BAINBRIDGE, Ga. (April 3, 2006) - Boater Richard Mercer of Dothan, Ala., earned $5,812 Saturday as winner of the Bass Fishing League Bulldog Division bass fishing tournament on Lake Seminole. The tournament was the second of five regular-season Bulldog Division events and featured 191 boaters vying for the win, which earned Mercer 200 points in the Boater Division. Mercer's winning catch of five bass weighed 21 pounds, 5 ounces. He was sight fishing, throwing a green pumpkin lizard in spawning areas along sandbars to catch his bass.
Rounding out the top five boaters are Shane Bush of Graceville, Fla. (five bass, 19 pounds, 13 ounces, $2,906); Craig Reynolds of Bonifay, Fla. (five bass, 18 pounds, 8 ounces, $1,939); Terry Stevens of Marianna, Fla. (five bass, 18 pounds, 4 ounces, $1,356) and Greg Gaston of Thomasville, Ga. (five bass, 18 pounds, $1,162).
Mercer also took Boater Division big-bass award honors, earning $955 for an 8-pound, 9-ounce bass.
The Ranger Cup contingency award went to boater Darryl Stewart of Solcomb, Ala., earning him $500 for being the highest finishing Ranger Cup participant.
Rick Tindell of Leesburg, Ga., won the Co-angler Division to earn $2,829, thanks to five bass weighing 17 pounds, 5 ounces that he caught while flipping jigs.
Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Austin Spurlin of Fayetteville, Ga. (five bass, 16 pounds, 01 ounce, $1,414); Frank Godwin Jr. of Bainbridge (five bass, 14 pounds, 11 ounces, $945) James Hays of Villa Rica, Ga., (five bass, 13 pounds, 12 ounces, $660) and Larry Spivey of Grand Ridge, Fla. (five bass, 11 pounds, 11 ounces, $566).
James Murphy of Phenix City, Ala., earned $457 as the co-angler big-bass award winner.
The Bulldog Division's next event will be held May 6 on Lake Eufaula near Eufaula, Ala., followed by an event on West Point Lake near Lanette, Ala., June 3. The Bulldog Division will wrap up its regular season Sept. 30-Oct. 4 with a two-day Super Tournament on Lake Oconee near Buckhead, Ga.