HENDERSON, N.C. (March 5, 2007) - Boater Jason Houchins of Woodbridge, Va., won the Bass Fishing League Piedmont Division bass fishing tournament on Kerr Lake Saturday with a five-bass catch weighing 17 pounds, 1 ounces. The victory earned Houchins $5,100 and placed him one step closer to qualifying for the Potomac River Regional Championship in Charles County, Md., Oct. 11-13, where he could ultimately win a new 519VX Ranger boat and a Chevy truck.
Houchins was throwing crankbaits over a pea gravel bottom to catch his bass.
Rounding out the top five boaters are David Wright of Lexington, N.C. (five bass, 16-15, $3,000); William Shelton III of Mount Nebo, W.Va. (five bass, 16-3, $2,000); Jimmy Coleman of Monroe, Va. (five bass, 16-00, $1,400) and Edward Fore of Concord, Va. (five bass, 15-10, $1,200).
Van Murray of Raleigh, N.C., took home the Boater Division Big Bass award, earning $1,000 for a 6-pound, 9-ounce bass.
David Wright earned $500 for being the highest-placing Ranger Cup contingency participant.
Bryan Hastings of Littleton, N.C., earned $3,000 as the co-angler winner Saturday thanks to five bass weighing 17 pounds, 13 ounces that he caught while fishing a crankbait around steep banks.
Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Stephen Lucy of Lacrosse, Va. (five bass, 16-00, $1,500); Allen Haigh of Prospect Hill, N.C. (five bass, 14-14, $1,000); Kevin Pfautz of Boydton, Va. (five bass, 13-00, $700) and Randy Waterman of Keysville, Va. (five bass, 12-2, $600).
Milton Lockamy Jr., of Clayton, N.C., earned $500 as the co-angler Big Bass winner after catching a 6-pound, 10-ounce bass. The Piedmont Division's next event will be March 24 on Kerr Lake in Henderson, N.C., followed by a tournament May 12 on the Potomac River in Woodbridge, Va. The division's fourth event will be held June 30 on Kerr Lake in Henderson, N.C., and the final event of the regular season will be a two-day Super Tournament held Sept. 29-30 on Kerr Lake in Henderson, N.C.