PRICE WINS WALMART BASS FISHING LEAGUE SAVANNAH RIVER DIVISION EVENT ON LAKE RUSSELL

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ELBERTON, Ga. (March 16, 2015) – Bo Price of Westminster, South Carolina, weighed a five-bass limit totaling 17 pounds even Saturday to win the second Walmart Bass Fishing League Savannah River Division tournament of 2015 on Lake Russell. For his victory, Price earned $6,796.

“The financial part is great, but getting out there and seeing all your hard work come to fruition is always more satisfying to me than the money,” said Price.

In order to claim the tournament’s top prize, Price said that he fished his favorite patches of trees in the midlake area, off the main river.

“The timber has a lot of decent fish in it,” said Price. “I usually can catch some quality bass in there.”

He went on to say that the weather definitely played a big role in this tournament.

“Up until about three days before the tournament, the weather was nice and the fish were pulling up shallow in their prespawn phase,” Price said. “But the recent cold rain pushed everything back a bit deeper.”

Luckily, Price was able to start his day off right by netting a 6-pound, 4-ounce bass and another 5-pound keeper using a white 1/2-ounce Hawg Caller spinnerbait.

“After I caught those two, I was faced with the decision to fish for a limit or chase more big ones,” Price said. “I decided to keep fishing for the limit.”

Around 10 a.m., the bite slowed in the trees so Price finished off his day targeting mainlake points. He used a custom-made peanut butter and jelly-colored football-head jig to fill his limit.

“I figured it would take around 20 pounds to win the tournament,” Price said. “So I kept rolling with the two or three-pounders and ended up with a nice stringer.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:

1^st:          Bo Price, Westminster, S.C., five bass, 17-0, $4,796 + $2,000 Ranger Cup award

2^nd:         Kerry Partain, Elberton, Ga., five bass, 14-14, $2,398

3^rd:          Greg Glouse, Liberty, S.C., five bass, 14-13, $1,595

4^th:          Michael Anders, Anderson, S.C., five bass, 14-9, $1,119

5^th:          Brandon Cobb, Greenwood, S.C., five bass, 12-15, $959

6^th:          Stacy Lowe, Belton, S.C., five bass, 12-8, $879

7^th:          Jimmy Wilson, Wagener, S.C., five bass, 12-7, $799

8^th:          Daryl McClellon, Cornelia, Ga., four bass, 12-6, $719

9^th:          Mike Bouknight, Greenwood, S.C., five bass, 11-14, $639

10^th:        Jerry Kotal, Elberton, Ga., five bass, 11-13, $560

Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Wilson caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the pro division and earned the day’s Big Bass award of $715.

Westley Denny of Westminster, South Carolina, weighed in a five-bass limit totaling 13 pounds, 2 ounces Saturday to win $2,398 in the co-angler division.

The top 10 co-anglers were:

1^st:          Westley Denny, Westminster, S.C., five bass, 13-2, $2,398

2^nd:         Kirk Fowler, Simpsonville, S.C., five bass, 12-0, $1,199

3^rd:          Mike Brown, Buford, Ga., five bass, 11-5, $677

3^rd:          Charles Pruitt, Greenwood, S.C., five bass, 11-5, $677

5^th:          Buddy Rice, Belton, S.C., five bass, 10-13, $480

6^th:          Johnny Hancox, West Union, S.C., five bass, 10-11, $440

7^th:          Chris Nunziato, Elberton, Ga., three bass, 10-9, $400

8^th:          Stephen Burress, Mills River, N.C.,    five bass, 10-8, $320

8^th:          Kevin Dye, West Union, S.C., five bass, 10-8, $320

8^th:          Jody Rogers, Clarkesville, Ga., five bass, 10-8, $320

Nunziato caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the co-angler division and earned the day’s Big Bass award of $357.

The top 50 boaters and 50 co-anglers based on point standings will qualify for the Oct. 15-17 Regional Championship on Lake Wateree in Camden, South Carolina. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard and $20,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard.

The BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 120 tournaments throughout the season, five in each division. The top 50 boaters and co-anglers from each division qualify for a regional tournament and compete to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the Walmart BFL All-American. Top winners in the BFL can move up to the Rayovac FLW Series or even the Walmart FLW Tour.