Walser scores title on High Rock Lake - Major League Fishing

Walser scores title on High Rock Lake

Williams wins co-angler title
Image for Walser scores title on High Rock Lake
Robert Walser of Lexington, N.C., won the May 12 Piedmont Division event on High Rock Lake with a total catch of 17 pounds, 13 ounces. Walser walked away with over $6,100 in winnings. Angler: Robert Walser.
May 12, 2012 • MLF • Archives

SALISBURY, N.C. – Robert Walser of Lexington, N.C., weighed a five-bass limit totaling 17 pounds, 13 ounces Saturday to win the Walmart Bass Fishing League Piedmont Division event on High Rock Lake. For his victory, Walser earned $6,156.

“Coming back to weigh-in I was honestly just expecting to make the top 10,” said Walser. “It (the win) turned out to be quite the surprise. Because of the fishing pressure of all of the boats it was pretty tough to find a spot to fish. The lake was extremely muddy from the recent storms, and half of the lake was too muddy to fish. I usually like fishing dirty water, but when it rains on High Rock it gets really bad. Even the spray from your motor is orange. I ended up fishing in the mid-lake area because that was where the water was the clearest.

“I was throwing a Zoom Baits Z-Hog in a prototype color that has not been released yet, just flipping docks,” Walser continued. “I had a solid 15-pound limit by 8:15 a.m. I was able to cull a few times and get to my final weight of 17 pounds. I believe that the key to my victory was using my Hydrowave through the shad spawn. The bite definitely seemed better when I had it on. I also was actually able to see a nice bass in the water that was guarding fry from my Typhoon sunglasses, and I would not have been able to see him had it not been for those glasses.”

Rounding out the top 10 pros:

2nd: Kevin Chandler, New London, N.C., five bass, 16-7, $1,578

3rd: James Blankenship, Lexington, N.C., five bass, 15-12, $1,052

4th: Cavin Young, Prince George, Va., five bass, 15-4, $736

5th: Chris Turbyfill, Whitsett, N.C., five bass, 13-11, $631

6th: Chad Poteat, Mount Airy, N.C., four bass, 13-9, $579

7th: Jeremy Talbert, Albemarle, N.C., five bass, 12-9, $526

8th: Darren Gay, Richfield, N.C.., five bass, 12-1, $473

9th: Chris Baldwin, Lexington, N.C., five bass, 11-15, $421

10th: Doug Young, Salisbury, N.C., five bass, 11-13, $368

Complete results can be found here.

Williams takes co-angler crown

Co-angler Marty Williams of Thomasville, N.C., won the title at the May 12 Piedmont Division event on High Rock Lake with a weight of 11 pounds, 7 ounces. He was awarded over $1,700 in prize money. Marty Williams of Thomasville, N.C., weighed in four bass totaling 11 pounds, 7 ounces Saturday to win $1,578 in the co-angler division.

Rounding out the top 10 co-anglers:

2nd: Branden Roper, Raleigh, N.C., five bass, 10-12, $789

3rd: Chip Crews, Thomasville, N.C., four bass, 10-9, $526

4th: David VanDezande, Salisbury, N.C., four bass, 10-7, $368

5th: Jerry Cross, Southern Pines, N.C., four bass, 9-11, $316

6th: Tommy Swicegood, Salisbury, N.C., four bass, 9-10, $289

7th: Vernon Adams, Durham, N.C., three bass, 9-7, $263

8th: Steven Selfridge, McLeansville, N.C., four bass, 7-4, $237

9th: Jack Scott, Salisbury, N.C., three bass, 7-0, $210

10th: Michelle Williams, Rockwell, N.C., three bass, 6-1, $184

Complete co-angler results can be found here.

The next BFL Piedmont Division tournament is scheduled for June 9 on High Rock Lake in Salisbury, N.C. After the fifth Piedmont Division tournament is complete, the top 40 boaters and 40 co-anglers based on point standings will qualify for the Oct. 4-6 Regional Championship on Cherokee Lake in Morristown, Tenn. 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.