FLORENCE, Ala. (April 27, 2009) - Robert Boyd of Russellville, Ala., won the Bass Fishing League Bama Division bass fishing tournament on Pickwick Lake Saturday with a five-bass catch weighing 19 pounds, 12 ounces. The victory earned Boyd $3,545 and placed him one step closer to qualifying for the Lake Seminole Regional Championship in Bainbridge, Ga., Oct. 22-24, where he could ultimately win a new Ranger boat and a Chevy truck.
"This is my second tournament to win this year," Boyd said. "I feel really blessed considering I only had three hours of practice. Even with just three hours of practice I found key areas that I went to during the tournament."
Boyd caught his limit throwing a spinnerbait and a crankbait. He targeted riprap and rocks in 6 to 12 feet of water up the river. He said that all the fish he caught were post spawn.
Rounding out the top five boaters are Bryan Gregory of Fort Payne, Ala. (five bass, 19-3, $1,773); Timothy Little of Acworth, Ga. (five bass, 17-5, $1,004); Michael Andrew Poss of Muscle Shoals, Ala. (five bass, 17-5, $1,004) and Mike Lemmond of Waterloo, Ala. (five bass, 16-8, $709).
David Harris of Florence, Ala., took home the Boater Division Big Bass award, earning $445 for a 7-pound bass he caught.
Belinda Lewis of Lawrenceburg, Tenn., earned $1,773 as the co-angler winner Saturday thanks to five- bass weighing 16 pounds, 5 ounces.
Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Josh Fordham of Glencoe, Ala. (five bass, 11-14, $886); Adam Duncan of Nashville, Tenn. (five bass, 11-13, $591); Tony Prince of Pulaski, Tenn. (five bass, 11-2, $414); and James Smith of Lawrenceburg, Tenn. (five bass, 11-0, $355).
Duncan earned $222 as the co-angler Big Bass winner after catching a 4-pound, 10-ounce bass.
The next Bama Division event will be held on the Wheeler Lake in Decatur, Ala., May 16.