Photo courtesy BRIAN ADAMS Brian Adams of Fayetteville was named Co-Angler of the Year for the North Carolina Division of the Wal-Mart BFL.

Two Tar Heel fishermen were named co-anglers of the year in their respective divisions of the 2007 Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League.

Brian Adams of Fayetteville, who served in Desert Storm and was stationed at Fort Bragg, topped 193 co-anglers from six states to win the award in the North Carolina Division of the Wal-Mart BFL.

Orlando Giles of Lexington, who’s well-known at High Rock Lake, won the award in the Piedmont Division of the Wal-Mart BFL circuit. The 45-year-old angler accumulated 989 points.

Adams finished in the money at three of the five Wal-Mart BFL N.C. Division tournaments he fished. His best finish was 11th at Kerr Lake, and he won the co-angler big-fish award at the Feb. 17 tournament at Lake Norman with a 5-pound, 8-ounce fish. At Norman, he collected $583.

He also qualified for the regionals at Clarks Hill Lake, Ga., in 2003 and at Ft. Loudoun-Tellico Lakes, Tenn., in 2007.

The 37-year-old angler cites Lake Gaston as his favorite fishing hole and credits Hume Hawkins for introducing him to bass fishing.

“Once I started tournament fishing, I knew that this was what I wanted to do for a living, which is why I started fishing the BFL circuit to give myself an avenue to progress to the Tour level,” Adams said.

Giles fished five Piedmont Division Wal-Mart BFL events and received checks at four of them. His best finish was fifth at the Sept 29-30 Piedmont Division Super Tournament at Lake Gaston where he earned $676.

Giles began fishing BFL events in 2001 and in 44 events, mostly as a co-angler, has career earnings of $4,127.

“I would love to turn pro,” Giles said. “I’ve never had a lot of trouble finding fish, but as a co-angler I have to fish where the boater wants to fish and try to catch his fish.

“If the boater can catch the fish, I’m confident that I can catch them, too.”

Each fisherman received a plaque and a check for $500 for being named the Co-angler of the Year.

Dave Wolak of Wake Forest and his partner won the Dec. 8 Ryan Newman Foundation Charity Bass Tournament at Lake Norman and took home a new Ranger boat.

Tracy Adams of Wilksboro and Ricky Roten of Millers Creek placed second at the annual charity event which attracted a field of 137 boats.

BASS TOURNAMENTS

National Bass Circuit

Norman Winter Sport Series

Lake Norman, Nov. 24

1. Jody Wright and James Dyer, 12.64 pounds, $690; 2. Scott Hamrick of Denver and Roger Hoover, 12.55, $450; 3. Steve Addington of Dallas and Scott Beattie, 12.44, $300; 4. Donald and Kevin Stanly, both of Newton, 12.26, $225; 5. Andy Montgomery of Blacksburg, S.C., and Louie Hull of Casar, 12.18, $160.

Big fish: Addington and Beattie with a 4.27-pound bass worth $175.

Lake Norman, Dec. 9

1. Donald Stanley of Newton and Chris Kassam of Granite Falls, 10.74, $548; 2. Andy Montgomery of Blacksburg, S.C., and Louie Hull of Casar, 9.77, $320; 3. Kevin Toler and Rodney Lambert, both of Statesville, 9.61, $200; 4. Rick McKenzie of Rutherfordton and Van Sexton of Grover, 9.48, $100.

Big fish: McKenzie and Sexton with a 3.21-pound bass worth $112.

Yadkin Winter Sport Series

High Rock Lake, Dec. 15

1. Jeremy Talbert of Albemarle and Tod Haynes of Concord, 26.95, $600; 2. Dwayne Saunders of Star and Scott Threadgill of Troy, 15.74, $330; 3. Brad Staley of Pleasant Garden and Dan Funderburk of Rockwell, 14.40, $235; 4. Chad Poteat of Mt. Airy and Sam Cole of Lexington, 13.69, $177.

Big fish: Talbert and Haynes with a 7.20-pound bass worth $126.

