SOUTH HILL, Va. (Sept. 26, 2009) - Pro Joel Richardson of Kernersville, N.C., caught five bass weighing 10 pounds, 15 ounces Saturday to win the Stren Series Northern Division bass fishing tournament on Lake Gaston with a three-day total of 15 bass weighing 36 pounds, 9 ounces. For his victory, Richardson earned $15,048 cash and a 198VX Ranger Boat powered by an Evinrude or Yamaha outboard and equipped with a Minn Kota trolling motor and Lowrance electronics.
Richardson opened the tournament in fourth place after catching five bass that weighed 12-1. On Friday, he caught five bass that weighed 13-9 and made the top-10 cut in first place.
Rounding out the top five pros were Dave Lefebre of Union City, Pa. (15 bass, 33-5, $6,019); Chris Baumgardner of Gastonia, N.C. (13 bass, 33-4, $4,815); Ivan Morris of Virginia Beach, Va. (15 bass, 29-15, $4,214); and Billy Bledsoe of Fayetteville, N.C. (15 bass, 29-10, $3,612).
Daniel McGinnis of Lansdowne, Ohio, caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the Pro Division Thursday - a 5-pound, 5-ounce bass - that earned him the day's Big Bass award of $211.
Charles Gandee of Efland, N.C., won the Co-angler Division and a 177TR Ranger powered by an Evinrude or Yamaha outboard and trailer, with a three-day total of eight bass weighing 20 pounds, 14 ounces.
Gandee caught three bass weighing 7-2 Thursday while fishing with pro Michael Ertel of Toms River, N.J., to open the tournament in third place. On Friday he caught five bass weighing 13-12 to make the top-10 cut in first place while fishing with pro Chris Novack of Mansfield Center, Conn. Finally, on Saturday, he sealed the win even though he failed to catch a keeper while fishing with Richardson.
Rounding out the top five co-anglers were Moo Bae of West Friendship, Md. (10 bass, 19-4, $2,662); Phil Jarmon of Apex, N.C. (10 bass, 18-14, $1,996); George Yund of Albany, N.Y. (nine bass, 18-7, $1,663); and Kevin Hoogenboom of Twinsburg, Ohio (eight bass, 16-0, $1,497).
Reagan Henry of Texarkana, Texas, caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the Co-angler Division Friday - a 7-pound, 2 ounce bass - that earned him the day's Big Bass award of $105.