MOORESVILLE, N.C. (Sept. 11, 2017) – Robert Walser of Lexington, North Carolina, won the Bass Fishing League (BFL) North Carolina Division tournament on Lake Norman Sunday with a two-day cumulative catch of 10 bass weighing 25 pounds, 6 ounces. For his efforts, Walser pocketed $6,014.
“On Saturday I focused on fish on the north end of the lake,” said Walser, who earned his 10th career-victory in FLW competition. “I caught them early on points using a white buzzbait, and then switched to a (Zoom) Finesse Worm for bass near isolated wood.”
Walser said he had a limit of fish heading into Saturday afternoon, but eventually hit a lull. Around 2 p.m., he said he decided to work through a stretch of docks above the Highway 150 bridge that he had fished during practice. He said he switched to a Zoom Baby Brush Hog and was able to put a 6-pound, 2-ounce bass in the boat.
“On Sunday I switched things up and headed down south,” said Walser. “I used the buzzbait and was culling by 8:30 (a.m.) I had all of my weight by 10 (a.m.), but wasn’t sure I had enough to win. There are a lot of talented anglers around Lake Norman, and they know how to make the right adjustments. Luckily everything worked out.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
1st: Robert Walser, Lexington, N.C., 10 bass, 25-6, $6,014
2nd: John Allen, Concord, N.C., 10 bass, 23-13, $2,539
3rd: Rob Digh, Denver, N.C., 10 bass, 23-7, $1,894
4th: Artie Phillips, Monroe, N.C., 10 bass, 23-6, $1,185
5th: John Parker, Gaffney, S.C., 10 bass, 23-0, $1,015
6th: Shane LeHew, Catawba, N.C., 10 bass, 22-9, $1,031
7th: Shane Lineberger, Lincolnton, N.C., 10 bass, 21-13, $846
8th: Bryan New, Belmont, N.C., 10 bass, 21-9, $762
9th: Dylan Fulk, Concord, N.C., 10 bass, 21-0, $677
10th: Cody Hoyle, Rutherfordton, N.C., 10 bass, 20-4, $592
Walser’s 6-pound, 2-ouncer was the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division. The catch earned him the Boater Big Bass award of $637. Tobey Lawson of Raleigh, North Carolina, caught a two-day total of 10 bass weighing 18 pounds, 10 ounces, to win the Co-angler Division and $2,739.
The top 10 co-anglers were:
1st: Tobey Lawson, Raleigh, N.C., 10 bass, 18-10, $2,739
2nd: Kevin Jones, Hope Mills, N.C., nine bass, 18-2, $1,269
3rd: Brian Transon, Sherrills Ford, N.C., 10 bass, 16-15, $846
4th: Adam Lockler, Charlotte, N.C., nine bass, 15-13, $642
5th: Phillip Rogers, Cornelius, N.C., seven bass, 14-12, $508
6th: Hunter Harwell, Hickory, N.C., nine bass, 13-8, $465
7th: Tyler Ward, Grover, N.C., seven bass, 13-7, $423
8th: Paul Foley, Mooresville, N.C., seven bass, 12-15, $381
9th: Steven Spivey, Whiteville, N.C., seven bass, 12-6, $339
10th: Thomas McDermott, Madison, N.C., six bass, 11-14, $296
Nathan Grose of Summersville, West Virginia, caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division – a fish weighing 3 pounds, 11 ounces – and earned the Co-angler Big Bass award of $319.