1,478); Bruce Bowman of Winston Salem, N.C. (five bass, 17-15, $1,033) and Christopher Brown of Lexington, N.C. (five bass, 17-14, $886).
Wright took home the Boater Division Big Bass award, earning $635 for a 8-pound bass he caught.
Richard Bradford of Hoffman, N.C., earned $2,214 as the co-angler winner Saturday thanks to five bass weighing 15 pounds, 5 ounces.
Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Andy Kearns of High Point, N.C. (five bass, 14-6, $1,107); Jamie Denison of Winston Salem, N.C. (five bass, 14-3, $738); Mark Murphy of Lexington, N.C. (five bass, 13-5, $517); and David Jackson Wright of Mooresville, N.C. (four bass, 12-14, $443).
Bradford earned $317 as the co-angler Big Bass winner after catching a 6-pound, 12-ounce bass.
The next North Carolina Division event will be the Super Tournament held on the Lake Norman in Blythe Landing, N.C., Sept. 26-27.