WEBSTER WINS WALMART BASS FISHING LEAGUE SOUTH CAROLINA DIVISION FINALE ON LAKE WYLI

                                                                                          

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LAKE WYLIE, S.C. (Aug. 31, 2015) – Michael Webster of Gastonia, North Carolina, brought a five-bass limit totaling 13 pounds, 9 ounces to the scale Sunday to win the Walmart Bass Fishing League South Carolina Division Super Tournament on Lake Wylie with a two-day total of 10 bass weighing 27 pounds, 10 ounces. For his victory, Webster earned $4,476.

“The lake was fishing tough, so I had to junk-fish my way through it,” said Webster of his first career win in FLW competition. “I was mostly targeting isolated areas offshore.

“I hit rock piles and stumps, but the rocks seemed to be firing better,” continued Webster. “I used a Norman Lures DD22 crankbait and probably stopped at 12 spots that were holding fish.”

Webster said it was the 6-pound, 10-ounce behemoth he caught on the final day of the tournament that helped him seal the deal.

“I was flipping a Katch-Her Flipping Jig around 2 p.m. near a dock and it bit,” said Webster. “That catch is what really pushed me ahead of the pack. A 6-pounder is rare for Lake Wylie.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:

1^st:          Michael Webster, Gastonia, N.C., 10 bass, 27-10, $4,476

2^nd:         Ryan Deal, Indian Trail, N.C., 10 bass, 27-6, $2,238

3^rd:          Bryan New, Belmont, N.C., 10 bass, 26-14, $1,492

4^th:          Maurice Freeze, Concord, N.C., 10 bass, 26-11, $1,045

5^th:          Shane Lineberger, Lincolnton, N.C.,  10 bass, 26-3, $895

6^th:          Mel Long, Hampton, S.C., 10 bass, 25-7, $821

7^th:          Chris Epting, Chapin, S.C.,  10 bass, 24-5, $746

8^th:          Willie McMullen, Oxford, Ga., 10 bass, 23-10, $671

9^th:          Greg Rikard, Leesville, S.C., 10 bass, 22-4, $597

10^th:        Nathan Webber, Lake Wylie, S.C., 10 bass, 21-12, $522

Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Lance Owen of Greer, South Carolina, caught the biggest bass in the pro division Friday, a fish weighing 4 pounds, 6 ounces and earned the day’s Big Bass award of $525.

Greg Glouse of Liberty, South Carolina, won the co-angler division and $2,238 with a two-day total of eight bass weighing 16 pounds, 13 ounces.

The top 10 co-anglers were:

1^st:          Greg Glouse, Liberty, S.C., eight bass, 16-13, $2,238

2^nd:         Dean Chapman, Leesville, S.C., six bass, 15-3, $1,119

3^rd:          Adam Beckum, Martinez, Ga., eight bass, 14-13, $748

4^th:          Jimmy Bihlear Sr., Goose Creek, S.C., six bass, 13-8, $522

5^th:          Mark Wingate, Gaston, S.C., seven bass, 12-8, $448

6^th:          Kim Carver, Milledgeville, Ga., five bass, 11-13, $410

7^th:          Jason Wiley, Soperton, Ga., four bass, 9-4, $373

8^th:          Ray Pettit, Pacolet, S.C., three bass, 8-15, $336

9^th:          Justin Mann, Goose Creek, S.C., four bass, 8-15, $298

10^th:        Charles Bowman, Kernersville, N.C., four bass, 8-5, $261

Chapman caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the co-angler division and earned the day’s Big Bass award of $262.

The top 50 boaters and 50 co-anglers based on point standings will now qualify for the Oct. 8-10 Regional Championship on Lake Sinclair in Milledgeville, Georgia. 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.