BRACY, Va. (April 2, 2007) - Boater Todd Sumner of Southern Pines, N.C., won the Bass Fishing League North Carolina Division bass fishing tournament on Lake Gaston Saturday with a five-bass catch weighing 22 pounds, 7 ounces. The victory earned Sumner $4,535 plus an $800 Ranger bonus and placed him one step closer to qualifying for the Fort Loudoun-Tellico Lakes Regional Championship in Lenoir City, Tenn., Oct. 18-20, where he could ultimately win a new 519VX Ranger boat and a Chevy truck. Sumner caught his fish mid-lake around rocks and wood with a 3/8-ounce black and blue jig.
Rounding out the top five boaters are Bruce Hoadley of Raleigh, N.C., (five bass, 20-11, $2,668); Michael Fox of Statesville, N.C., (five bass, 18-6, $1,780); Maurice Freeze of Concord, N.C., (five bass, 16-9, $1,245) and Donnie Harper of Chester, Va., (five bass, 16-3, $1,067).
Fox took home the Boater Division Big Bass award, earning $840 for a 5-pound, 11-ounce bass.
Chris Hall of Mount Pleasant, N.C., earned $2,668 as the co-angler winner Saturday thanks to five bass weighing 13 pounds, 8 ounces that he caught while fishing a ¼-ounce black jig around rocks near the dam.
Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Josea Goble of Newton, N.C., (five bass, 12-12, $1,334); John Allen of Concord, N.C., (four bass, 12-5, $888); James Howerton of Danville, Va., (five bass, 10-6, $623) and Mike Shatley of North Wilkesboro, N.C., (three bass, 10-3, $534).
Frank Johnson of Jonesville, N.C., earned $420 as the co-angler Big Bass winner after catching a 7-pound, 7-ounce bass. The North Carolina Division's next event will be May 19 on Jordan Lake in Apex, N.C., followed by a tournament June 16 on High Rock in Salisbury, N.C. The final event of the regular season will be a two-day Super Tournament held Sept. 8-9 on Kerr Lake in Henderson, N.C.
Following the end of regular-season competition, the top 40 boaters and 40 co-anglers based on year-end points standings in the division will advance to the no-entry-fee Fort Loudoun-Tellico Lakes Regional Championship where they will compete against top qualifiers from three other BFL divisions. At the Regional Championship boaters will fish for a new Ranger boat and Chevy truck and co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger boat. The top six boaters and top six co-anglers at the Regional Championship will also advance to the 2008 All-American.