LAKE WALES, Fla. (May 4, 2009) - Tom Morse of Port Saint Lucie, Fla., won the Bass Fishing League Gator Division bass fishing tournament on the Kissimmee River Saturday with a four-bass catch weighing 19 pounds, 10 ounces. The victory earned Morse $3,418 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.
"I have won some events outside of FLW Outdoors, but this win feels great," said Morse, a four-year veteran of the BFL circuit. "It kind of reassures me that this is what I need to be doing."
"The fishing on Toho has been sensational," Morse added. "The water's in the best shape I've ever seen it."
Morse said he made the long run to Toho where he knew he had spots holding fish. Morse said his co-angler caught a 3 1/2-pounder early, and Morse started with a topwater bait, then changed to flipping a soft-plastic creature bait. Morse said he racked up weight fast when he caught a 7 1/2-pounder then moved a boat's length and caught another 7 1/2-pounder.
"I didn't think coming in a fish short of the limit would hurt me," Morse said. "I felt pretty good about the four I had."
Rounding out the top five boaters are Micah Silverman of Orlando, Fla. (five bass, 18-14, $1,709); Bill Fugate of Kissimmee, Fla. (five bass, 17-11, $1,138); Tommy Hatfield of Kissimmee, Fla. (five bass, 16-08, $741) and Rodney Marks of Tavares, Fla. (five bass, 16-08, $741).
Norman Soash of Land O'Lakes, Fla., took home the Boater Division Big Bass award, earning $420 for a 9-pound bass he caught on a Paca Craw.
Andrew Pulliam of Tampa, Fla., earned $1,709 as the co-angler winner Saturday thanks to five bass weighing 18 pounds, 2 ounces. Pulliam said he caught his bass fishing a lipless crankbait in open water.
Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Kenneth Hunnicutt of Jacksonville, Fla. (five bass, 17-0, $855); Edmundo Rodas of Altamonte Springs, Fla. (five bass, 14-3, $570); Patrick Mangold of Orlando, Fla. (five bass, 10-15, $399); and David Lepsic of Haines City, Fla. (five bass, 10-11, $342).
Hunnicutt earned $210 as the co-angler Big Bass winner with a 9-pound, 2-ounce bass.
The next Gator Division event, a two-day Super Tournament, will be held on the Kissimmee River in Lake Wales, Fla., Oct. 3-4.