LENOIR CITY, Tenn. (March 23, 2009) - Mark Mauldin of Knoxville, Tenn., won the Bass Fishing League Volunteer Division bass fishing tournament on the Fort Loudoun/Tellico Lakes Saturday with a five-bass catch weighing 23 pounds, 4 ounces. The victory earned Mauldin $4,541 and placed him one step closer to qualifying for the Lake Norman Regional Championship in Lake Norman, N.C., Oct. 22-24, where he could ultimately win a new Ranger boat and a Chevy truck.
"I had all my fish halfway through the day," said Mauldin. "So the second half of the day, I helped my co-angler and ran the troller motor for him so he could fish."
Mauldin fished the lower end of Fort Loudoun on deeper points with a jerkbait.
Rounding out the top five boaters are Glenn Carter of Rockwood, Tenn. (four bass, 16-8, $2,270); Brandon Coulter of Knoxville, Tenn. (five bass, 15-7, $1,514); Kendale Roach of Knoxville, Tenn. (four bass, 14-0, $1,060) and Joe Lee of Knoxville, Tenn. (five bass, 12-0, $908).
Kendale Roach took home the Boater Division Big Bass award, earning $660 for a 6-pound, 13-ounce bass he caught.
Marvin Taylor, Jr. of Enka, N.C., earned $2,236 as the co-angler winner Saturday thanks to four bass weighing 12 pounds.
Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Rick Etherton of Friendsville, Tenn. (three bass, 11-3, $1,118); James Taylor of Chilhowie, Va. (two bass, 8-2, $745); Paul Dabney of Knoxville, Tenn. (three bass, 8-1, $522); and Todd Pippin of Bristol, Tenn. (three bass, 7-13, $447).
Jonathan Saddler of Bristol, Tenn., earned $325 as the co-angler Big Bass winner after catching a 5-pound, 15-ounce bass.
The next Volunteer Division event will be held on the South Holston Reservoir in Bristol, Tenn., April 18.