RICHMOND, Va. (June 23, 2008) - Boater Jason Bishop of Richmond, Va., won the Bass Fishing League Shenandoah Division bass fishing tournament on the James River Saturday with a five-bass catch weighing 15 pounds, 1 ounce. The victory earned Bishop $3,020 and placed him one step closer to qualifying for the Albemarle Sound Regional Championship in Elizabeth City, N.C., Oct. 9-11, where he could ultimately win a new 198VX Ranger boat and a Chevy truck.
"We ran to the Chickahominy River in the morning and caught fish on topwater on some Pop-R lures and Zoom Trick Worms in green-pumpkin," Bishop said. "Then we stayed with the good outdoor water the rest of the day and ran up to Richmond. We had a good day and caught fish everywhere we stopped."
Bishop had 15 keeper bites fishing brush piles and wood and had a limit by 8:30 a.m.
Rounding out the top five boaters are Bobby Clarke of Virginia Beach, Va. (five bass, 12-05, $1,777); James Hoffmaster of Bunker Hill, W.Va. (five bass, 12-00, $1,185); Todd Harris of Pfafftown, N.C. (five bass, 11-11, $829) and Richard Owen of Chester, Va. (five bass, 11-05, $711).
Bishop took home the Boater Division Snickers Big Bass award, earning $455 for a 5-pound bass he caught on a topwater lure.
Thomas Thompson of Arlington, Va., earned $1,753 as the co-angler winner Saturday thanks to five bass weighing 11 pounds, 5 ounces that he caught on a Senko and creature baits in lay downs and timber.
Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Mark Robertson of Henderson, N.C. (five bass, 10-04, $876); David Williams of Fredericksburg, Va. (five bass, 9-04, $585); Thomas Hassler of Woodstock, Va. (five bass, 8-14, $409) and Michael Trivette of Blackstone, Va. (five bass, 8-09, $351).
Daniel Towe of Salem, Va., earned $220 as the co-angler Big Bass winner after catching a 5-pound, 3-ounce bass he caught on a Carolina rig and Brush Hog.
A two-day Super Tournament, the division's fifth and final event, will be held on the Potomac River in Woodbridge, Va., Sept. 13-14.