Williamson wins Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League event on Clarks Hill Lake

Boater Keith Williamson of Lincolnton, Ga., earned $4,235 Saturday as winner of the BFL Savannah River Division event on Clarks Hill Lake. Angler: Keith Williamson.

June 24, 2006 • MLF • Archives

APPLING, Ga. – Boater Keith Williamson of Lincolnton, Ga., earned $4,235 Saturday as winner of the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League Savannah River Division event on Clarks Hill Lake. The tournament was the fourth of five regular-season Savannah River Division events and earned Williamson 200 points in the Boater Division.

Williamson’s winning catch of five bass weighed 14 pounds, 11 ounces. He was throwing a combination of Zoom Flukes and topwater baits to catch his bass. Williamson also took home an additional $1,000 for the Bombardier Bonus award.

Rounding out the top five boaters are Richard Dickenson of Lincolnton, Ga. (five bass, 14 pounds, 7 ounces, $2,118); Marty Robinson of Landrum, S.C. (five bass, 13 pounds, 10 ounces, $1,413); Tony Postell of Appling, Ga., (five bass, 13 pounds, 8 ounces, $988); and Rick Steckelberg of Gainesville, Ga. (five bass, 13 pounds, 2 ounces, $847).

Robinson also took home an additional $500 for being the highest placing Ranger Cup participant.

Ronnie Cutshall of Piedmont, S.C., won the Co-angler Division to earn $2,118 thanks to five bass weighing 11 pounds, 14 ounces that he caught on a rainbow Super Fluke.

Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Walter Cook of Toccoa, Ga. (five bass, 11 pounds, 6 ounces, $1,059); Barker Plake of Hodges, S.C. (five bass, 9 pounds, 15 ounces, $706); Chris Nunziato of Elberton, Ga. (four bass, 9 pounds, 5 ounces, $494); and John Hyatt of Leicester, N.C. (five bass, 9 pounds, 3 ounces, $424).

Nunziato earned an additional $295 as the co-angler big-bass award winner with a 6-pound, 9-ounce bass he caught on Zoom Lizard.

The Savannah River Division will wrap up its regular season Sept. 16-17 with a two-day Super Tournament, the division’s fifth and final event, on Lake Keowee near Seneca, S.C.

Following the regular season, the Savannah River Division boater with the most points who advances farthest in the Wal-Mart BFL All-American will earn $10,000 as the Yamaha “Be the Best” points champion. The co-angler points champion who advances farthest will earn $5,000 as the Yamaha “Be the Best” points champion in the Co-angler Division.

Every angler who receives weight credit in a tournament earns points, with 200 points going to the winner, 199 for second, 198 for third, and so on except for Super Tournaments, which award 300 points to the winner, 299 for second, 298 for third, and so on. The top 40 Savannah River Division boaters and co-anglers based on year-end points standings will advance to the Kerr Lake Regional near Henderson, N.C., Oct. 12-14, where they will compete against Gator, Shenandoah and South Carolina anglers for one of six slots in the 2007 All-American. With a total purse of $1 million and a potential $140,000 cash prize going to the winning boater and $70,000 going to the winning co-angler, the All-American is one of the most prestigious and lucrative events in bass fishing.

The $8.8 million Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League features 28 divisions nationwide. In BFL competition, boaters and co-anglers are randomly paired, with boaters supplying the boat and fishing against other boaters and co-anglers fishing from the back deck against other co-anglers.

Named after the legendary founder of Ranger Boats, Forrest L. Wood, FLW Outdoors administers the Wal-Mart FLW Tour, Wal-Mart FLW Series, Stren Series, Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League, Wal-Mart Texas Tournament Trail presented by Abu Garcia, Stratos Owners’ Tournament Trail, Wal-Mart FLW Walleye Tour, Wal-Mart FLW Walleye League, Wal-Mart FLW Kingfish Tour, Wal-Mart FLW Kingfish Series, Wal-Mart FLW Redfish Series and Wal-Mart FLW Striper Series. These circuits offer combined purses exceeding $37.9 million through 249 events in 2006.

For more information about FLW Outdoors and its tournament programs, visit FLWOutdoors.com or call (270) 252-1000.

Wal-Mart and many of America’s largest and most respected companies support FLW Outdoors and its tournament trails. Wal-Mart signed on as an FLW Outdoors sponsor in 1997 and today is the world’s leading supporter of tournament fishing. For more information about Wal-Mart, visit Wal-Mart.com.