(Sep. 24, 2012 - SALISBURY, N.C.)... Miles Burghoff of Orlando, Fla., had a two-day total of 10 bass that weighed 36 pounds, 9 ounces to win the Walmart Bass Fishing League North Carolina Division Super Tournament on the High Rock Lake Sunday. For his victory, Burghoff earned $4,604.
Targeting floating docks in Abbotts Creek with a combination of swim baits and swim jigs, Burghoff said that moving fast was key to his win. He said that he hit about 50 docks a day and didn’t spend any time waiting for the bass to bite; they either bit on a fast retrieve or didn’t bite at all.
"I was using three primary baits," Burghoff said. "Secret Lures MVP Swim Jig in white and candy craw with a paddle style swimbait trailer, 5-inch YUM Money Minnow swimbait and the Berkley Split Belly swimbait both in natural shad.
"This was my first time on High Rock Lake," continued Burghoff. "I was basically looking for docks that fit my pattern. There seemed to be a big population of bluegill and gizzard shad hiding out around the floating docks that were about 20 feet deep and the bass were suspending underneath the docks feeding on the bait fish.
"I know this sounds cliche, but I really have to give thanks to Oakley for my polarized sunglasses. I had to set the hook so fast and without them I wouldn’t have been able to see the bass bite which enabled me to set the hook as soon as the fish bit."
Rounding out the top 10 boaters were:
| 2nd: | Chris Baldwin | Lexington, N.C. | 10 bass | 33-1 | $2,302 |
| 3rd: | James Blankenship | Lexington, N.C. | 10 bass | 1-10 | $1,536 |
| 4th: | Jeff Jennings | Rock Hill, S.C. | 10 bass | 31-1 | $1,074 |
| 5th: | Fred Kauffman | Denver, N.C. | 10 bass | 28-12 | $921 |
| 6th: | Brandon Williams | Fort Mill, S.C. | 10 bass | 27-1 | $844 |
| 7th: | David Wright | Lexington, N.C. | 10 bass | 27-1 | $767 |
| 8th: | Rob Digh | Denver, N.C. | 10 bass | 26-9 | $691 plus $1,000 Evinrude bonus |
| 9th: | Todd Walters | Kernersville, N.C. | 10 bass | 25-3 | $614 |
| 10th: | Steve Sink | Winston-Salem, N.C. | 10 bass | 24-1 | $537 |
Greg Deal of China Grove, N.C., weighed nine bass totaling 23 pounds, 5 ounces Sunday to win $2,302 in the co-angler division.
Rounding out the top 10 co-anglers were:
| 2nd: | Brad Wright | Granite Falls, N.C. | seven bass | 20-6 | $1,151 |
| 3rd: | Chip Crews | Thomasville, N.C. | six bass | 17-13 | $767 |
| 4th: | Cody Norman | Elkin, N.C. | eight bass | 16-2 | $537 |
| 5th: | Gurney Hoffman | Richlands, N.C. | seven bass | 15-10 | $460 |
| 6th: | Ronnie Brown | Cherryville, N.C. | six bass | 14-15 | $422 |
| 7th: | Bradley Chandler | New London, N.C. | six bass | 12-3 | $384 |
| 8th: | Travis Ruff | Connelly Springs, N.C. | six bass | 11-2 | $345 |
| 9th: | Charles Wood | Thomasville, N.C. | four bass | 9-4 | $307 |
| 10th: | Michael Branch | West Columbia, S.C. | four bass | 8-13 | $269 |
The top 40 boaters and 40 co-anglers in the North Carolina Division, based on point standings, have now qualified for the Oct. 18-20 Regional Championship on Pickwick Lake in Florence, Ala. 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. Top winners in the BFL can move up to the EverStart Series or even the Walmart FLW Tour.
ABOUT FLWFLW 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 the FLWOutdoors or FantasyFishing websites and look for FLW on Twitter and Facebook.
