Freeman wins Toledo Bend Wal-Mart BFL event

HEMPHILL, Texas – Boater Division competitor Glen Freeman of Converse, La., earned $3,439 Saturday as winner of the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League Cowboy Division event on Toledo Bend in Hemphill. The tournament was the fourth of five regular-season Cowboy Division events. The regular season will wrap up Sept. 25-26 with a two-day Super Tournament that will be held on Sam Rayburn Reservoir in Jasper.

Freeman bested 120 Boater Division competitors with a five-bass catch weighing 18 pounds, 8 ounces. He caught his tournament-winning bass on a Bomber crankbait.

Rounding out the top five boaters are Mike Cortelloni of Many, La. (five bass, 17 pounds, 1 ounce, $1,720); Randy Colson of Noble, La. (five bass, 15 pounds, 5 ounces, $1,169); Mark Richards of Houston (five bass, 14 pounds, 6 ounces, $894); and Dwayne Dunlap of Pineville, La. (five bass, 12 pounds, 3 ounces, $757).

Mike Cortelloni of Many, La., earned $600 as the Boater Division big-bass award winner with a 9-pound, 3-ounce bass. David May of League City earned a $500 bonus from Ranger Boats as the highest-finishing participant in the Ranger Cup incentive program.

Kelly Watterson of Pollok won the 120-competitor Co-angler Division with a five-bass catch weighing 15 pounds, 1 ounce. He caught his tournament-winning bass on a Zoom Fluke and earned $1,720 for the win.

Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Ben Faucheaux of Natchitoches, La. (five bass, 11 pounds, 9 ounces, $860); John Peebles of Seabrook (three bass, 10 pounds, 1 ounce, $585); Vince Parello of Irving (five bass, 9 pounds, 14 ounces, $447); and Cody Davis of Glen Rose (five bass, 9 pounds, 8 ounces, $378).

Daniel Chambers of Keithville, La., caught a 5-pound, 10-ounce bass to win Co-angler Division big-bass honors and $300. He caught his big bass on a Senko.

Following the regular season, the top 30 Cowboy Division boaters and co-anglers based on year-end points standings will advance to the Columbus Pool regional near Columbus, Miss., Oct. 19-23. They will compete against qualifying anglers from the Illini, Music City and Seminole divisions for one of six slots in the 2005 All-American, one of competitive bass fishing’s most prestigious events. The winning boater at the All-American will take home $100,000 cash, and the winning co-angler will earn $50,000 cash.

Every angler who receives weight credit in a tournament earns points, with 200 points awarded 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. These points determine angler standings. The Cowboy Division boater who amasses the most points at the end of the regular season will earn $1,000 as the Yamaha “Be the Best” points leader, and the co-angler earning the most points will earn $500 as the Yamaha “Be the Best” points leader in the Co-angler Division.

Anglers who compete in all five regular-season events within a division but do not advance to regional competition are eligible to fish the Chevy Trucks Wild Card for an All-American berth. Six nationwide regionals plus the Wild Card will each send six boaters and six co-anglers to the All-American for a total field of 84 competitors.

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.