LA PLATA, Md. (June 21, 2014) – William Kemp of Scotland Neck, N.C., weighed a five-bass limit totaling 15 pounds, 14 ounces Saturday to win the Rayovac FLW Series Northern Division event on the Potomac River with a three-day total of 15 bass weighing 45 pounds, 9 ounces. For his victory, Kemp earned $38,936.

 

      Kemp, who weighed a tournament-best 19-2 on Thursday, moved up from fifth place on the final day to earn his second win in FLW competition.

                                                               

      “I caught most of my fish in the morning on a topwater bait,” said Kemp. “I was throwing a fry-colored Lobina Lures Rico. I threw it around matted grass at low tide. I fished all the way around the mat and caught one flipping and one on a ChatterBait, then I picked that topwater up and probably caught thirty fish on it.

 

      “I flipped grass in the middle of the day and culled for ounces,” Kemp added. “Then, at the very end of the day, I hit one spot with some wood and I caught a 5-pounder and a 3-pounder on a black and blue-colored Strike King Bitsy Flip Jig with a NetBait Paca Craw trailer.

 

      “When I had my big bag on the first day I had to go to lighter line and smaller baits,” Kemp explained. “I had to finesse them a little this week.

 

      “After I caught my two big fish at the end of the day today, I thought I had a shot to win,” finished Kemp. “I wasn’t sure, but I knew I had a chance. It’s unbelievable to win. I have to thank my wife. I was considering not fishing this event, but she pushed me and it just worked out.”

 

      The top 10 pros on the Potomac River were:

 

            1st:    William Kemp, Scotland Neck, N.C., 15 bass, 45-9, $38,936

            2nd:  Gregory Wilder, Brooklyn Park, Md., 15 bass, 44-5, $15,088

            3rd:   Chris Baumgardner, Gastonia, N.C., 15 bass, 44-4, $11,681

            4th:   Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes pro Dave Lefebre, Erie, Pa., 15 bass, 43-15, $9,734

            5th:   Michael Hall, Annandale, Va., 15 bass, 42-6, $8,761

            6th:    Chris Novack, Mansfield Center, Con., 15 bass, 42-3, $7,787

            7th:    Otis Darnell, Linden, Va., 15 bass, 41-10, $6,814   

            8th:    Robert Grike, Dumfries, Va., 15 bass, 41-9, $5,840

            9th:    Mike Hicks, Goochland, Va., 15 bass, 40-3, $4,867

          10th:  Walter Snider, Mount Airy, Md., 15 bass, 36-10, $3,894

 

      Complete results can be found at FLWOutdoors.com.

 

      Kemp also caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the pro division Thursday – a 6-pound, 10-ounce bass – that earned him the day’s Big Bass award of $286.

 

      Kermit Crowder of Matoaca, Va., won the co-angler division and a Ranger Z117C with an Evinrude or Mercury outboard motor, as well as $5,000 for being Ranger Cup qualified, with a three-day total of 15 bass weighing 39 pounds, 8 ounces.

 

      The top 10 co-anglers on the Potomac River were:

 

            1st:    Kermit Crowder, Matoaca, Va., 15 bass, 39-8, Ranger Z117C with a 90-horsepower outboard + Ranger Cup $5,000

            2nd:   Destin Demarion, Grove City, Pa., 15 bass, 36-0, $4,875

            3rd:   Marvin Reese, Gwynn Oak, Md., 15 bass, 34-14, $3,900

            4th:    Gabriel Scott, Ruckersville, Va., 15 bass, 34-6, $3,412

            5th:    Cort Gardner, Jessup, Md., 15 bass, 34-5, $2,925

            6th:    Ben Wright, Peru, N.Y., 15 bass, 33-8, $2,437

            7th:    Jeremy Ives, Burgaw, N.C., 15 bass, 31-4, $1,950

            8th:    Leroy Harriott, Woodbridge, Va., 14 bass, 31-1, $1,706

            9th:    Johnny Clark, Fredericksburg, Va., 13 bass, 29-8, $1,462

          10th: David Sasser, Sneads Ferry, N.C., 11 bass, 25-9, $1,219

 

      Ives caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the co-angler division Thursday – a 7-pound, 7-ounce bass – that earned him the day’s Big Bass award of $190.

 

    The Rayovac FLW Series consists of five divisions – Central, Northern, Southeast, Texas and Western. Each division consists of three tournaments and competitors will be vying for valuable points in each division that could earn them the opportunity to fish in the no-entry-fee Rayovac FLW Series Championship. The 2014 Rayovac FLW Series Championship is being held Oct. 30-Nov.1 on Wheeler Lake in Rogersville, Ala.

 

      The Rayovac FLW Series on the Potomac River was hosted by the Charles County Board of Commissioners and the Charles County Government – Office of Tourism. It was the first of three Northern division events in 2014. The next Rayovac FLW Series Northern Division tournament will be held July 17-19, on Lake Champlain in Plattsburgh, N.Y. For a complete schedule, visit FLWOutdoors.com.

 

      For complete details and updated information visit FLWOutdoors.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow FLW on Facebook at Facebook.com/FLWFishing and on Twitter at Twitter.com/FLWOutdoors.