Monsen wins close Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League tourney on New Melones Lake

Bob Monsen of Murphys, Calif., shows off his first-place trophy after winning the March 10 Wal-Mart BFL tour event on Lake Melones. Monsen won the top prize of $3,328 after landing five fish weighing 9 pounds, 10 ounces.

March 10, 2001 • MLF • Archives

ANGELS CAMP, Calif. – Bob Monsen of Murphys, Calif., edged past Jarred Roscelli of Winton, Calif., Saturday after landing one bass weighing 1 pound, 4 ounces in a rare fish-off tiebreaker at the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League (BFL) Western Division tourney on Lake Melones.

Monsen and Roscelli were locked in a five-bass, 9-pound, 9-ounce tie at the end of regulation time in the one-day event that set out from Glory Hole marina. During the one-hour tiebreaker, Monsen landed one more bass to win $3,328 and 200 points in the Boater Division. Roscelli came up fishless and settled for second place and $1,664.

Monsen caught his limit under sunny skies while fishing rock piles in the south end of the lake with a green jig and worm.

Steven Smith of Acampo, Calif., took third place and collected $832 with four bass weighing 9 pounds, 4 ounces. Smith also won $500 as the highest-finishing participant in the Ranger Cup incentive program.

Eric Leseberg of Antioch, Calif., placed fourth and earned $721 with four bass weighing 9 pounds, 2 ounces, while Richard Bennett of Grass Valley, Calif., placed fifth and earned $610 with four bass weighing 8 pounds, 11 ounces. A total of 84 anglers competed in the Boater Division.

Greg Kiefer of Paradise, Calif., won the boater Big Bass Award and collected $420 with a 3-pound, 11-ounce bass that he caught on a pig and jig in 30 feet of water.

First place in the Co-Angler Division and $1,624 went to William Dehart of Bay Point, Calif., who topped 82 competitors with two bass weighing 8 pounds, 10 ounces. Dehart also won the co-angler Big Bass Award of $205 with a 6-pound, 1-ounce bass that he caught on a Carolina-rigged jig near Island Point.

Second place in the Co-Angler Division and $812 went to Pat Wilson of Petaluma, Calif., with five bass weighing 8 pounds, 1 ounce, while Gary Haraguchi of Freemont, Calif., took third place and $406 with four bass weighing 8 pounds.

Overall, 320 bass weighing 540 pounds, 2 ounces were caught during the tournament, including 15 five-bass limits.

On April 7, the BFL will visit the California Delta for the third of five events in the Western Division. The boater with the most points after the division’s season finale, a two-day Super Tournament Sept. 29-30 on Clear Lake, will be declared the Divisional Points Champion and awarded $1,000. The co-angler amassing the most points by the end of the season will receive $500.

The top 30 boaters and top 30 co-anglers in the Western Division will advance to regional competition Oct. 23-27 on Lake Shasta near Redding, Calif., where they will go up against top competitors from the Colorado River Division for a shot at qualifying for the $250,000 All-American.

Awards for the 2001 BFL season could reach $5.7 million based on full fields at each tournament.