Marshall wins BFL tourney on Lake Murray

Tucci grabs co-angler title during South Carolina Division event

PROSPERITY, S.C. – Chris Marshall of Forest City, N.C., weighed a five-bass limit totaling 25 pounds, 1 ounce Saturday to win the Walmart Bass Fishing League South Carolina Division event on Lake Murray. For his victory, Marshall earned $6,610.

“We had a front come in on Friday night, and I was concerned that the two inches of rain we got might scatter the fish,” said Marshall. “But it seemed like the fresh color in the water helped and the fish stayed where they were at. I was able to catch my first fish around 8 a.m., and by 9:45 a.m. I was culling. I was using a 1/2-ounce green pumpkin and orange jig with a NetBait Alabama Craw as a trailer. I was fishing around the mid-lake, up in some creeks. Basically anywhere near spawning flats.

“I was able to catch around 12 fish today,” Marshall continued. “I knew it would take at least 22 to 23 pounds to win this tournament, and I knew there would be at least three or four bags that would come in over 20 pounds. Around 12:30 I was able to cull with a 5¼-pounder, and that really helped me out. I’ve fished Lake Murray quite a bit, and I’ve always found that as soon as it starts to warm up the fish don’t go up to mid-depth; they go straight from suspending deep to the shallowest piece of structure or cover they can find. That was basically my pattern, and it worked out for me.”

Rounding out the top 10 pros:

2nd: Hank Cherry, Maiden, N.C., five bass, 22-13, $2,305

3rd: Tony Fofi, Spring Lake, N.C., five bass, 22-12, $1,536

4th: Jeremiah Jensen, Columbia, S.C., five bass, 22-11, $1,076

5th: Will Dickens, Laurens, S.C., five bass, 19-14, $922

6th: Michael Maxfield, Hanahan, S.C., five bass, 18-7, $845

7th: Ross Burns, Columbia, S.C., five bass, 17-7, $768

8th: Jerry Pelfrey, Laurens, S.C., five bass, 17-6, $691

9th: Rick McLean, Dalzell, S.C., five bass, 16-15, $615

10th: Roger Medlock, Mount Pleasant, S.C., five bass, 16-10, $538

For a complete list of results, click here.

Tucci nets co-angler title

Brian Tucci of Myrtle Beach, S.C., weighed a five-bass limit totaling 17 pounds, 7 ounces Saturday to win $2,305 in the co-angler division.

Rounding out the top 10 co-anglers:

2nd: Donall Stoudemire, Chapin, S.C., five bass, 13-15, $1,152

3rd: Scott Frye, Sumter, S.C., three bass, 13-8, $768

4th: Rusty Smith, Six Mile, S.C., four bass, 12-13, $538

5th: Brian Bell, Lexington, S.C., three bass, 11-11, $461

6th: Gabe White, Florence, S.C., two bass, 10-9, $423

7th: Brian Moss, Inman, S.C., five bass, 9-10, $384

8th: D.J. McEachern Jr., Columbia, S.C., four bass, 8-13, $346

9th: Steven Spivey, Whiteville, N.C., three bass, 8-10, $307

10th: Jordan Johnson, Warrenville, S.C., four bass, 8-7, $269

The next BFL South Carolina Division tournament is scheduled for March 17 on Lake Wylie in Lake Wylie, S.C. After the fifth South Carolina Division tournament is complete, the top 40 boaters and 40 co-anglers based on point standings will qualify for the Oct. 11-13 Regional Championship on Kerr Lake in Henderson, N.C. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518 with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard and a Chevy Silverado, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518 with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard.

The BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 120 tournaments throughout the season, five in each division. The top 40 boaters and co-anglers from each division qualify for a regional tournament and compete to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the Walmart BFL All-American presented by Chevy. The 2012 BFL All-American is being held May 17 – 19 on the Potomac River in National Harbor, Md. Top winners in the BFL can move up to the EverStart Series or even the Walmart FLW Tour.

About FLW

FLW is the industry’s premier tournament-fishing organization, providing unparalleled fishing resources and entertainment to our sponsors, fans and host communities. FLW is offering anglers of all skill levels the opportunity to compete for millions in prize money nationwide in 2012 over the course of 191 tournaments across five tournament circuits, each providing an avenue to the sport’s richest payday and most coveted championship trophy – the Forrest Wood Cup. FLW is committed to providing a lifestyle experience that is the “Best in Fishing, On and Off the Water,” through a variety of platforms including tournaments, outdoor expos and the world’s richest fantasy sports game – FLW Fantasy Fishing. For more information about FLW and FLW Fantasy Fishing, visit FLWOutdoors.com or FantasyFishing.com and look for FLW on Twitter and Facebook.