LAKE WYLIE, N.C. (March 30, 2015) – Todd Walters of Kernersville, North Carolina, weighed a five-bass limit totaling 17 pounds, 2 ounces Saturday to win the Bass Fishing League North Carolina Division tournament on Lake Wylie. For his victory, Walters earned $4,350.
“I was very excited to take home a check,” said Walters. “It’s my third career win and this one was completely unexpected.”
Walters spent his day fishing points near spawning pockets in Allison Creek. He said he found the majority of his fish in 8 to 12 feet of water.
“I knew I would have to target those deeper, offshore fish due to the recent cold front,” Walters said. “I focused on isolated rocks at the end of the points. When it gets cold like this the fish tend to gravitate towards those rocks.”
Walters said the only bait he used was a pearl blue-colored Keitech swimbait.
“I only caught about 10 fish all day, but I had four of the five fish that I weighed-in within 45 minutes of takeoff.”
Walters capped off his stringer around 1 p.m. when he caught a five-pounder lurking around a floating dock. He said he threw the Keitech while in 25 feet of water, let it fall to 15 feet and slow rolled it before the bite.
“At that point I knew I had enough weight for a solid finish,” Walters said. “I was surprised that I won, though, because it usually it takes more than 20 pounds to win on Lake Wylie, especially with the level of competition in the North Carolina division.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
1st: Todd Walters, Kernersville, N.C., five bass, 17-2, $4,350
2nd: John McDonald, Thomasville, N.C., five bass , 16-12, $2,175
3rd: Rob Digh, Denver, N.C., five bass, 16-8, $1,451
4th: Jay Keith, Camden, S.C., five bass, 16-3, $942
4th: Brian Travis, Conover, N.C., five bass, 16-3, $942
6th: James Buchanan, Monroe, N.C., five bass, 16-2, $761
6th: Eric Moser, Salisbury, N.C., five bass, 16-2, $761
8th: J.D. Barber, Charlotte, N.C., five bass, 16-0, $549
8th: Christopher Brown, Lexington, N.C., five bass, 16-0, $549
8th: Klaus Hadschin, Granite Falls, N.C., five bass, 16-0, $549
8th: David Williams, Maiden, N.C., five bass, 16-0, $549
Moser caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the pro division and earned the day’s Big Bass award of $615. Marty Williams of Thomasville, North Carolina, weighed in a five-bass limit totaling 14 pounds, 11 ounces Saturday to win $2,175 in the co-angler division. The top 10 co-anglers were:
1st: Marty Williams, Thomasville, N.C., five bass, 14-11, $2,175
2nd: Tristen Trull, Mount Holly, N.C., five bass, 13-15, $1,088
3rd: Keiven Forbes, New Bern, N.C., five bass, 13-11, $726
4th: George Hirapetian, Charlotte, N.C., five bass, 13-6, $507
5th: Stanley Carper, Winfield, W.Va., five bass, 12-12, $435
6th: John Wilson, Six Mile, S.C., five bass, 12-5, $399
7th: Tyler Osterhout, Concord, N.C., five bass, 12-3, $344
7th: John Smith, Midland, N.C., four bass, 12-3, $344
9th: Doug File, Salisbury, N.C., five bass, 11-9, $290
10th: John Farmer, Mooresville, N.C., five bass, 11-6, $254
Chris Pease of Stanley, North Carolina, caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the co-angler division and earned the day’s Big Bass award of $307.
The top 50 boaters and 50 co-anglers based on point standings will qualify for the Oct. 15-17 Regional Championship on Lake Wateree in Camden, South Carolina. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard and $20,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard.