SENECA, S.C. - Boater Marty Robinson of Lyman, S.C., won the Bass Fishing League Savannah River Division bass fishing tournament on Lake Keowee Saturday with a five-bass catch weighing 19 pounds, 7 ounces. The victory, Robinson's second BFL win on Keowee, earned him $4,508 and placed him one step closer to qualifying for the Lake Seminole Regional Championship in Bainbridge, Ga., Oct. 25-27, where he could ultimately win a new 519VX Ranger boat and a Chevy truck.
Robinson was fishing shallow pockets that contained schools of bait with jigs and Blade Runners to catch his quality-sized, tournament limit of bass.
Rounding out the top five boaters are Roger Vinson of Flowery Branch, Ga. (five bass, 13-2, $2,652); Charles Granger of Ware Shoals, S.C. (five bass, 11-13, $1,768); Buddy Henson of Landrum, S.C. (five bass, 11-6, $1,238) and Michael Anders of Easley, S.C. (five bass, 11-2, $1,061).
Vinson also took home the Boater Division Big Bass award, earning him an additional $835 for a 5-pound, 3-ounce bass.
Daniel Peninger of Fairview, N.C., earned $2,620 as the co-angler winner Saturday thanks to five bass weighing 10 pounds, 9 ounces that he caught while fishing a drop-shot rig in 30 to 40 feet of water targeting humps and other offshore structure.
Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Roger Gravitt of Gainesville, Ga. (five bass, 10-1, $1,093); James Wood of Pickens, S.C. (five bass, 10-1, $1,093); Jared Burgess of Liberty, S.C. (five bass,9-3, $611) and Greg Glouse of Easley, S.C. (four bass, 8 pounds, $524).
Mike Thrift of Easley, S.C., earned $412 as the co-angler Big Bass winner after catching a 4-pound, 12-ounce bass.
The Savannah River Division's next event will be March 31 on Clarks Hill Lake in Appling, Ga., followed by tournament April 28 on Lake Hartwell in Clemson, S.C. The division's fourth event will be held June 16 on Lake Russell in Elberton, Ga., and the final event of the regular season will be a two-day Super Tournament held Sept. 29-30 on Clarks Hill Lake in Thomson, Ga.
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 Lake Seminole 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. The winning boater and winning co-angler at the All-American also advance to the no-entry-fee $2 million 2008 Forrest Wood Cup.
The $8.8 million Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League features 28 divisions nationwide. In BFL competition, boaters and co-anglers are randomly paired. Boaters supply the boat and fish from the front deck against other boaters while co-anglers compete from the back deck against other co-anglers.