GROVE, Okla. – Steve Winters of Derby, Kan., outpaced 77 competitors Saturday with five bass weighing 14 pounds, 12 ounces to win $3,194 and 200 points on the boater side of the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League (BFL) Plains Division tournament on Grand Lake.
Winters edged out Jeff Tipton of Afton, Okla., by 1 pound, 15 ounces in the one-day event that set out from Red 11 Port. Tipton finished with a five-bass catch weighing 12 pounds, 13 ounces to win $1,597.
Richard Campbell of Platte City, Mo., took third place and collected $798 with five bass weighing 12 pounds, 9 ounces. Larry Seger of Reeds Spring, Mo., placed fourth and earned $692 with five bass weighing 12 pounds, 8 ounces, while Terry Thomas of Nixa, Mo., placed fifth and earned $639 with four bass weighing 12 pounds, 3 ounces.
Campbell won the boater Big Bass Award and collected $385 with a 5-pound, 5-ounce bass.
First place in the Co-Angler Division and $1,479 went to Roger Smith of Eugene, Mo., who topped 67 competitors with five bass weighing 10 pounds, 15 ounces. Second place in the division and $739 went to James Marion of Tulsa, Okla., with four bass weighing 10 pounds, 12 ounces, while Troy Dillon of Manhattan took third place and $370 with five bass weighing 10 pounds, 6 ounces.
Marion won the co-angler Big Bass Award of $167 with a 5-pound, 1-ounce bass.
Overall, 308 bass were caught during the tournament, including 27 five-bass limits.
The Wal-Mart BFL will visit Lake Truman Sept. 8-9 for a two-day Super Tournament that will determine the Divisional Points Champion who will be awarded $1,000. The co-angler amassing the most points by the conclusion of the season ending tournament will receive $500.
The top 30 boaters and top 30 co-anglers in the Plains Division will advance to regional competition Oct. 16-20 on the Ohio River near Paducah, Ky., where they will go up against top competitors from the LBL, Hoosier and Great Lakes 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.