Bell Runs Bream Beds on Kerr
Surrett nets co-angler title in North Carolina Division event
Rodney Bell of Salisbury, North Carolina, brought a five-bass limit to the scale Saturday weighing 18 pounds, 5 ounces to win the 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine event at Kerr Lake in Henderson, North Carolina. For his victory, Bell earned $5,024.
Bell says he caught his fish throwing a True South Lures V-Twin Buzz buzzbait and an E&L Lures jig.
“I was mainly fishing from the mouth of Nutbush Creek up towards Grassy Creek – about halfway between the two,” says Bell, who picked up the fifth BFL victory of his career. “Fishing in and around the bream beds seemed to be the key.”
The top 10 boaters:
1st: Rodney Bell of Salisbury, N.C., five bass, 18-5, $5,024
2nd: Marty Warren of Elon, N.C., five bass, 17-6, $2,697
3rd: Tom Wilkinson of Oxford, N.C., five bass, 15-2, $1,464
4th: Austin Farrell of Tega Cay, S.C., five bass, 14-11, $1,025
5th: John Wiese of Charlotte, N.C., five bass, 14-2, $879
6th: Ron Wolfarth of Oakboro, N.C., five bass, 13-14, $805
7th: Cavin Young of Prince George, Va., five bass, 13-12, $732
8th: Raymond Jones III of Statesville, N.C., five bass, 13-11, $659
9th: Jason Tibbetts of Centreville, Va., five bass, 13-4, $586
10th: Buddy Black of Lawndale, N.C., five bass, 12-15, $513
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Bell also caught a 5-pound, 7-ounce bass to add the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $630 to his winnings.
Warren took home an extra $500 as the highest finishing FLW PHOENIX BONUS member. Boaters are eligible to win up to an extra $7,000 per event in each Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine tournament if all requirements are met. More information on the FLW PHOENIX BONUS contingency program can be found at PhoenixBassBoats.com.
Surrett wins co-angler title
Dale Surrett of Midland, North Carolina, won the Co-angler Division and $2,197 Saturday after catching a five-bass limit weighing 13 pounds, 15 ounces.
The top 10 co-anglers:
1st: Dale Surrett of Midland, N.C., five bass, 13-15, $2,197
2nd: Tyler Dover of Blacksburg, S.C., five bass, 10-4, $915
2nd: Stephen Kocell of Waxhaw, N.C., five bass, 10-4, $915
4th: Jason Hinger of Timberlake, N.C., five bass, 9-12, $713
5th: Kiel Guin of Durham, N.C., four bass, 9-10, $439
6th: Clay Jackson of Daniels, W. Va., four bass, 9-9, $403
7th: Nathan Grose of Summersville, W. Va., five bass, 9-5, $348
7th: Robert Wedding of Welcome, Md., five bass, 9-5, $348
9th: Brian Bird of Huntersville, N.C., five bass, 9-2, $293
10th: William Lisenby of Centreville, Va., five bass, 8-13, $256
Eric Richards of Kannapolis, North Carolina, caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, a fish weighing in at 4 pounds, 9 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $315.
The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine on Kerr Lake was hosted by the Vance County Tourism Development Authority. The event was the fourth of five qualifying events in the North Carolina Division.
The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the North Carolina Division based on point standings, along with the five winners of each qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 8-10 Bass Fishing League Regional Championship on the James River in Richmond, Virginia, hosted by Richmond Region Tourism. Boaters will compete for a $60,000 prize package, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro bass boat with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard and $10,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new 18-foot Phoenix bass boat with a 200-horsepower outboard.