Dearal Rodgers of Camden won the Co-Angler Division of the 2010 Forrest Wood Cup in early August on Georgia’s Lake Lanier.
Rodgers, the 2009 FLW Tour Co-Angler of the Year, caught 14 bass over three days for a total weight of 27 pounds, three ounces.
Rodgers, who won $65,000, is planning on moving to the pro side in the 2011 FLW Tour season, which has been his goal the start.
“I am done with co-angling,” Rodgers said, “I co-angled the last day they gave me that trophy.
“I always felt I could do it if I had the right opportunity. I had plenty say I could not do it along the way and just a few who said I could, but I always believed I could. I told a lot of people I was going to be a pro angler, and in March I will be.”
Rodgers credits a fishing lesson he had learned from his uncle and fishing mentor Joe Horton, who died last winter.
“When I was 10 years old, when he got a bite, he would tell me to throw right in there,” Rodgers said. “He used to always say the best place to catch a fish is where you just caught one.”
Kevin Hawk of Buford, Ga., won the pro division of the tournament with a 4-day total weight of 50 pounds, 14 ounces.
The victory was worth a base of $500,000, plus a surprise bonus of $100,000 from T. Boone Pickens, a new equity partner in FLW Outdoors.
Cody Meyer of Grass Valley, Calif., was second with 48-8 for $100,000, and Larry Nixon of Bee Branch, Ark., was third with 47-3 for $85,000.
Andy Montgomery of Blacksburg was the highest-finishing of the South Carolina anglers in the field. He fished three days and finished 13th with 29-9, worth $20,000; Jay Keith of Camden fished two days and finished 41st with 13-3 for $10,000; Todd Auten of Lake Wylie fished two days and finished 42nd with 13-1 for $10,000 and Anthony Gagliardi of Prosperty fished two days and finished 65th with 7-7 for $7,000.
Montgomery leads points standings
Andy Montgomery of Blacksburg is No. 1 in the Bassmaster Southern Open points standings heading into the third and final tournament of the year.
Montgomery won on Alabama’s Smith Lake in July to leap atop the standings. Davy Hite of Ninety Six is fifth in the standings; the top two finishers earn spots in the 2011 Bassmaster Classic.
The last Southern Open tournament of the season will be Oct. 7-9 on Lake Seminole out of Bainbridge, Ga.
Bolt wins SC BASS Federation tourney
Conrad Bolt of Seneca bested a field of 36 fishermen to win a South Carolina BASS Federation event July 10 on Lake Murray.
Bolt’s 5-bass limit weighed 14.31 pounds.
Stanley Gunter of Saluda was second with 13.63, followed by Earl Tyndall II of Myrtle Beach with 8.45. Doug Brown of Greenwood was fourth with 8.41, and Kim Landford of Woodruff rounded out the top five with 7.72.
In the co-angler division, Josh Dorr of Pickens was first with 10.56 pounds. Jason Goude of Georgetown was second with 9.3, Randy Vaughn of Woodruff third with 9.20, George Parker of Liberty fourth with 6.52 and Ryan West of Hartsville fifth with 6.22 pounds.
First female in SC Jr. BASS Federation places at Jocassee
Danielle Worthen, 10, of Pelzer, the first and only current female ever to join the S.C. Junior BASS Federation, finished third in her age group and won the big-bass award for the Upstate Junior Bassmasters of South Carolina at Lake Jocassee on May 22.
Worthen, is sponsored by the Carolina Christian Bassmasters and a member of the Junior Promotional Staff for Fish Stalker Lures.
Cobb wins on Greenwood
Brandon Cobb of Greenwood won the American Bass Anglers’ Division 96 tournament Aug. 15 on Lake Greenwood with 9.56 pounds, winning $617.
Phil Morris of Saluda was second with 9.35, winning $373. George Berry of Saluda was third with 8.76, winning $87. He had a 1-pound penalty for weighing in a dead fish that cost him first place.
Phillip Anderson of Saluda was fourth with 8.65 and had the big fish of the tournament at 4.68 pounds for a total of $181.
Cook, Lee win on Waccamaw River
Billy Cook and Anthony Lee of Georgetown won the Carolina Anglers Team Tournament on the Waccamaw River on Aug. 14.
Cook and Lee brought in a 5-fish limit that weighed 10.35 pounds, taking home first-prize money of $2,100.
Chris Jones and Ed Owens of Conway took second with 10.15 pounds and had the big-fish for a total of $1,168.
Carlton Thompkins and Timmy Thompkins of Myrtle Beach were third with 9.3 pounds for $600. John Bendele and Dan Renee of Myrtle Beach was fourth with 8.85 for $300, and Mac Cooper and Ron Terwiller of Conway rounded out the top five with 8.15 pounds for $185.
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