POTEAT WINS WALMART BASS FISHING LEAGUE NORTH CAROLINA DIVISION EVENT ON KERR LAKE

                                                                                          

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HENDERSON, N.C. (May 4, 2015) – Chad Poteat of Mount Airy, North Carolina, weighed a five-bass limit totaling 17 pounds even Saturday to win the third Walmart Bass Fishing League (BFL) North Carolina Division tournament of 2015 on Kerr Lake. For his victory, Poteat earned $6,244.

Poteat said he flipped the button bushes in the Nutbush Creek area of Kerr Lake, the same pattern he used to win a BFL Shenandoah Division event last month.

“I caught them on a green pumpkin-colored Zoom Brush Hog,” said Poteat. “I was fortunate that the fish were still hanging around the same area.”

Poteat credited a move to a hidden area of the lake, which can only be accessed in certain conditions, as being a key for him.

“There is a bridge that is so close to the water that the lake has to be down to sneak through,” said Poteat. “In order to get back there I took off my windshield, my depth finders, my trolling motor as well as the cap on my motor. It was worth the effort because I caught a 6-pounder flipping the bushes around 10:30 a.m.”

Poteat said that he ended up catching around 14 bass during the tournament.

“I caught two keepers before going under the bridge, but it was the 6-pounder with the Brush Hog that sealed the deal for me,” said Poteat. “I’m truly blessed.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:

1^st:          Chad Poteat, Mount Airy, N.C., five bass, 17-0, $4,244 + $2,000 Ranger Cup Bonus

2^nd:         Marty Warren, Elon, N.C., five bass, 16-12, $2,122

3^rd:          George Lambeth, Thomasville, N.C., five bass, 16-8, $1,413

4^th:          Maurice Freeze, Concord, N.C., five bass, 16-3, $990

5^th:          Eric Moser, Salisbury, N.C., five bass, 15-5, $849

6^th:          Johnny Guffey, Bessemer City, N.C., five bass, 14-15, $778

7^th:          Shawn Hammack, Gasburg, Va., five bass, 14-13, $707

8^th:          Michael Webster, Gastonia, N.C., five bass, 14-9, $637

9^th:          Jason Wilson, Lincolnton, N.C., five bass, 14-8, $566

10^th:        Ronnie McCoy, Lamar, S.C., five bass, 14-6, $470

10^th:        James Wall, Greensboro, N.C., five bass, 14-6, $470

Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Poteat also caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the pro division, a fish weighing 6 pounds, 2 ounce and earned the day’s Big Bass award of $600.

Mathew Benge of Maiden, North Carolina, weighed in a five-bass limit totaling 13 pounds, 13 ounces Saturday to win $2,122 in the co-angler division.

The top 10 co-anglers were:

1^st:          Matthew Benge, Maiden, N.C., five bass, 13-13, $2,122

2^nd:         Marvin Godard, Charlotte, N.C., five bass, 13-10, $1,061

3^rd:          Steve Cannon, Wilkesboro, N.C., five bass, 12-9, $707

4^th:          Kevin Lynch, Hickory, N.C., five bass, 11-6, $495

5^th:          Will White, Wake Forest, N.C., five bass, 10-14, $424

6^th:          Kurt Moser, Max Meadows, Va., five bass, 10-8, $389

7^th:          Jeff Rikard, Leesville, S.C., five bass, 10-7, $354

8^th:          Nicholas Shaver, Marion, N.C., five bass, 10-0, $300

8^th:          Jeffery Wingler, Wilkesboro, N.C., five bass, 10-0, $300

10^th:        Jason Barraza, Mooresville, N.C., four bass, 9-14, $248

Cannon caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the co-angler division and earned the day’s Big Bass award of $300.

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.