ROCK HILL, S.C. (May 20, 2019) – Boater Mike Allman of York, South Carolina, caught five bass Saturday weighing 14 pounds, 7 ounces, to win the Bass Fishing League (BFL) South Carolina Division tournament on Lake Wylie. Allman earned $2,500 for his efforts.
“This was the first BFL event that I have ever fished,” said Allman. “My goal coming in was to just make the top 10. Anglers like Scott Hamrick and Shane Lineberger were fishing in this event, and you expect those guys to just kick your butt. At one point while I was flipping docks I lost a couple of fish and thought I gave the tournament away. Staying positive was the key for me.”
Allman estimated that he caught around 15 keepers throughout the day, focusing on bream beds on the south end of the lake. He said that he dissected “pretty much the entire south end” flipping a ½-ounce jig with a green-pumpkin Zoom Ultra Vibe Speed Craw.
“The bite was really good in the morning, but then the boat traffic got up and it tapered off in the afternoon,” Allman said.
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
1st: Mike Allman, York, S.C., five bass, 14-7, $2,500
2nd: Cody Hoyle, Rutherfordton, N.C., five bass, 13-4, $1,500
3rd: Lane Gerbers, Blackstock, S.C., five bass, 11-13, $996
4th: David Winters, Rock Hill, S.C., five bass, 11-8, $537
5th: Michael Stephens, Gastonia, N.C., five bass, 11-7, $610
6th: Scott Hamrick, Denver, N.C., five bass, 11-2, $422
7th: Chad Cook, Cross, S.C., five bass, 10-15, $364
7th: David Williams, Maiden, N.C., five bass, 10-15, $364
9th: Chris Baumgardner, Gastonia, N.C., five bass, 10-13, $307
10th: John Duarte, Middle River, Md., five bass, 10-8
10th: Shane Lineberger, Lincolnton, N.C., five bass, 10-8
Gerbers caught a 5-pound, 1-ounce bass – the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division – and earned the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $230. Stephen Britt of Columbia, South Carolina, won the Co-angler Division and $1,400 Saturday after catching four bass weighing 9 pounds even.
The top 10 co-anglers were:
1st: Stephen Britt, Columbia, S.C., four bass, 9-0, $1,400
2nd: Travis Ruff, Connelly Springs, N.C., five bass, 8-0, $575
3rd: Justin Ballard, Vance, S.C., five bass, 7-7, $384
4th: Matthew Dangerfield, Summerville, S.C., four bass, 7-6, $249
4th: Darvin Cannon, Columbia, S.C., three bass, 7-6, $364
6th: Kenny Mathis, Boiling Springs, S.C., five bass, 7-3, $211
7th: Jeff Rikard, Leesville, S.C., four bass, 7-2, $242
8th: Barry Burford, Charlotte, N.C., five bass, 6-13, $172
9th: Lee Inman, Inman, S.C., three bass, 6-12, $76
9th: Ronald Bryant, Batesburg, S.C., three bass, 6-12, $76
Cannon caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, a fish weighing in at 4 pounds even. The catch earned him the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $115.