Greers Ferry, Ark. – Romaine Guillory of Hot Springs, Ark., outpaced 116 competitors Saturday with five bass weighing 15 pounds, 4 ounces to win $4,172 and 200 points on the boater side of the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League (BFL) Arkie Division tournament on Greers Ferry Lake.
Guillory edged out Wayne Crumpton of Royal, Ark., by 3 pounds, 6 ounces in the one-day event that set out from Greers Ferry Marina. Crumpton finished with a five-bass catch weighing 11 pounds, 14 ounces to win $2,086. He also won $500 as the highest finishing participant in the Ranger Cup incentive program.
Guillory caught the majority of his fish, including a 7-pound, 11-ounce bass that landed him $580 as the biggest bass of the tournament, on a black and blue jig while fishing 10-foot deep brush in the south fork.
David Carter of Benton, Ark., took third place and collected $1,043 with five bass weighing 10 pounds, 9 ounces. Billy McCaghren Jr. of Mayflower, Ark., placed fourth and earned $904 with five bass weighing 10 pounds, 6 ounces, while Gary Galloway of Higden, Ark., placed fifth and earned $835 with five bass weighing 10 pounds, 2 ounces.
First place in the Co-Angler Division and $2,032 went to Ken Pearson of Cabot, Ark., who topped 113 competitors with five bass weighing 9 pounds, 2 ounces. Second place in the division and $1,016 went to LeRoy Arnold of Little Rock, Ark., with five bass weighing 7 pounds, 14 ounces, while David Sorensen of North Little Rock, Ark., took third place and $508 with four bass weighing 6 pounds, 9 ounces.
John Stone of Delight, Ark., won the co-angler Big Bass Award of $282 with a 5-pound, 12-ounce bass that he caught on a black and blue jig while flipping docks near Heber Springs.
Overall, 344 bass were caught during the tournament, including 19 five bass limits.
The BFL will visit the Arkansas River on May 5 for the third of five events in the Arkie Division. The boater with the most points after the division’s season finale, a two-day Super Tournament Sept. 15-16 on the Arkansas River, 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 Arkie Division will advance to regional competition Oct. 16-20 on the Red River near Shreveport, La., where they will go up against top competitors from the Cowboy, Okie and Mississippi divisions 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.