HENDERSON, N.C. (April 28, 2014) – Scott Hamrick of Denver, N.C., weighed a five-bass limit totaling 18 pounds, 6 ounces Saturday to win the Bass Fishing League Piedmont Division tournament on Kerr Lake. For his victory, Hamrick earned $4,889. Hamrick earned his second career BFL win by making a smart decision and staying away from the bushes that Kerr Lake is known for.
“All the of boats were crammed in the pockets fishing bushes,” said Hamrick. “They’d pulled the water down a lot and there was barely 6 inches of water in the bushes. They were getting beat to death.
“So I backed out and fished a spinnerbait on rocks and bluffs and stuff like that. I knew it would be sunny, so my game plan was to get a limit and then flip some docks around places I knew and try to get two big bites.”
Hamrick’s plan worked to perfection. He said that he used a Shooter Lures spinnerbait to catch his limit, then switched to a Shooter Lures jig with a Zoom Big Salty Chunk to catch his two biggest fish around the docks.
“I knew that I could surely get a check, and I could win the tournament if I got lucky,” finished Hamrick. “It’s great to win. Money is always a good thing.”
Rounding out the top 10 pros were:
2nd: Chad Poteat, Mount Airy, N.C., five bass, 17-13, $1,944
3rd: Dwayne Hughes, Lexington, N.C., five bass, 15-14, $1,297
4th: David Wright, Lexington, N.C., five bass, 15-9, $907
5th: Shawn Hammack, Gasburg, Va., five bass, 15-8, $778
6th: Cameron Newhouse, Manson, N.C., five bass, 15-4, $713
7th: William Kemp, Scotland Neck, N.C., five bass, 15-1, $648
8th: George Boyce, Fuquay Varina, N.C., five bass, 14-12, $551
8th: Rodney Sorrell, Stokesdale, N.C., five bass, 14-12, $551
10th: Jason Houchins, Clarksville, Va., five bass, 14-9, $454
Will White of Wake Forest, N.C., weighed in a five-bass limit totaling 15 pounds, 15 ounces Saturday to win $1,944 in the co-angler division. Rounding out the top 10 co-anglers were:
2nd: Triston Waddle, Radford, Va., five bass, 14-2, $972
3rd: Tom O’Neal, Holly Springs, N.C., five bass, 12-11, $649
4th: Lawrence Aucoin, Durham, N.C., five bass, 11-9, $454
5th: Eric Lochner, Fayetteville, N.C., five bass, 11-8, $389
6th: Kenny Main, Colonial Heights, Va., five bass, 10-11, $356
7th: David Bullock, Durham, N.C., four bass, 10-4, $324
8th: Rusty Lee Stone, Sanford, N.C., five bass, 10-3, $292
9th: David Cox, Greenville, N.C., four bass, 10-0, $243
9th: Chuck Wilson, Youngsville, N.C., five bass, 10-0, $243
The top 40 boaters and 40 co-anglers based on point standings will qualify for the Oct. 2-4 Regional Championship on the James River in Richmond, Va. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard and a Chevy Silverado, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard.