HENDERSON, N.C. (March 26, 2007) - Boater Ronnie McMillan of Elon, N.C., won the Bass Fishing League Piedmont Division bass fishing tournament on Kerr Lake Saturday with a five-bass catch weighing 19 pounds, 10 ounces. The victory earned McMillan $5,100 and placed him one step closer to qualifying for the Potomac River Regional Championship in Charles County, Md., 11-13, where he could ultimately win a new 519VX Ranger boat and a Chevy truck.
McMillan was throwing a white swimming jig around submerged brush in bays and pockets.
Rounding out the top five boaters are Timothy Penhollow of Oxford, N.C. (five bass, 17-5, $3,000); Edward Fore of Concord, Va. (five bass, 16-13, $2,000); Jimmy Coleman of Monroe, Va. (five bass, 15-13, $1,400) and Rick Davis of Greensboro, N.C. (five bass, 15-6, $1,200).
Roger Fulk of Clemmons, N.C., took home the Boater Division Big Bass award, earning $1,000 for a 6-pound, 8-ounce bass.
Danny Washburn of Roanoke, Va., also earned and additional $500 for being the highest-placing Ranger Cup participant in Saturdays competition.
Steve Kiser of Tarboro, N.C., earned $3,000 as the co-angler winner Saturday thanks to five bass weighing 14 pounds, 6 ounces that he caught while fishing a combination of spinnerbaits and crankbaits in pockets targeting schooling fish.
Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Reid Barr of Marion, Va. (five bass, 13-10, $1,500); Michael Stevens of Lexington, N.C. (five bass, 13-6, $1,000); Randall Falwell of Monroe, Va. (five bass, 12-11, $700) and David Cox of Greenville, N.C. (five bass, 12-10, $600).
Eric Christian of Burlington, N.C., earned $500 as the co-angler Big Bass winner after catching a 6-pound,1-ounce bass. The Piedmont Division's next event will be May 12 on the Potomac River in Woodbridge, Va., followed by a tournament June 30 on Kerr Lake in Henderson, N.C. The division's final event of the regular season will be a two-day Super Tournament held Sept. 29-30 on Kerr Lake in Henderson, N.C.