OKEETANTIE, Fla. – Boater Chuck Webb of Sarasota, Fla., won the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League Everglades Division tournament on Lake Okeechobee Saturday with a five-bass catch weighing 23 pounds, 9 ounces. The victory earned Webb $2,946 plus a $519 Ranger bonus and placed him one step closer to qualifying for the Lake Seminole Regional Championship in Bainbridge, Ga., Oct. 25-27, where he could ultimately win a new 519VX Ranger boat and a Chevy truck.
Rounding out the top five boaters are Chris Weber of Fort Myers, Fla., (five bass, 19-15, $1,733); Chris Ranew of Naples, Fla., (five bass, 18-3, $1,155); Justin Schwier of Okeechobee, Fla., (five bass, 18-2, $751) and Jim Finley of Coconut Creek, Fla., (five bass, 18-2, $751).
Patrick Layhew took home the Boater Division Snickers Big Bass award, earning $435 for an 8-pound, 13-ounce bass.
Mark Linn of Sarasota, Fla., earned $1,733 as the co-angler winner Saturday thanks to five bass weighing 17 pounds, 8 ounces.
Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Mike Zetts of Myakka City, Fla., (five bass, 16-12, $866); Tim Simko of Port Saint Lucie, Fla., (five bass, 15-3, $577); Jackie Barber of Cocoa, Fla., (five bass, 14-14, $404) and Todd Schlueter of Englewood, Fla., (five bass, 13-13, $347).
Jeremy Prouty of Vero Beach, Fla., earned $217 as the co-angler Big Bass winner after catching an 8-pound, 9-ounce bass.
All Everglades Division tournaments are held on Lake Okeechobee. The division’s next event will be held April 28, and the final event of the regular season will be a two-day Super Tournament held Sept. 29-30.
Following the end of regular-season competition, the top 40 boaters and 40 co-anglers based on year-end points standings in the division will advance to the no-entry-fee Lake Seminole Regional Championship where they will compete against top qualifiers from three other BFL divisions. At the Regional Championship boaters will fish for a new Ranger boat and Chevy truck and co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger boat. The top six boaters and top six co-anglers at the Regional Championship will also advance to the 2008 All-American presented by Chevy. With a total purse of $1 million, a potential $140,000 cash prize going to the winning boater and as much as $70,000 going to the winning co-angler, the All-American is one of the most prestigious and lucrative events in bass fishing. The winning boater and winning co-angler at the All-American also advance to the no-entry-fee $2 million 2008 Forrest Wood Cup. This event, featuring a top award of $1 million, is the sport’s biggest championship.
The $8.8 million Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League features 28 divisions nationwide. In BFL competition, boaters and co-anglers are randomly paired. Boaters supply the boat and fish from the front deck against other boaters while co-anglers compete from the back deck against other co-anglers.
Named after the legendary founder of Ranger Boats, Forrest L. Wood, FLW Outdoors administers the Wal-Mart FLW Tour, Wal-Mart FLW Series, Stren Series, Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League, Wal-Mart Texas Tournament Trail presented by Abu Garcia, Ranger Owners Tournament Championship Series, Wal-Mart FLW Walleye Tour, Wal-Mart FLW Walleye League, Wal-Mart FLW Kingfish Tour, Wal-Mart FLW Kingfish Series, Wal-Mart FLW Redfish Series and Wal-Mart FLW Striper Series. These circuits will offer combined purses of nearly $43 million through 241 events in 2007.
Wal-Mart and many of America’s largest and most respected companies support FLW Outdoors and its tournament trails. Wal-Mart signed on as an FLW Outdoors sponsor in 1997 and today is the world’s leading supporter of tournament fishing. For more information about Wal-Mart, visit Wal-Mart.com.
For more information about FLW Outdoors and its tournaments, browse FLWOutdoors.com or call (270) 252-1000.