Dudley, Piper Win Will Fish for Kids

$200,000+ donation and 23-7 bag highlight tournament

The 2016 Will Fish for Kids Bill Kerr Memorial Charity Tournament presented by Quaker State on Beaver Lake was a rousing success all around. On the fishing side of things, Walmart pro David Dudley and Jason Piper, who represented Walmart, brought in 23 pounds, 7 ounces to win by more than 6 pounds over Old Spice pro Greg Bohannan and Tony Bauer, who represented Anything Possible. More importantly, between donations from a variety of avenues, a record total of $203,894.60 was raised for the Dental Clinic at the Arkansas Children’s Hospital.

In what they both described as an unforgettable, once-in-a-lifetime day, Dudley and Piper blew past the previous five-bass weight record in FLW competition on Beaver Lake. Though the charity tournament was hardly as official or strenuous as a Walmart FLW Tour event, catching 23-7 any day on Beaver Lake is still a pretty incredible accomplishment.

Per Dudley, after filling out a limit of largemouths with crankbaits, the pair picked up wacky-rigged worms and began targeting laydowns and other wood cover along the banks. The first big fish they caught was a 6-pounder, which had them celebrating. Little did they know that a 5-pounder and three 4-pounders would soon follow.

“We talk about lakes that you can make up ground at, like Okeechobee,” says Dudley. “At Beaver Lake, once you’re 5 pounds behind you’ve accepted that you’re not going to win. But after today I won’t ever count myself out if we come back again.”

For the win, Dudley and Piper took home a prize pack that included Grime Boss Wipes, Hi Viz knives, a GoPro HERO4 Silver, a Dick’s Sporting Goods gift certificate and a Daisy BB gun.

Top 10 teams

1. Walmart pro David Dudley and Jason Piper – Walmart – 23-7 (5)

2. Old Spice pro Greg Bohannan and Tony Bauer – Anything Possible – 16-11 (5)

3. Tom Martin and Kerry Milner – Northside Steel Inc. – 15-6 (5)

4. David and Kenneth Knight – Walmart – 14-14 (5)

5. Jay Johnston and Charlie Sponer – Walmart – 14-10 (5)

6. Walmart pro Mark Rose and Jim Enneking – Walmart/Strike King – 14-5 (5)

7. Capt. Blake Smith and Chris Smith – Reynolds Consumer Products – 14-0 (5)

8. Bryan Thrift and Jeff George – Walmart/Charlie’s Worms – 13-12 (5)

9. Bobby Dennis and William Michael Morgan – Luck-E-Strike – 13-7 (5)

10. Quaker State pro Jimmy Houston and Blake Stout – Quaker State – 13-5 (5)

More photos from the event