BAINBRIDGE, Ga. (March 31, 2008) - Boater Russ Pearson of Columbus, Ga., won the Bass Fishing League Bulldog Division bass fishing tournament on Lake Seminole Saturday with a five-bass catch weighing 19 pounds, 6 ounces. The victory earned Pearson $4,270 and placed him one step closer to qualifying for the Lake Murray Regional Championship in Columbia, S.C., Oct. 23-25, where he could ultimately win a new 198VX Ranger boat and a Chevy truck.
Fishing near the Flint River, Pearson caught spawning fish off sandbars using a green-pumpkin lizard.
Rounding out the top five boaters are Davey Thomas of Sumter, S.C. (five bass, 19-01, $2,512); Joey Weaver of Macon, Ga. (five bass, 17-14, $1,674); David Johnson of Marianna, Fla. (five bass, 17-09, $1,172) and Terry Stevens of Marianna, Fla. (five bass, 15-14, $1,005).
Buddy Madden of Milledgeville, Ga., took home the Boater Division Big Bass award, earning $775 for a 6-pound, 14-ounce bass he caught on a Senko.
Ryan Lamb of Lilburn, Ga., earned $2,512 as the co-angler winner Saturday thanks to four bass weighing 16 pounds, 10 ounces that he caught on sand flats throwing a Spot Remover jig near the Chattahoochee River.
Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Michael Burrell of Marietta, Ga. (five bass, 15-02, $1,256); Shawn Malcom of Monroe, Ga. (five bass, 15-01, $838); Ralph Moseley of Panama City, Fla. (five bass, 11-06, $544) and Scott Pledger of Lexington, Ga. (four bass, 11-06, $544).
Lamb earned $387 as the co-angler Big Bass winner after catching a 10-pound, 4-ounce bass.