Lashlee wins Kentucky Lake BFL event

HARDIN, Ky. – Boater Division competitor Sam Lashlee of Camden, Tenn., earned $3,988 Saturday as winner of the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League LBL Division event on Kentucky and Barkley lakes near Hardin. The tournament was the fourth of five regular-season LBL Division events. The regular season will wrap up Sept. 11-12 with a two-day Super Tournament that will also be held on Kentucky and Barkley lakes near Gilbertsville.

Lashlee fished a jig and crankbait along ledges in Kentucky Lake to catch a five-bass limit weighing 19 pounds, 10 ounces.

Rounding out the top five boaters are Phillip Puryear of Hanson (five bass, 19 pounds, 2 ounces, $1,994); Britt Cone of Benton (five bass, 18 pounds, $1,356); Mike Ward of Springville, Tenn. (five bass, 17 pounds, 6 ounces, $1,037); and David Skinner of Gilbertsville (five bass, 16 pounds, 14 ounces, $877).

Skinner also won $730 with the Boater Division big-bass award with a 5-pound, 12-ounce bass. Puryear collected the $1,500 Ranger Cup contingency bonus.

Shane Winchester of Cave City won the Co-angler Division with a five-bass catch weighing 17 pounds, 2 ounces. He fished with Lashlee and caught his tournament-winning bass on a Brush Hog and earned $1,994 for the win.

Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Chuck Rounds of Benton (five bass, 13 pounds, 14 ounces, $997); Ricky McAlexander of Huntingdon, Tenn. (five bass,13 pounds, 8 ounces, $678); Jeff Faust of Trenton, Ill. (five bass, 13 pounds, 2 ounces, $518); and Mike Partridge of Chandler, Ind. (five bass, 12 pounds, 9 ounces, $439).

Winchester caught a 5-pound, 7-ounce bass to win Co-angler Division big-bass honors and $365.

Following the regular season, 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. They will compete against qualifying anglers from the Bulldog, Mountain and Shenandoah 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 LBL 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.