Thomas wins Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League event on Kentucky, Barkley lakes

CADIZ, Ky. – Boater Randy Thomas of Paducah earned $5,011 Saturday as winner of the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League LBL Division event on Kentucky and Barkley lakes. The tournament was the second of five regular-season LBL Division events and featured 199 boaters vying for the win, which earned Thomas 200 points in the Boater Division.

Thomas’ winning catch of five bass weighed 17 pounds, and he caught them on a 6-inch Brush Hog. He received another $1,000 from Ranger Boats as the highest-finishing participant in the Ranger Cup incentive program, and because his boat was equipped with an Evinrude Direct Injection outboard, he received another $1,000 from Bombardier. He also earned $1,000 from Garmin for using only Garmin electronics during the event.

Finishing second was Brent Maurer of Ledbetter with four bass weighing 16 pounds, 13 ounces that earned him $2,506. Ramie Colson Jr. of Cadiz claimed $1,704 as the third-place finisher thanks to five bass weighing 16 pounds, 6 ounces. In fourth was David Young of Mayfield with five bass weighing 15 pounds, 6 ounces worth $1,303, and finishing fifth and earning $1,102 was Steve Mouser of Elizabethtown with five bass weighing 14 pounds, 15 ounces.

Maurer took Boater Division big-bass award honors, earning $995 for a 7-pound, 3-ounce bass. He caught his big bass on a Zoom bait.

Jeff McCarnan of Henderson bested 195 Co-angler Division competitors to earn $2,455 as the co-angler winner, thanks to five bass weighing 15 pounds, 8 ounces that he caught on a tube.

Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Raymond Johnson of Goodlettsville, Tenn. (five bass, 13 pounds, 14 ounces, $1,228); Randy Spurlock of Vienna, Ill. (five bass, 13 pounds, 3 ounces, $835); Ricky Cates of Clay (five bass, 13 pounds, $638); and Keith Iddins of Knoxville, Tenn. (five bass, 12 pounds, 9 ounces, $540).

Mike Cole of Louisville earned $488 as the co-angler big-bass award winner with a 5-pound, 15-ounce bass he caught on a Zoom lizard.

The LBL Division’s next event will be held May 22 on Kentucky and Barkley lakes near Buchanan, Tenn., followed by an event on Kentucky/Barkley in Hardin June 12. The LBL Division will wrap up its regular season Sept. 11-12 with a two-day Super Tournament on Kentucky/Barkley near Gilbertsville.

Following the regular season, the LBL Division boater with the most points will earn $1,000 as the Yamaha “Be the Best” points leader. The co-angler amassing the most points will earn $500 as the Yamaha “Be the Best” points leader in the Co-angler Division.

Every angler who receives weight credit in a tournament earns points, with 200 points going to the winner, 199 for second, 198 for third, and so on except for Super Tournaments, which award 300 points to the winner, 299 for second, 298 for third, and so on. The top 30 LBL Division boaters and co-anglers based on year-end points standings will advance to the Wheeler Lake regional near Rogersville, Ala., Oct. 19-23, where they will compete against Bulldog, Mountain and Shenandoah division anglers for one of six slots in the 2005 All-American. With a $100,000 cash prize going to the winning boater and $50,000 going to the winning co-angler, the All-American is one of the most prestigious and lucrative events in bass fishing.

The $6.3 million Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League features 24 divisions nationwide. In BFL competition, boaters and co-anglers are randomly paired, with boaters supplying the boat and fishing against other boaters and co-anglers fishing from the back deck against other co-anglers. For more information or to enter a tournament, call (270) 252-1000 or browse this Web site.

Wal-Mart and many of America’s most respected companies support FLW Outdoors and its six tournament trails. Wal-Mart has been the title sponsor of FLW Outdoors since 1997. For a complete list of FLW Outdoors sponsors and for more information about the premier products and services they offer, please visit FLWOutdoors.com’s sponsor page.