ELBERTON, Ga. (June 18, 2007) - Boater Jerry Kotal of Elberton, Ga., won the Bass Fishing League Savannah River Division bass fishing tournament on Lake Russell Saturday with a five-bass catch weighing 16 pounds, 3 ounces. The victory earned Kotal $3,507 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.
Rounding out the top five boaters are Trad Whaley of Abbeville, S.C. (five bass, 13-15, $2,064); Rick Steckelberg of Gainesville, Ga. (five bass, 13-09, $1,377); Wendell Ashley of Honea Path, S.C. (five bass, 13-04, $963) and Randy Snider of Laurens, S.C. (five bass, 12-14, $825).
Danny Klein of Anderson, S.C., took home the Boater Division Big Bass award, earning $575 for a 5-pound, 15-ounce bass.
Tommy Kimbrell of Eastanollee, Ga., earned $2,064 as the co-angler winner Saturday thanks to five bass weighing 10 pounds, 14 ounces that he caught while fishing a Carolina rig and finesse worm.
Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Robert W. Bennett Sr. of Lexington, Ga. (five bass, 9-15, $1,032); John Hyatt of Leicester, N.C. (five bass, 8-14, $688); Derek Lehtonen of Woodruff, S.C. (five bass, 8-11, $482) and Bobby Wade of Gaffney, S.C. (five bass, 8-04, $413).
Eugene Mason of Franklin, N.C., earned $287 as the co-angler Big Bass winner after catching a 4-pound, 11-ounce bass. The Savannah River Division's next event will be a two-day Super Tournament held Sept. 29-30 on Clarks Hill Lake in Thomson, Ga.