Russell wins Wal-Mart BFL event on Lake Oconee
BUCKHEAD, Ga. – Boater Jim Russell of Statham, Ga., won the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League Bulldog Division tournament on Lake Oconee Saturday with a five-bass catch weighing 16 pounds,14 ounces. The victory earned Russell $5,100 and placed him one step closer to qualifying for the Lake Seminole Regional Championship in Bainbridge, Ga., Oct. 25-27.
Russell was throwing spinnerbaits in shallow spawning pockets to catch his winning limit of bass.
Russell also earned an additional $1,500 for being the highest-placing Ranger Cup participant.
Rounding out the top five boaters are Kim Carver of Milledgeville, Ga. (five bass, 16-13, $3,000); Rick Tindell of Leesburg, Ga. (five bass, 15-13, $2,000); John Eric Canerday of Good Hope, Ga. (five bass, 15-12, $1,300) and Mark Fletcher of Palmetto, Ga. (five bass, 15-12, $1,300).
Nathan Fuller of Hillsboro, Ga., took home the Boater Division Snickers Big Bass award, earning $1,000 for an 8-pound, 12-ounce bass.
Billy Cain of Jackson, Ga., earned $3,000 as the co-angler winner Saturday thanks to five bass weighing 14 pounds, 8 ounces that he caught while fishing a Carolina rig.
Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Kyle Carver of Alachua, Fla. (five bass, 13-5, $1,250); Ryan Lamb of Lilburn, Ga. (four bass, 13-5, $1,250); Keith Howard of Warner Robins, Ga. (five bass, 12-10, $700) and Tony Allen of Milledgeville, Ga. (five bass, 11-8, $600).
Dave Jones of Acworth, Ga., earned $500 as the co-angler Big Bass winner after catching a 6-pound, 5-ounce bass.
The Bulldog Division’s next event will be April 14 on Lake Lanier in Gainesville, Ga., followed by a tournament May 19 on West Point Lake in Lanette, Ala. The division’s final event of the regular season will be a two-day Super Tournament held Sept. 8-9 on Lake Eufaula in Eufaula, Ala.
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 Lake Seminole 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 241 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.