Moss maneuvers past competition in BFL Carolina Division

Bud Moss of Whitmire, S.C., topped 184 Wal-Mart BFL competitors March 1 on Lake Murray with five bass weighing 23 pounds, 10 ounces. Angler: Bud Moss.

March 1, 2003 • MLF • Archives

PROSPERITY, S.C. – Bud Moss of Whitmire topped 184 Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League competitors Saturday on Lake Murray with five bass weighing 23 pounds, 10 ounces. The catch earned him $4,708 and 200 points in the Boater Division.

Moss caught his limit on a crankbait in less than 5 feet of water. The catch topped second-place boater Larry Rudisill of Hickory, N.C., by 14 ounces. Rudisill finished the one-day tournament with a five-bass catch weighing 22 pounds, 12 ounces worth $2,354.

Bill Holmes of Summerville (five bass, 21 pounds, 13 ounces, $1,601); Cliff Kirby of Catawba, N.C. (five bass, 21 pounds, 3 ounces, $1,224); and Charles Boyte of Columbia (three bass, 20 pounds, 8 ounces, $1,036) rounded out the top five boaters.

Kirby earned a $500 bonus from Ranger Boats as the highest-finishing participant in the Ranger Cup incentive program. Moss earned boater big-bass honors and $920 with a 9-pound, 3-ounce bass.

Robert Parrish of Albemarle, N.C., claimed first place and $2,354 in the 184-competitor Co-angler Division with five bass weighing 29 pounds, 10 ounces. He surpassed second-place co-angler Shaun Baker of Millers Creek, N.C., by 11 pounds, 15 ounces thanks to a spinner bait he fished 12 to 18 inches deep in the outside grass lines. Baker finished with a five-bass catch weighing 17 pounds, 11 ounces worth $1,177.

Terry Carteret of Greer (four bass, 17 pounds, $800); Ryan Jackson of Ridgeway (three bass, 16 pounds, 12 ounces, $612); and Derek Bobo of Lexington, N.C. (four bass, 15 pounds, 7 ounces, $518) rounded out the top five co-anglers.

Co-angler Mark Barnes of Thomasville, N.C., earned big-bass honors and $460 in his division with a 9-pound, 10-ounce bass. He finished in sixth place overall with a three-bass catch weighing 15 pounds, 5 ounces.

The Wal-Mart BFL will visit Lake Wateree March 22 for the second of five Carolina Division events. The boater with the most points after the division’s season finale, a two-day Super Tournament Sept. 20-21 on Lake Wylie, 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 Carolina Division boaters and co-anglers will advance to regional competition Oct. 14-18 on Old Hickory Lake near Gallatin, Tenn., where they will go up against top competitors from the Bulldog, Hoosier and Illini divisions for a shot at qualifying for the Wal-Mart BFL All-American – one of the most lucrative postseason tournaments in competitive angling.

As much as $6 million will be awarded in the 2003 Wal-Mart BFL.

For more information or to enter a tournament, call (270) 252-1000 or browse this Web site.

Editor’s Note: Ranger Cup award winners are pending verification by Ranger Boats and thus are unofficial at this time.