SUMMERTON, S.C. (May 14, 2007) - Boater David Heatherly of Buffalo, S.C., won the Bass Fishing League South Carolina Division bass fishing tournament on Santee Cooper Lakes Saturday with a five-bass catch weighing 22 pounds, 15 ounces. The victory earned Heatherly $3,823 and placed him one step closer to qualifying for the Clarks Hill Lake Regional Championship in Appling, Ga., Oct. 11-13, where he could ultimately win a new 519VX Ranger boat and a Chevy truck.
Heatherly caught his bass throwing a Zoom Brush Hog on lower lake points.
Rounding out the top five boaters are Eddie Cox of Goose Creek, S.C. (five bass, 22-3, $2,249); Michael Maxfield of North Charleston, S.C. (five bass, 21-9, $1,498); Jason Barrett of Moncks Corner, S.C. (five bass, 21-8, $1,050) and Wade Grooms of Bonneau, S.C. (five bass, 18-6, $900).
Carl Williams Jr. of Bessemer City, N.C., took home the Boater Division Big Bass award, earning $645 for a 8-pound bass.
Don Kohli of Lincolnton, Ga., earned $2,175 as the co-angler winner Saturday thanks to four bass weighing 17 pounds, 5 ounces. Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Bo Price of Seneca, S.C. (three bass, 7-9, $1,088); Joe Morgan of Newberry, S.C. (three bass, 6-14, $726); Lonnie Fulmer of Batesburg, S.C. (two bass, 6-5, $507) and Jeff Stidom of Columbia, S.C. (one bass, 5-13, $435).
Kohli also earned $307 as the co-angler Big Bass winner after catching a 8-pound, 12-ounce bass.
The division's fourth event will be held June 9 on Lake Wateree in Camden, S.C., and the final event of the regular season will be a two-day Super Tournament held Sept. 22-23 on Lake Wylie in Lake Wylie, S.C.