PROSPERITY, S.C. (Feb. 16, 2009) - Maurice Freeze of Concord, N.C., won the Bass Fishing League South Carolina Division bass fishing tournament on Lake Murray Saturday with a five-bass catch weighing 18 pounds, 14 ounces. The victory earned Freeze $4,507 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.
"During practice on Thursday I found a bunch of fish," said Freeze. "The tournament went well for me as it did for my co-angler."
Freeze caught his limit on a crankbait and jig.
Rounding out the top five boaters are Larry Moss of Prosperity, S.C. (five bass, 18-10, $2,253); Davey Thomas of Sumter, S.C. (five bass, 18-9, $1,502); Sean Anderson of Saluda, S.C. (five bass, 18-4, $1,052) and Brent Long of Cornelius, N.C. (five bass, 17-13, $901).
Anderson took home the Boater Division Big Bass award, earning $655 for a 7-pound, 3-ounce bass he caught.
Scott Peavy of Ridgeway, S.C., earned $2,253 as the co-angler winner Saturday thanks to five bass weighing 16 pounds, 11 ounces.
Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Christopher Browning of Cayce, S.C. (five bass, 14-11, $1,127); Rufus (Doc) McDaniel of Mooresboro, N.C. (five bass, 13-0, $751); Chuck Poovey of Denver, N.C. (five bass, 11-5, $526); and Thomas Miller of Black Mountain, N.C. (five bass, 10-12, $451).
Co-Anglers Jeff Bailey of Inman, S.C., and Keith Britt of Summerville, S.C., each earned $163 as the co-angler Big Bass winners after catching a 5-pound, 13-ounce bass.
The next South Carolina Division event will be held on Santee Cooper in Summerton, S.C., March 7.
The top 40 boaters and 40 co-anglers in each of the BFL's 28 divisions at the end of the season advance to a no-entry-fee Regional Championship where boaters fish for a new Ranger boat and a Chevy truck and co-anglers fish for a new Ranger boat. Seven regional championships will each send six boaters and six co-anglers to the no-entry-fee Walmart BFL All-American, which features a $1 million purse and a top award of $140,000 in the Boater Division and $70,000 in the Co-angler Division. Anglers who compete in all five regular-season events within a division but do not advance to a Regional Championship are eligible to compete in the Chevy Wild Card, which will also send six boaters and six co-anglers to the All-American for a total of 48 boaters and 48 co-anglers advancing through BFL competition.
In BFL competition, boaters supply the boat and compete from the front deck against other boaters. Co-anglers compete from the back deck against other co-anglers.