Diffee wins Wal-Mart BFL Okie Division tournament - Major League Fishing

Diffee wins Wal-Mart BFL Okie Division tournament

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Wayne Diffee of Oakhurst, Okla., topped 140 Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League competitors June 15 on Grand Lake. Angler: Wayne Diffee.
June 15, 2002 • MLF • Archives

GROVE, Okla. – Wayne Diffee of Oakhurst, Okla., topped 140 Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League competitors Saturday on Grand Lake with five bass weighing 15 pounds, 9 ounces. The catch earned him $3,829 and 200 points in the Boater Division.

Diffee caught his limit on a neon black Hoo-Daddy while fishing near Duck Creek. He also received a $500 bonus from Ranger Boats as the highest-finishing participant in the Ranger Cup incentive program.

Two boaters, Cade Alsbury of Afton, Okla., and Randy Floyd of Claremore, Okla., each caught five bass weighing 15 pounds, 8 ounces to finish second by a mere ounce, netting them $1,532 each.

Dennis Drzewiecki of Fort Smith, Ark., (five bass, 14 pounds, 9 ounces, $919) and Kenny Pixley of Rudy, Ark., (five bass, 14 pounds, 7 ounces, $765) rounded out the top five boaters.

Kevin Treece of Fort Smith, Ark., earned boater big bass honors and $700 with a 5-pound, 6-ounce bass that he caught on a silver Hoo-Daddy in Horse Creek. He finished in 38th place overall with two bass weighing 7 pounds, 4 ounces.

Chris Couch of Edmond, Okla., claimed first place and $1,888 in the 136-competitor Co-angler Division with five bass weighing 13 pounds, 13 ounces. He surpassed second-place co-angler Kelly Banks of Bartlesville, Okla., by 1 pound, 10 ounces thanks to a black and blue jig that he was fishing mid-lake in willow trees and bushes. Banks finished with a five-bass catch weighing 12 pounds, 3 ounces worth $944. Couch also earned co-angler big bass honors and $340 in his division with a 5-pound, 5-ounce bass. Chris Couch of Edmond, Okla., claimed first place in the 136-competitor Co-angler Division on June 15 on Grand Lake.

Artie Edwards of Stillwater, Okla. (five bass, 12 pounds, 1 ounce, $566); Patrick Eddens of Luther, Okla. (four bass, 11 pounds, 8 ounces, $453); and Alex Price of Sand Springs, Okla., (three bass, 9 pounds, 1 ounce, $415) rounded out the top five co-anglers.
Overall, 27 five-bass limits were caught during the tournament.

The Wal-Mart BFL will visit Keystone Lake for the Okie Division’s season finale Sept. 7-8. The boater with the most points after the two-day Super Tournament 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 Okie Division boaters and co-anglers will advance to regional competition Oct. 29-Nov. 2 on Lake Hamilton near Hot Springs, Ark., where they will go up against top competitors from the Louisiana, Ozark and Gulf Coast 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.

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, Hover-Lure, Laker, Maxwell House, Plano and Solar Bat.