LAKEPORT, Calif.- David Gliebe of Stockton, Calif., topped more than 60 competitors on Clear Lake this weekend with five bass weighing 24 pounds, 1 ounce to win $4,730 and 400 points on the boater side of the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League (BFL) Western Division season finale.
After qualifying for the final round of the two-day Super Tournament in sixth place with an opening day catch of five bass weighing 19 pounds, 15 ounces, Gliebe out fished runner up John Brossard of Lakeport, Calif., by 1 pound, 13 ounces to take the win. Gliebe caught the majority of his bass by flipping jigs and working crankbaits along the north end of the lake.
Brossard qualified for the final round in first place with five bass weighing 24 pounds, 8 ounces and finished up with 22 pounds, 4 ounces to win $2,365.
Howard Hughes of Redding, Calif., took third place and collected $1,183 with 21 pounds, 15 ounces. He also won $500 as the highest finishing participant in the Ranger Cup incentive program.
Dewayne Bonham of Brentwood, Calif., placed fourth and earned $1,025 with 19 pounds, 3 ounces, while Jimmy Reese of Witter Springs, Calif., placed fifth and earned $946 with 16 pounds, 5 ounces.
Donald Buie of Oakdale, Calif., won the boater Big Bass Award and collected $620 with an 8-pound, 3-ounce bass.
First place in the Co-Angler Division and $2,327 went to Barry McCoy of Castro Valley, Calif., who topped more than 60 competitors with a final round catch of two bass weighing 6 pounds, 10 ounces. Second place in the division and $1,163 went to Gary Wilson of Tracy, Calif., with 6 pounds, 3 ounces, while Dan Powers of Weaverville, Calif., took third place and $582 with 5 pounds, 15 ounces.
Dennis Schultz of Folsom, Calif., won the co-angler Big Bass Award of $305 with a 7-pound, 13-ounce bass.
Mike Reynolds of Modesto, Calif., landed the Divisional Points Championship and $1,000 with 1,134 points won during five regular season tournaments. Pat Wilson of Petaluma, Calif., landed the Co-Angler Points Championship and $500 with 1,118 points.
The top 30 boaters and top 30 co-anglers in the Western Division will advance to regional competition Oct. 23-27 on Lake Shasta near Redding, Calif., where they will go up against top competitors from the Colorado River division for a shot at qualifying for the BFL All-American, which features an estimated purse of $345,000 and ranks as one of the most lucrative post-season tournaments in competitive angling. The top two boaters and co-anglers may also qualify for the Ranger M1 tournament in Mobile, Ala., Feb. 27-March 2, 2002, where they can win up to $1 million.
Awards for the 2001 BFL season could reach $5.7 million based on full fields at each tournament.
Sponsors of the 2001 Wal-Mart BFL are ALPO Pet Foods, BC Powder, BFGoodrich Tires, Black & Decker, Chevy Trucks, CITGO, Coleman, Conseco, Energizer, EverStart Batteries, Frito-Lay, FujiFilm, Garmin, Kellogg’s, Land O’Lakes, Mercury Marine, Minn Kota, Pepsi, Poulan, Pure Fishing, Ranger Boats, Snickers Cruncher Bar, Stren, Shop-Vac, Timex, US Bank, Visa, Weed Eater, Wrangler and Yamaha Outboards. ACDelco is an associate sponsor of the Wal-Mart BFL.