Getchell grabs top slot in BFL tournament on Toledo Bend

Hawkins hauls in 10-15 kicker for boater big-bass honors

HEMPHILL, Texas – Boater Kit Getchell of Granbury earned $3,711 Saturday as winner of the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League Cowboy Division event on Toledo Bend. The tournament was the second of five regular-season Cowboy Division events and earned Getchell 200 points in the Boater Division.

Getchell’s winning catch of five bass weighed 22 pounds, 7 ounces. Getchell said he caught most of his fish, including his largest one, while sight-fishing. He won an additional $1,500 as winner of the Ranger Cup and Powered by Yamaha awards.

Finishing second was Victor Hawkins of Sugar Land with three bass weighing 16 pounds, 9 ounces that earned him $1,855. Mike Milam of Zwolle, La., claimed $1,215 as the third-place finisher thanks to four bass weighing 15 pounds, 5 ounces. Tying for fourth place was Jimmy Hickman of Shreveport, La. , and Trent Durst of Longview, each with five bass weighing 14 pounds, 10 ounces worth $860.

Hawkins took Boater Division big-bass award honors, earning $570 for a 10-pound, 15-ounce bass. He caught his big bass on a tube bait.

Charlie Woods of Carthage earned $1,855 as the co-angler winner, thanks to five bass weighing 15 pounds, 15 ounces that he caught on a buzzbait. Woods won an additional $285 as the co-angler big-bass award winner.

Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Craig Strickland of Lumberton (four bass, 10 pounds, 8 ounces, $928); Jim English of Port Arthur (five bass, 10 pounds, 2 ounces, $608); John Cox of Austin (five bass, 10 pounds, 1 ounce, $472); and Joe Mann of Weatherford (five bass, 8 pounds, 5 ounces, $388).

The Cowboy Division’s next event will be held May 7 on Richland Chambers Lake near Corsicana, followed by another event on Toledo Bend near Shelbyville June 18. The Cowboy Division will wrap up its regular season Sept. 24-25 with a two-day Super Tournament on Sam Rayburn Lake near Sam Rayburn.

Following the regular season, the Cowboy Division boater with the most points will earn $1,000 as the Yamaha “Be the Best” points champion. The co-angler amassing the most points will earn $500 as the Yamaha “Be the Best” points champion 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 40 Cowboy Division boaters and co-anglers based on year-end points standings will advance to the Lake Ouachita Regional near Hot Springs, Ark., Oct. 18-22 where they will compete against Louisiana, Okie and Ozark Division anglers for one of six slots in the 2006 All-American. With a total purse of $1 million and a potential $140,000 cash prize going to the winning boater and $70,000 going to the winning co-angler, the All-American is one of the most prestigious and lucrative events in bass fishing.

The $8.4 million Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League features 28 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.

Named after the legendary founder of Ranger Boats, Forrest L. Wood, FLW Outdoors administers the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League and seven other national tournament circuits offering a combined $30 million in awards through 214 events in 2005. The 27-year-old organization is the purveyor of America’s largest and most prestigious fishing tournaments, including the Wal-Mart FLW Tour, EverStart Series, Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League, Wal-Mart Texas Tournament Trail, Wal-Mart FLW Walleye Tour, Wal-Mart FLW Walleye League, Wal-Mart FLW Kingfish Tour and Wal-Mart FLW Redfish Series.

Wal-Mart and many of America’s largest and most respected companies support FLW Outdoors and its tournament trails. Wal-Mart signed on as title sponsor of the FLW Tour in 1997 and today is the title sponsor of all FLW Outdoors events. For more information on Wal-Mart, visit Wal-Mart.com.