SUMMERTON, S.C. (March 9, 2009) - Wayne King of Sumter, S.C., won the Bass Fishing League South Carolina Division bass fishing tournament on Santee Cooper Saturday with a five-bass catch weighing 19 pounds, 12 ounces. The victory earned King $4,271 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.
King said he caught the majority of his fish on a jig while targeting cypress trees in shallow water.
Rounding out the top five boaters are William Smith of Moncks Corner, S.C. (five bass, 19-6, $2,136); Kenneth Huntley of Matthews, N.C. (four bass, 18-4, $1,424); Ronnie McCoy of Lamar, S.C. (four bass, 17-9, $997) and Ken Ellis of Bowman, S.C. (five bass, 16-5, $854).
Steve Lowder of Lynchburg, S.C., took home the Boater Division Big Bass award, earning $595 for a 10-pound, 12-ounce bass.
Charles Wood of Thomasville, N.C., earned $2,064 as the co-angler winner Saturday thanks to three bass weighing 10 pounds, 3 ounces that he caught on a Carolina-rig worm around rock piles in 8 to 12 feet of water.
Rounding out the top five co-anglers are James Jackson of Baltimore, Md. (three bass, 10-1, $1,032); Danny Cannon of Loris, S.C. (five bass, 9-12, $688); Jason Hueble of Newberry, S.C. (four bass, 9-7, $482); and Chad Griffin of Ninety Six, S.C. (three bass, 9-4, $413).
Scott Peavy of Ridgeway, S.C., earned $287 as the co-angler Big Bass winner after catching a 7-pound, 15-ounce bass on a Carolina rig around stumps in 8 feet of water.
The next South Carolina Division event will be held on Lake Wylie in Lake Wylie, S.C., March 28.