HENDERSON, N.C. – Timothy Wiles of Yadkinville, N.C., outpaced 200 competitors Saturday with five bass weighing 19 pounds, 5 ounces to win $6,000 and 200 points on the boater side of the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League (BFL) Piedmont Division tournament on Kerr Lake.
Wiles edged out Chris Dunnavant of Mechanicsville, Va., by 4 pounds in the one-day event that set out from Satterwhite Point. Dunnavant finished with a five-bass catch weighing 15 pounds, 5 ounces to win $3,000.
Bo Fraser of Lorton, Va., took third place and collected $1,500 with five bass weighing 15 pounds, 4 ounces. Jeffrey Thomas of Broadway, N.C., placed fourth and earned $1,300 with five bass weighing 14 pounds, while David Warren of Richmond, Va., placed fifth and earned $1,200 with five bass weighing 13 pounds, 11 ounces. Thomas also won $500 from Ranger Boats as the highest finishing participant in the Ranger Cup incentive program.
Walter Chamberlain of Church Road, Va., won the boater Big Bass Award and collected $1,000 with a 6-pound, 12-ounce bass.
First place in the Co-Angler Division and $3,000 went to Jerry Sersen of Joppa, Md., who topped 200 competitors with four bass weighing 12 pounds, 12 ounces. Second place in the division and $1,500 went to David Moore of Triplet, Va., with five bass weighing 11 pounds, 15 ounces, while Jeff Fouch of Martinsburg, W.Va., took third place and $750 with three bass weighing 8 pounds, 15 ounces.
Dana Thomas of Sandston, Va., won the co-angler Big Bass Award of $500 with a 5-pound, 11-ounce bass.
Overall, 591 bass were caught during the tournament, including 27 five-bass limits.
The Wal-Mart BFL will visit the James River July 21 for the fourth of five events in the Piedmont Division. The boater with the most points after the division’s season finale, a two-day Super Tournament Sept. 22-23 on Kerr 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 Piedmont Division will advance to regional competition Oct. 9-13 on Chautauqua Lake near Jamestown, N.Y., where they will go up against top competitors from the Northeast, Buckeye and Michigan 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.