Christian top boater at BFL Super Tournament on Clarks Hill Lake

THOMSON, Ga. – Tony Christian of Hull caught seven bass weighing 21 pounds, 15 ounces to win $5,934 at the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League Savannah River Division Super Tournament, held this weekend on Clarks Hill Lake near Thomson. Christian bested 93 Boater Division competitors and earned 300 points at the tournament, which was the fifth and final Savannah River Division event of the regular season.

Christian caught five bass Saturday weighing 12 pounds, 7 ounces and caught another two weighing 9 pounds, 8 ounces Sunday to win the event. He claimed a $1,000 bonus from Ranger Boats as the highest-finishing participant in the Ranger Cup incentive program, and he earned another $1,000 from Garmin for using a fixed-mount Garmin Fishfinder or combination GPS/sounder during the event.

Rounding out the top five boaters are David Vaughn of Hartwell (10 bass, 18 pounds, 6 ounces); Mike Holland of Waynesville, N.C. (10 bass, 17 pounds, 12 ounces); Joseph Stanfield of Claxton (10 bass, 17 pounds, 3 ounces); and Ronnie Webb of Dewy Rose (seven bass, 16 pounds, 12 ounces).

David Saxon of Westminster, S.C., earned $930 as the Boater Division big-bass award winner thanks to a 6-pound, 3-ounce bass.

Scott Guyot of Charlotte, N.C., led 85 Co-angler Division competitors on day two to claim $2,773 as the Super Tournament co-angler winner. He caught four bass Saturday weighing 9 pounds, 6 ounces and followed that up Sunday with three bass weighing 6 pounds, 7 ounces to earn the win with a two-day total of seven bass weighing 15 pounds, 13 ounces.

Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Lanier Mason of Danielsville (nine bass, 13 pounds, 14 ounces); Phil Parten of Carnesville (nine bass, 13 pounds, 12 ounces); Richard Mitchell of Martinez (nine bass, 13 pounds); and Dwayne Fricks of Iva, S.C. (nine bass, 12 pounds, 10 ounces).

Guyot took co-angler big-bass honors and $425 with a 4-pound bass.

James Crider of Anderson, S.C., is the Savannah River Division’s Yamaha “Be the Best” points leader, winning $1,000 for the 1,028 points he earned during five regular-season tournaments. Keith Thomasson of Abbeville, S.C., is the Yamaha “Be the Best” points leader in the Co-angler Division. He earned $500 for his division-leading 985 points.

The top 30 boaters and top 30 co-anglers in the Savannah River Division will advance to regional competition Oct. 7-11 on Lake Eufaula near Eufaula, Ala., where they will go up against top competitors from the Louisiana, Mississippi and Music City divisions for a shot at qualifying for the BFL All-American, one of the most lucrative postseason tournaments in competitive angling.

The BFL comprises 24 divisions nationwide, each featuring five regular-season events that lead to one of six regionals. Four of the regular-season tournaments are one-day events, while the final event, a Super Tournament, is a two-day tournament that will award as much as $70,950 to participating anglers. Anglers who enter all five regular-season events in a division but do not advance to a regional may enter the Chevy Trucks Wild Card for a shot at qualifying for the All-American. The All-American field comprises 84 competitors – six boaters and six co-anglers from six regionals plus six boaters and six co-anglers from the Wild Card.

As the nation’s leading provider of affordable, close-to-home weekend tournaments, the BFL is widely credited with opening competitive bass fishing to the masses. It also serves as a steppingstone for anglers who wish to advance to the EverStart Series and ultimately the Wal-Mart FLW Tour – bass fishing’s most lucrative tournament series. Each year the top 30 boaters and co-anglers from each BFL division are eligible to advance to the EverStart Series, and the All-American champions are eligible for Wal-Mart FLW Tour competition. The top 15 pros and co-anglers from the Central, Eastern and Northern divisions of the EverStart Series (top 10 from the Western Division) are eligible to advance to the Wal-Mart FLW Tour. Former BFL anglers who have become fishing superstars on the Wal-Mart FLW Tour include Kellogg’s pro Clark Wendlandt, Chevy pro Tommy Biffle and four-time FLW Tour champion David Fritts.