GIBSON, La. – Boater Brett Sellers of Baton Rouge, La., won the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League Louisiana Division tournament on Bayou Black Saturday with a five-bass catch weighing 12 pounds, 12 ounces. The victory earned Sellers $2,870 and placed him one step closer to qualifying for the Wright Patman Lake Regional Championship in Texarkana, Texas, Oct. 25-27, where he could ultimately win a new 519VX Ranger boat and a Chevy truck.
Sellers caught his bass using a Reaction Innovations Sweet Beaver targeting lily pads on Turtle Bayou.
Rounding out the top five boaters are Casey St. Romain of Morgan City, La. (five bass, 11 pounds, 9 ounces, $1,689); Ricky Naquin of Thibodaux, La. (five bass, 10 pounds, 2 ounces, $1,128); Steve Gullotto of Plaquemine, La. (five bass, 10 pounds, $788); and Jake Impaspato of New Orleans (five bass, 9 pounds, 6 ounces, $675).
Ted Mayon Jr. took home the Boater Division Snickers Big Bass award, earning $415 for a 5-pound, 11-ounce bass.
Leavitt Hamilton of Prairieville, La., earned $1,603 as the co-angler winner Saturday thanks to five bass weighing 11 pounds, 12 ounces.
Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Beau Cotten of Baton Rouge, La. (four bass, 9 pounds, 1 ounce, $801); Danny Mathews of Waskom, Texas (five bass, 8 pounds, 15 ounces, $533); Ricardo Benitez of Folsom, La. (three bass, 7 pounds, 11 ounces, $374); and Richard Sellers of Opelousas, La. (three bass, 6 pounds, $321).
Hamilton earned $192 as the co-angler Big Bass winner after catching a 4-pound, 3-ounce bass.
The Louisiana Division’s next event will be May 19 on the Red River in Natchitoches, La. The final event of the regular season will be a two-day Super Tournament held Sept. 22-23 on the Atchafalaya Basin in Morgan City, La.
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 Wright Patman Lake 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 Walmart.com.
For more information about FLW Outdoors and its tournaments, browse FLWOutdoors.com or call (270) 252-1000.