Christopher finds victory on Seminole
Norris wins co-angler title
BAINBRIDGE, Ga. – Wayne Christopher of Huntsville, Ala., won the Walmart Bass Fishing League (BFL) Regional on Lake Seminole with a three-day total of 12 bass weighing 43 pounds, 6 ounces. For his victory, Christopher won a Ranger Z518 with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard plus a Chevy 1500 Silverado and entry into the BFL All-American presented by Chevy. This regional tournament featured the top 40 boaters and 40 co-anglers from each of the Bama, Choo Choo, Gator and Savannah River divisions.
“I’m still in shock and not sure if it really happened,” said Christopher. “Coming to the scales on day three, I thought I had lost. I thought I lost the fish that was going to win the tournament for me. I was shocked when I was announced the winner. To finally get a win is so great.”
Christopher caught all of his fish in two main areas. He would start each day targeting the grassy areas in the mid-lake area near the Flint River. Then, in the afternoon, Christopher would make a long run up the Chattahoochee and target lily pads. All of the fish that Christopher weighed in were caught on one bait.
“I had the same pattern all week – I was frog fishing,” Christopher said. “All of my fish that I weighed in came on a brown Sumo Frog. I stumbled on to the pattern in practice after I made a mistake and went to the wrong boat ramp. I decided to just launch and look around, and I was able to find the fish fairly quickly. The bite was pretty tough and I only averaged around six fish each day. They were the right fish, though.
“The key for me was just my persistence and the confidence in the pattern that I had found,” Christopher went on to say. “I have to credit some people that allowed me to get the win. Thank you to my wife Cindy, who allows me to follow my dream. I need to thank my boss, Zach Jacobsen for having faith in me and allowing me to take the time off to go fishing. And the last person I need to mention is Jett Loach, another competitor who is a good friend. We bounce ideas off each other, and he gave me the confidence to know I was on the right pattern.
“I can’t wait to fish the BFL All-American,” Christopher continued. “It’s only an hour and a half drive from my home, and I’m excited for my opportunity.”
The top six boaters that qualified for the BFL All-American:
1st: Wayne Christopher, Huntsville, Ala., 12 bass, 43-6, Ranger Z518 with 200-horsepower outboard + Chevy 1500 Silverado
2nd: Robert Crosnoe, Inverness, Fla., 12 bass, 43-2, $1,500
3rd: Terry Stevens, Marianna, Fla., 15 bass, 42-12, $1,100
4th: Brandon Medlock, Lake Placid, Fla., 10 bass, 41-15, $1,000
5th: Santos Solis, Vero Beach, Fla., 12 bass, 39-10, $900
6th: Gil Summerlin, Guntersville, Ala., 13 bass, 37-0, $800
Rounding out the top 10 pros:
7th: Thomas Helton, Charleston, Tenn., 15 bass, 35-7, $700
8th: Neil Davis, Clermont, Fla., nine bass, 34-1, $650
9th: Scott Wiley, Bay Minette, Ala., 12 bass, 32-15, $600
10th: Chris Brill, Lehigh Acres, Fla., nine bass, 32-2, $550
Complete results can be found here.
Norris takes co-angler crown
Jason Norris of Ohatchee, Ala., won the Co-angler Division with a three-day total of seven bass totaling 19 pounds, 10 ounces. For his efforts, Norris took home a Ranger Z518 with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard along with a berth in the BFL All-American Championship tournament.
The top six co-anglers that qualified for the BFL All-American:
1st: Jason Norris, Ohatchee, Ala., seven bass, 19-10, Ranger Z518 with 200-horsepower outboard
2nd: Shawn Marquis, Columbus, Ga., five bass, 19-5, $750
3rd: Cody Detweiler, Orlando, Fla., six bass, 19-4, $550
4th: Joe Ventrello, Orlando, Fla., five bass, 18-0, $500
5th: John Cook, Scottsboro, Ala., six bass, 17-7, $450
6th: Wayne Haynes, Ohatchee, Ala., nine bass, 17-0, $400
Rounding out the top 10 co-anglers:
7th: Jeff Williams, Alexandria, Ala., five bass, 16-12, $350
8th: Javier Diaz, Doral, Fla., seven bass, 16-4, $325
9th: Jett Loach, Ringgold, Ga., five bass, 14-5, $300
10th: Jody Moore, Dalton, Ga., five bass, 14-0, $275
Complete co-angler results can be found here.
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. Top winners in the BFL can move up to the EverStart Series or even the Walmart FLW Tour.
For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the BFL on Facebook at Facebook.com/FLWFishing and on Twitter at Twitter.com/FLWOutdoors.
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.