Brown wins Shenandoah Division opener

MONETA, Va. – Kenneth Brown of Forest, Va., topped 193 Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League competitors Saturday on Smith Mountain Lake with five bass weighing 16 pounds, 6 ounces. The catch earned him $4,899 and 200 points in the Boater Division.

Brown, who also earned a $1,000 bonus from GARMIN for using a fixed-mount GARMIN GPS/Sounder, caught his limit while sight fishing with a tube and brush hog. The catch topped second-place boater Don Wheeler of Rustburg, Va., by 10 ounces. Wheeler finished the one-day tournament with a five-bass catch weighing 15 pounds, 12 ounces worth $2,449.

Ray Armes of Concord, Va. (five bass, 15 pounds, 11 ounces, $1,470); Brent Anderson of Goodview, Va. (five bass, 14 pounds, 15 ounces, $1,176); and Trevis Towe of Salem, Va., (five bass, 14 pounds, 14 ounces, $1,078) rounded out the top five boaters.

Jerry Rice of Altavista, Va., earned boater big bass honors and $965 with a 7-pound, 3-ounce bass that he caught on a crankbait. He finished in 27th place overall with two bass weighing 9 pounds, 15 ounces.

William Orr of Vinton, Va., received a $500 bonus from Ranger Boats as the highest finishing participant in the Ranger Cup incentive program. He finished seventh with a five-bass catch weighing 13 pounds, 11 ounces.

Noel Cogar of Oceana, W.Va., claimed first place and $2,437 in the 192-competitor Co-angler Division with four bass weighing 8 pounds, 13 ounces. He surpassed second-place co-angler Tony Toombs of Drakes Branch, Va., by 1 pound, 1 ounce. Toombs finished with a three-bass catch weighing 7 pounds, 12 ounces worth $1,218.

Terry Hebb of Staunton, Va. (three bass, 7 pounds, 9 ounces, $731); Brian Harold of McGaheysville, Va. (three bass, 7 pounds, 7 ounces, $585); and Robert Prost of Wilmington, Del., (three bass, 7 pounds, 6 ounces, $536) rounded out the top five co-anglers.

Co-angler Jon Collins of Herndon, Va., earned big bass honors and $480 in his division with a 4-pound, 7-ounce bass. He finished sixth with two bass weighing 7 pounds, 1 ounce.

Overall, 24 five-bass limits were caught during the tournament.

The Wal-Mart BFL will visit the Potomac River May 11 for the second of five Shenandoah Division events. The boater with the most points after the division’s season finale, a two-day Super Tournament Sept. 21-22 on the Potomac River, will be declared the Yamaha “Be the Best” Points Leader and awarded $1,000. The co-angler amassing the most points by the end of the season will receive $500.

The top 30 Shenandoah Division boaters and co-anglers will advance to regional competition presented by BC Powder Oct. 29-Nov. 2 on Wheeler Lake near Rogersville, Ala., where they will go up against top competitors from the Bulldog, LBL and Music City divisions for a shot at qualifying for the Wal-Mart BFL All-American – one of the most lucrative post-season tournaments in competitive angling.

2002 BFL awards could reach $7 million based on full fields.