PROSPERITY, S.C. (March 20, 2006) - Boater Ben Lee of Lexington, S.C., earned $5,014 Saturday as winner of the Bass Fishing League South Carolina Division bass fishing tournament on Lake Murray. The tournament was the second of five regular-season South Carolina Division events and featured 153 boaters vying for the win, which earned Lee 200 points in the Boater Division.
Lee's winning catch of five bass weighed 24 pounds, 2 ounces. He caught them fishing points with a jig.
Rounding out the top five boaters are Patrick Tierney of Denver, N.C. (five bass, 19 pounds, 13 ounces, $2,507); Gregory Royse of Camden, S.C. (five bass, 19 pounds, 2 ounces, $1,670); Robert Walser of Lexington, N.C. (five bass, 18 pounds, $1,170) and Andy Owens of Camden, S.C. (five bass, 17 pounds, 10 ounces, $1,003).
Beau Dixon of Leesville, S.C., took Boater Division big-bass award honors, earning $765 for an 8-pound, 2-ounce bass he caught on a jig.
Tierney earned an additional $500 as winner of the Ranger Cup award.
Dean Talbert of Albemarle, N.C., bested 145 Co-angler Division competitors to earn $2,403 as the co-angler winner, thanks to five bass weighing 19 pounds, 14 ounces that he caught while fishing a Carolina-rigged lizard, as well as a jig and a worm.
Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Johnny Crislip of Mt. Pleasant, S.C. (five bass, 14 pounds, 12 ounces, $1,003); James Pendleton of Vale, N.C., (five bass, 14 pounds, 12 ounces, $1,003) Jim Wagers of Blackstock, S.C., (five bass, 14 pounds, 5 ounces, $561) and Jimmy Drumm of Mt. Holly, N.C. (five bass, 11 pounds, 14 ounces, $481).
James Wilkerson of Prosperity, S.C., earned $362 as the co-angler big-bass award winner, thanks to an 8-pound, 9-ounce bass.
South Carolina Division anglers will next visit Lake Hartwell in Clemson, S.C., April 8 for their third regular-season event, followed by an event on Lake Wateree in Camden, S.C., May 13. A two-day Super Tournament, the division's fifth and final event, will be held on Lake Wylie in Lake Wylie, S.C., Sept. 30-31. For more information or to enter a tournament, call (270) 252-1000 or visit FLWOutdoors.com.