Ives wins co-angler title, $50,000
SHREVEPORT, La. – Dick Shaffer of Celina, Ohio, led 10 of the nation’s top weekend anglers into the $345,000 Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League All-American final round after landing three bass weighing 2 pounds, 15 ounces Friday on Cross Lake.
The catch pushed Shaffer’s two-day, opening-round total to eight bass weighing 17 pounds, 1 ounce, making him the No. 1 seed by 3 pounds, 11 ounces over No. 2 qualifier Rick Smith of Collinsville, Miss., who landed eight bass weighing 13 pounds, 6 ounces.
“The first year or two I fished, I just wanted to make it to a regional,” said Shaffer, who has competed in the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League since 1987 and qualified for the All-American twice. “Then I made it to the All-American, and now I want to win it.”
Greg Gutierrez of Red Bluff, Calif., with five bass weighing 12 pounds, 15 ounces; Terry Tucker of Gadsden, Ala., with seven bass weighing 11 pounds, 10 ounces; and Steve Kennedy of Auburn, Ala., with 10 bass weighing 9 pounds, 10 ounces round out the top five finalists.
All 10 finalists start from zero Saturday and fish for the heaviest five-bass limit. The winner earns $100,000 cash.
Jeremy Ives of Burgaw, N.C., won the Co-angler Division and $50,000 cash Friday with a two-day total of four bass weighing 7 pounds, 11 ounces.
“It’s a great feeling,” said Ives, who is a newcomer to competitive bass fishing. “Fishing is something I do best, and now I’ve been rewarded for it. That’s great.”
Bruce O’Brien of Normal, Ill., with four bass weighing 7 pounds, 3 ounces and a $10,000 prize; Chris Cumbest of Alabaster, Ala., with four bass weighing 6 pounds, 6 ounces and a $5,000 prize; Bobby McMullin of Pevely, Mo., with three bass weighing 5 pounds, 5 ounces and a $4,000 prize; and Gary Fowler of Gordon, Ga., with two bass weighing 5 pounds, 2 ounces and a $3,500 prize round out the top five co-anglers.
Robert Ewick of Indianapolis won the boater big bass award and $1,000 with a 4-pound, 6-ounce largemouth that he caught Thursday. Fowler won the co-angler big bass award and $500 with a 4-pound, 4-ounce largemouth he caught Thursday.
All-American qualifiers are the best anglers from the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League’s 22 divisions nationwide. Each competitor earned a berth in the All-American by finishing 30th or better in his division after four one-day qualifying tournaments and a two-day super tournament in 2001. Each boater and co-angler then finished eighth or better in one of five regional championships. A sixth – Western – regional advanced four boaters and co-anglers to the All-American, and six boaters and co-anglers who failed to qualify for a regional championship advanced through the Chevy Trucks Wild Card Regional.
Competition resumes Saturday at 5:45 a.m. at the American Legion Boat Ramp followed by the final weigh-in at 2 p.m. at the L. Calhoun Allen Exposition Hall on Clyde Fant Parkway. Doors open to the public at noon. Admission is free, and fishing fans are invited to attend the weigh-in, which will be broadcast live as part of “FLW Outdoors” on PAX TV. Admission is free. There are also free children’s games, sponsor giveaways and a free drawing for a fully rigged Ranger 216 B Cherokee bass boat.
Sponsors of the 2002 Wal-Mart BFL are Wal-Mart, Alpo Pet Foods, BC Powder, BFGoodrich Tires, Castrol, Chevy Trucks, Coleman, Conseco, Energizer, EverStart Batteries, Evinrude, Faded Glory, Frito-Lay, FujiFilm, Garmin, Kellogg’s, Land O’Lakes, Minn Kota, Newell Rubbermaid, Pepsi, Poulan, Ranger Boats, Shop-Vac, Snickers, Stanley Works, Stren, US Bank, Weed Eater and Yamaha Outboards. Associate sponsors are Abu Garcia, Berkley, Eagle Claw, Laker, Maxwell House, Plano and Solar Bat.
The Shreveport Regional Sports Authority sponsors the Wal-Mart BFL All-American locally.