Cantrell wins Wal-Mart BFL Cowboy Division tourney

G.T. Cantrell of Pasadena, Texas, topped 161 Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League competitors Saturday on Lake Livingston with five bass weighing 17 pounds, 4 ounces. The catch earned him $4,241 and 200 points in the Boater Division.

May 18, 2002 • MLF • Archives

LIVINGSTON, Texas – G.T. Cantrell of Pasadena, Texas, topped 161 Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League competitors Saturday on Lake Livingston with five bass weighing 17 pounds, 4 ounces. The catch earned him $4,241 and 200 points in the Boater Division.

Cantrell caught his limit on a firetiger crankbait. The catch topped second-place boater Shane Gibson of San Dia, Texas, by 2 pound, 2 ounces. Gibson finished the one-day tournament with a five-bass catch weighing 15 pounds, 2 ounces worth $2,121.

Slade Dearman of Onalaska, Texas (five bass, 14 pounds, 15 ounces, $1,272); Marvin Konecny of Bryan, Texas (five bass, 14 pounds, 10 ounces, $1,018); and Harold Allen of Shelbyville, Texas, (five bass, 14 pounds, $933) rounded out the top five boaters.

Konecny also received a $500 bonus from Ranger Boats as the highest-finishing participant in the Ranger Cup incentive program.

Danny Bourgeois of Houston, Texas, earned boater big bass honors and $805 with a 6-pound, 6-ounce bass that he caught on a Strike King tube while fishing reeds. He finished in ninth place overall with three bass weighing 12 pounds, 9 ounces.

Doug Evans of Houston, Texas, claimed first place and $2,107 in the 160-competitor Co-angler Division with five bass weighing 16 pounds, 10 ounces. He surpassed second-place co-angler Clay Henry of Many, La., by 2 pounds, 7 ounces thanks to a black and blue jig he was casting to reeds. Henry finished with a five-bass catch weighing 14 pounds, 3 ounces worth $1,054.

Brandon Delaney of Nacogdoches, Texas (three bass, 11 pounds, 14 ounces, $632); Danny Joiner of Irving, Texas (five bass, 11 pounds, 8 ounces, $506); and Murphy Perot of Logansport, La., (three bass, 10 pounds, 15 ounces, $464) rounded out the top five co-anglers.

Evans earned co-angler big bass honors and $400 with a 5-pound, 5-ounce bass.

Overall, 18 five-bass limits were caught during the tournament.

The Wal-Mart BFL will visit Toledo Bend Reservoir June 29 for the fourth of five Cowboy Division events. The boater with the most points after the division’s season finale, a two-day Super Tournament Sept. 28-29 on Sam Rayburn Reservoir, will be declared the Yamaha “Be the Best” Points Leader and awarded $1,000. The co-angler amassing the most points by the end of the season will receive $500.

The top 30 Cowboy Division boaters and co-anglers will advance to regional competition Oct. 22-26 on the Pearl River near Slidell, La., where they will go up against top competitors from the Arkie, Bama, and Mississippi divisions for a shot at qualifying for the Wal-Mart BFL All-American – one of the most lucrative post-season tournaments in competitive angling.

2002 BFL awards could reach $7 million based on full fields.