2018 T-H Marine FLW BFL All-American Field
The best from the BFLs and the TBF are set to compete on Cross Lake
The T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) All-American is one of the oldest and most prestigious championships in bass fishing, and just qualifying to fish it is a feat.
This year, 98 anglers have managed to fish their way to the 2018 All-American on Cross Lake. The tournament, which is set for May 31-June 2, offers a top prize of up to $120,000 and a Forrest Wood Cup berth for the boater winner, and up to $60,000 for the co-angler winner.
To get to the 2018 All-American required a long, successful tournament run. It started with BFL qualifying events in 2017, where the top anglers earned spots at six BFL Regionals that were held in the fall. The top six boaters and co-anglers at each Regional qualified for the All-American. A BFL Wild Card event was held after the Regionals for anglers who failed to qualify for a Regional but met other criteria. The top six boaters and co-anglers at the Wild Card also qualified for the All-American. Finally, seven boaters and seven co-anglers from The Bass Federation, who fought their own season-long qualifying battle, earned berths into the All-American by finishing atop their respective TBF divisions at the 2018 TBF National Championship.
What follows is a complete list of boater and co-angler qualifiers, organized by qualifying route.
Kentucky Lake Regional
Boaters
Marty Sisk – Evansville, Ind.
Brent Anderson – Kingston Springs, Tenn.
Roger Fitzpatrick – Eldon, Mo.
Edward Gettys – Paris, Tenn.
John Devries – Fishers, Ind.
Justin Berger – Murray, Ky.
Co-anglers
Billy French – Hamilton, Ohio
James McWhorter – Hamilton, Ohio
Brian Huber – St. Charles, Mo.
Jason Papek – Desoto, Mo.
Josh Ford – Connersville, Ind.
Bobby Revalee – Connersville, Ind.
Barren River Regional
Boaters
Eric Sanders – Lexington, Ky.
Tim Rhoades – Bowling Green, Ky.
Clint Bissonett – Beavercreek, Ohio
Jack Dalzell – Elyria, Ohio
Kyle Weisenburger – Ottawa, Ohio
Brad Leifermann – Andover, Minn.
Co-anglers
Jim Stone – Greenwood, Ind.
Philip Borsa – Redford, Mich.
Andrew Gilliland – McArthur, Ohio
Danny Nicklin – Highland, Ill.
Paul VonWald – La Crosse, Wis.
Joseph Gulash – Edwardsville, Ill.
Wheeler Lake Regional
Boaters
Kip Carter – Social Circle, Ga.
Tyler Morgan – Columbus, Ga.
Brandon McGinnis – Pell City, Ala.
John Duvall – Madison, Ga.
Adam Wagner – Cookeville, Tenn.
Grant Kelly – Milledgeville, Ga.
Co-anglers
Michael Smith – Piedmont, S.C.
Matthew O’Connell – Brooks, Ga.
Matthew Bouldin – Smithville, Tenn.
Harold Grizzle – Gainesville, Ga.
Daniel Tuten – Byron, Ga.
Chris Harcrow – Dawson, Ala.
James River Regional
Boaters
Richard Owen – Chester, Va.
James Wall – Greensboro, N.C.
Ralph Ray – Youngsville, N.C.
Chris Panetta – West Simsbury, Conn.
Chris Daves – Spring Grove, Va.
Jackson Pleasant – Raleigh, N.C.
Co-anglers
Adam Lockler – Charlotte, N.C.
Ben Arnold – La Follette, Tenn.
Henry McKee – Haddon Heights, N.J.
Michael Nelms – Hartwood, Va.
Colton Chambers – Elizabethton, Tenn.
Nathan Grose – Summersville, W.Va.
Red River Regional
Boaters
Jason Sandidge – Centerton, Ark.
Randy Deaver – Blanchard, La.
Ben Blaschke – Muldrow, Okla.
Randy Despino – Colfax, La.
John Shore – Owasso, Okla.
Nick Lebrun – Bossier City, La.
Co-anglers
Nathan Colwell – Pryor, Okla.
Jack Stegall – Carriere, Miss.
Bobby Call – Wagoner, Okla.
Cord Colwell – Pryor, Okla.
Keith Whipple – Iuka, Miss.
Mike Allen – Crystal Springs, Miss.
Lake Lanier Regional
Boaters
Jayme Rampey – Liberty, S.C.
Jeremy Strong – Elberton, Ga.
Rob Jordan – Flowery Branch, Ga.
Roger Vinson – Flowery Branch, Ga.
David Nichol – Gainesville, Ga.
Heath Pack – Ellijay, Ga.
Co-anglers
Eric Cerny – Alpharetta, Ga.
Stephen Main – Chester, Va.
Brandon Brock – Honea Path, S.C.
Jeremy Bouldin – Kings Mountain, N.C.
Michael Miller – Greenville, S.C.
Chester Tucker – Seneca, S.C.
Wild Card
Boaters
Kevin Powers – Unicoi, Tenn.
Steve Ruff – St. Charles, Mo.
Freddy Palmer – Estill Springs, Tenn.
Danny Holloway – Corinth, Miss.
Billy Schroeder – Paducah, Ky.
Justin Royal – Vidor, Texas
Co-anglers
Scott Stallings – Glencoe, Okla.
Dave Roberts – Indianapolis, Ind.
Robert Pillow – Campbellsville, Ky.
Cory Miller – Blanchard, Okla.
Andrew Nickeson – Valdosta, Ga.
Carl Lingle – Dongola, Ill.
TBF National Championship
Boaters
Mike Webster – Atkins, Ark. – Central Division
Nick Deering – Portland, Maine – Eastern Division
Brian Trieschman – Ellicott City, Md. – Mid-Atlantic Division
Pat Upthagrove – Monroe, Mich. – Northern Division
BJ Nelson – Louisa, Ken. – Southern Division
Austin Wilson – Citrus Heights, Calif. – Southwestern Division
Loren Torok – Hayden, Idaho – Northwestern Division
Co-anglers
Ray Blash – Waynesville, Mo. – Central Division
Scott McKay – Mendon, Vt. – Eastern Division
Adam Wall – Lincoln, Del. – Mid-Atlantic Division
Dave Berg – St. Francis, Minn. – Northern Division
Chris Franco – Powell, Tenn. – Southern Division
Jesse Parks – Avondale, Ariz. – Southwestern Division
Hernandez Ruffin – Bellevue, Wash. – Northwestern Division