Forget about Orangeburg ... it’s time to go nationwide.

OK, so maybe that’s a little overboard, but it’s something Billy Shannon and Jamey Charles might want to think about after their first-place catch of 57.80 pounds in Saturday’s Budweiser Basscatcher Tournament. Actually, the two brought in over 61 pounds – 10 bass – but four were dead, which accounted for one-pound deductions from the weight.

In comparison, Luke Clausen won the 2006 Citgo Bassmaster Classic with a catch of just over 56 pounds. The difference: It took him three days to catch almost as much fish as Shannon and Charles did from 6 a.m. to the 3 p.m. weigh-in time at the Edisto Boat Landing off of Glover Street.

But, all indications were that the duo did it honest. As the crowd of several hundred people gathered around the stage set up at the boat landing where drawings for prizes were being held, Shannon and Charles were ushered away for a quick – about an hour or so – polygraph test. When they emerged from the test, they were met by several other smiling fishermen, all of whom had the same question: “Did you pass?”

Shannon and Charles didn’t say much. Instead, they turned to face one another, broke out in broad smiles, and slapped hands. They were champions.

“We put in a lot of hard work,” said Shannon. “Blood, sweat and tears.”

It was Charles’ first time fishing in the tournament, and Shannon said he had not fished since high school. The duo said they caught their fish using worms and a frog in a local pond. As for the polygraph, it was the first such test for both.

“They asked who you were, where you were from, did you catch the fish during the tournament hours and were any fish caged,” said Shannon. “It was repetition. It was an experience.”

For their first-place finish, Shannon and Charles took home two large trophies as well as a cash prize. But, they missed out on the big money ... barely. Shannon and Charles brought in a bass weighing just over nine pounds, but the fish was dead, and after the one-pound deduction, it was only good for third place in the Big Bass competition. Still, that was worth $316.

David Edwards and Garry Spires finished second in the event with 45.95 pounds, and Jonathon and Scott Sikes were second with 45.64 pounds. Jesse and Jamie Davis took first in the Big Bass with a fish weighing 8.51 pounds. Their prize was $790. Jared Culler and Matthew Lambert finished second and split $395. Charmayne Shahan and Meagan Warren took top Ladies Team with 28.12 pounds. Louis Williams, 70, took home the award for best Oldest Fisherman and Cory Collins, 5, won the award for best Youngest Fisherman.

The tournament had 176 registered teams with 144 officially weighing in.

T&D Sports Writer Brian Linder can be reached by e-mail at blinder@timesanddemocrat.com or by phone at 803-533-5553.

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