Norman Winter Team Bass Championship

Lake Norman, Dec. 1

1. Kevin Toler and Rodney Lambert, both of Statesville, 14.35, $1,300; 2. Steve Addington and Shane Hawkins, both of Dallas, 11.90, $700; 3. Gregg Gibson and Kevin Dillard, 11.45, $390; 4. Nathan White of Shelby and Chad Taylor, 11.25, $305; 5. Mark Brown and Todd Ingram, 11.20, $215; 6. Louie Hull of Casar and C. Stroud, 11.05, $195; 7. Danny and Lionel Mason, 11.05, $130; 8. Roger Pope of Statesville and Nathan Weber, 10.80, $125; 9. Chad Illing and Steve Austin, 10.70, $105; 10. Jody Wright and Lester Elton, 10.45, $95.

Big fish: Toler and Lambert with a 4.75-pound bass worth $890.

Lake Norman, Dec. 2

1. Ron Wolfarth of Locust and Larry Inman of Greensboro, 11.70, $1,010; 2. Chris Chimiah of Winston-Salem and Mike Lovelace of Advance, 11.55, $480; 3. Nathan White of Shelby and T.J. Harris of Charlotte, 10.80, $350; 4. Paul Heape of Lincolnton and Ed Furr , 10.50, $170; 5. Grant McPeters and Donnie Woody, both of Marion, 10.50, $150; 6.Hank Cherry and Michael Smith of Badin, 10.10, $120; 7. Thomas Dyer of Shelby and David Fortenberry of Lawndale, 9.95, $85; 8. Chris Brown and Jerry Bono, both of Lexington, 9.60, $75; 9. Dave Stevens of Sherrills Ford and Mark Henderson of Lincolnton, 9.55, $60.

Big fish: Lew Woolfrey of Cornelius and Dale Wray of Mooresville with a 4.00-pound bass worth $600.

Lake Norman, Dec. 9

1. Thomas Dyer of Shelby and David Fortenberry of Lawndale, 12.25, $1,040; 2. Donald Stanley of Newton and Chris Kassam of Granite Falls, 11.35, $500; 3. Steve and Jerry Bullaboy, 11.15, $260; 4. Dave Stevens of Sherrills Ford and Mark Henderson of Lincolnton, 11.10, $180; 5. Wayne Hauser and Allen Snyder, both of Mooresville, 9.95, $160; 6. Steve Addington and Shane Hawkins, both of Dallas, 9.85, $130; 7. Grant McPeters and Donnie Woody, both of Marion, 9.80, $95; 8. Wes Paulin and Michael Kroeger, 9.68, $85; 9. Kevin Langill of Terrell and Steve Long, 9.60, $70.

Big fish: Dyer and Fortenberry with a 5.45-pound bass worth $630.

Lake Norman, Dec, 15

1. Kevin Toler and Rodney Lambert, both of Statesville, 14.55, $1,310; 2. Shane and Jerry Lineberger, 13.95, $710; 3. Grant McPeters and Donnie Woody, both of Marion, 12.90, and big fish with a 3.70-pound bass, $1,290; 4. Donald and Kevin Stanley, both of Newton, 11.70, $315; 5. Jody Wright and Lester Elton, 11.35, $215; 6. Brian Morgan of Newton, 11.20, $195; 7. Michael Fox of Statesville and Tony Shook of Claremont, 10.85, $130; 8. Maurice Freeze of Concord and Rick Poplin, 10.75, $125; 9. Doug Punch and Tim Bumgarner, 10.65, $105; 10. Mike Lovelace of Advance and Art March, 10.50, $95.

Balls Creek Club

Lake Norman, Dec. 11.

Bradley Woodie of Morganton, 9.38, and big big fish with a 3.78-pound bass; 2. Bron Hemphill of Hickory, 7.67; 3. Gary Calliope of Conover, 7.62.

SCHEDULES

N.C. Catfish Association Tournament Series

Contact: www.nccats.net

Entry fee $80 per boat

Membership fee $30 per person

Jan. 12 at Lake Norman/Pinnacle Access; Feb. 9 at Lake Tillery /Cooks Marina with $1,000 guaranteed first-place prize; Feb. 23 at Mountain Island/Riverbend; March 8 at Badin Lake/Alcoa Landing with $1,000 guaranteed first-place prize; April 19 at Lake Hickory/Whittenburg; May 3 at Badin Lake/Alcoa Landing with $1,000 guaranteed first-place prize; June 14 at High Rock Lake/Second Creek; July 26 at Santee-Cooper, S.C., Aug. 9 at Lake Norman/Pinnacle Access.

Tournaments from Jan. 12 to March 8 run 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Thereafter, they run from 7 p.m. to 8 a.m.