McClurkan best boater at BFL event on Center Hill

SMITHVILLE, Tenn. – Boater Jimmy McClurkan of Dickson, Tenn., won the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League Music City Division tournament on Center Hill Saturday with a five-bass catch weighing 13 pounds, 12 ounces. The victory earned McClurkan $3,569 and placed him one step closer to qualifying for the Fort Loudin-Tellico Lakes Regional Championship in Lenoir City, Tenn., Oct. 18-20, where he could ultimately win a new 519VX Ranger boat and a Chevy truck.

McClurkan endured the cold weather and fished a shaky-head worm in the Caney Fork River to catch his limit.

Rounding out the top five boaters are Jeremy Walker of Lebanon, Tenn., (five bass, 12-6, $2,100); Tim Wyatt of Crossville, Tenn., (five bass, 11-9, $1,398); Anthony Bowman of Crawford, Tenn., (five bass, 11-7, $980) and Tim Coates of Westmoreland, Tenn., (five bass, 11-1, $840).

John Smith of Rockvale, Tenn., took home the Boater Division Snickers Big Bass award, earning $585 for a 7-pound, 13-ounce bass.

Chris Tarpley of Murfreesboro, Tenn., earned $2,019 as the co-angler winner Saturday thanks to five bass weighing 11 pounds, 14 ounces that he caught while fishing a shaky-head worm around chunk rock and gravel.

Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Derrick Dale of Sparta, Tenn., (five bass, 10-4, $1,009); Ben Lawwell of Murfreesboro, Tenn., (four bass, 8-12, $675); Paul Flatt of Cookeville, Tenn., (four bass, 8-8, $471) and Kelly Stone of Westmoreland, Tenn., (three bass, 7-4, $404).

Randell Mahler of Sparta, Tenn., earned $272 as the co-angler Big Bass winner after catching a 5-pound, 7-ounce bass.

The Music City Division’s next event will be March 17 on Percy Priest in Smyrna, Tenn., followed by a tournament May 5 on Old Hickory in Gallatin, Tenn. The division’s fourth event will be held June 9 on Kentucky Lake in Buchanan, Tenn., and the final event of the regular season will be a two-day Super Tournament held Sept. 15-16 on Old Hickory in Gallatin, Tenn.

Following the end of regular-season competition, the top 40 boaters and 40 co-anglers based on year-end points standings in the division will advance to the no-entry-fee Fort Loudin-Tellico Lakes Regional Championship where they will compete against top qualifiers from three other BFL divisions. At the Regional Championship boaters will fish for a new Ranger boat and Chevy truck and co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger boat. The top six boaters and top six co-anglers at the Regional Championship will also advance to the 2008 All-American presented by Chevy. With a total purse of $1 million, a potential $140,000 cash prize going to the winning boater and as much as $70,000 going to the winning co-angler, the All-American is one of the most prestigious and lucrative events in bass fishing. The winning boater and winning co-angler at the All-American also advance to the no-entry-fee $2 million 2008 Forrest Wood Cup. This event, featuring a top award of $1 million, is the sport’s biggest championship.

The $8.8 million Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League features 28 divisions nationwide. In BFL competition, boaters and co-anglers are randomly paired. Boaters supply the boat and fish from the front deck against other boaters while co-anglers compete from the back deck against other co-anglers.

Named after the legendary founder of Ranger Boats, Forrest L. Wood, FLW Outdoors administers the Wal-Mart FLW Tour, Wal-Mart FLW Series, Stren Series, Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League, Wal-Mart Texas Tournament Trail presented by Abu Garcia, Ranger Owners Tournament Championship Series, Wal-Mart FLW Walleye Tour, Wal-Mart FLW Walleye League, Wal-Mart FLW Kingfish Tour, Wal-Mart FLW Kingfish Series, Wal-Mart FLW Redfish Series and Wal-Mart FLW Striper Series. These circuits will offer combined purses of nearly $43 million through 238 events in 2007.

Wal-Mart and many of America’s largest and most respected companies support FLW Outdoors and its tournament trails. Wal-Mart signed on as an FLW Outdoors sponsor in 1997 and today is the world’s leading supporter of tournament fishing. For more information about Wal-Mart, visit Wal-Mart.com.

For more information about FLW Outdoors and its tournaments, browse FLWOutdoors.com or call (270) 252-1000.