Cummings wins Lake Eufaula BFL event

EUFAULA, Ala. – Boater Division competitor Charles Cummings of Leeds earned $4,430 Saturday as winner of the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League Bama Division event on Lake Eufaula in Eufaula. The tournament was the fourth of five regular-season Bama Division events. The regular season will wrap up Sept. 25-26 with a two-day Super Tournament on Lake Martin in Alexander City.

Cummings bested 170 Boater Division competitors with a five-bass catch weighing 14 pounds, 14 ounces, and he caught them on a Pocket Craw in shallow water. He also earned a $1,000 bonus from Ranger Boats as the highest-finishing participant in the Ranger Cup incentive program, and Yamaha awarded him another $500 because his boat is powered by a Yamaha outboard. He also received a $1,000 bonus from Garmin for using only Garmin electronics during the event.

Rounding out the top five boaters are Billy Lewis Jr. of Montgomery (four bass, 13 pounds, 11 ounces, $2,215); Mike Keel of Auburn (five bass, 13 pounds, 5 ounces, $1,506); Cary Chester of Palmetto, Ga. (five bass, 12 pounds, 9 ounces, $1,152); and Jason Nixon of Wetumpka (three bass, 12 pounds, 7 ounces, $975).

Lester Taylor of Montgomery earned $850 as the Boater Division big-bass award winner with an 8-pound, 1-ounce bass he caught on a spinnerbait.

Kevin Smith of Marietta, Ga., won the 170-competitor Co-angler Division with a four-bass catch weighing 11 pounds, 6 ounces. He caught his tournament-winning bass on a Pop-R and earned $2,215 for the win.

Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Jeff Ford of Trion, Ga. (three bass, 10 pounds, 6 ounces, $1,108); Jim Landers of Alexander City (five bass, 10 pounds, 5 ounces, $753); Brett Black of Cordova (four bass, 9 pounds, 11 ounces, $576); and T.C. Waters of Glencoe (three bass, 9 pounds, 10 ounces, $487).

Ford caught a 6-pound, 4-ounce bass to win Co-angler Division big-bass honors and $425.

Following the regular season, the top 30 Bama Division boaters and co-anglers based on year-end points standings will advance to the Lake Seminole regional near Bainbridge, Ga., Oct. 5-9. They will compete against qualifying anglers from the Gator, Mississippi and Piedmont 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 Bama 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 register online at FLWOutdoors.com.

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.