LAKE WYLIE, S.C. (April 7, 2008) - Boater Roger Pope of Statesville, N.C., won the Bass Fishing League North Carolina Division bass fishing tournament on Lake Wylie Saturday with a five-bass catch weighing 19 pounds, 10 ounces. The victory earned Pope $4,874 and placed him one step closer to qualifying for the Cherokee Lake Regional Championship in Morristown, Tenn., Oct. 16-18, where he could ultimately win a new 198VX Ranger boat and a Chevy truck.
Pope flipped a jig in shallow, stained water in mid-lake flats to catch his limit.
Rounding out the top five boaters are Brian Travis of Conover, N.C. (five bass, 19-06, $2,867); Obby Land of Cherryville, N.C. (five bass, 18-10, $1,911); Bobby Hunter of Sherrills Ford, N.C. (five bass, 18-02, $1,338) and Jason Threadgill of Albemarle, N.C. (five bass, 17-11, $1,147).
Will Petty of Charlotte, N.C., took home the Boater Division Big Bass award, earning $935 for a 6-pound, 8-ounce bass he caught on a tube fishing docks.
Ken Fender of Gastonia, N.C., earned $2,867 as the co-angler winner Saturday thanks to five bass weighing 15 pounds, 6 ounces that he caught on a jig.
Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Bobby Henderson of Charlotte, N.C. (five bass, 14-12, $1,434); Jamie Amerson of High Point, N.C. (five bass, 14-08, $957); Michael Ewing of Millersburg, Ohio (five bass, 13-09, $669) and Thurman Lowry of Lexington, N.C. (five bass, 12-05, $573). Fender earned $467 as the co-angler Big Bass winner after catching a 6-pound bass on a jig.