Rollins picks up BFL win on Wheeler Lake

DECATUR, Ala. – Boater Greg Rollins of Monteagle, Tenn., won the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League Bama Division tournament on Wheeler Lake Saturday with a five-bass catch weighing 13 pounds, 11 ounces. The victory earned Rollins $3,734 and placed him one step closer to qualifying for the Fort Loudoun-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.

Rollins caught his bass using a Carolina rig off ledges at the lower end of the lake.

Rounding out the top five boaters are Danny Buckner of Woodville, Ala. (five bass, 12-14, $1,562); Danny Shell of Albertville, Ala. (five bass, 12-14, $1,562); Randall Tharp of Gardendale, Ala. (five bass, 12-14, $1,562); and Tim Hurst of Oxford, Ala. (five bass, 12-9, $879).

Johnny Price Jr. of Brookwood, Ala., took home the Boater Division Snickers Big Bass award, earning $630 for a 6-pound, 3-ounce bass.

Tim Collins of Douglasville, Ga., earned $2,197 as the co-angler winner Saturday thanks to five bass weighing 12 pounds, 4 ounces.

Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Harold Weathers of Birchwood, Tenn. (five bass, 11-6, $1,098); Perry Kennedy of Florence, Ala. (five bass, 10-8, $733); James Swindle of Parrish, Ala. (five bass, 10-2, $513); and Jim Tabor of Cleveland, Tenn. (five bass, 10-1, $439).

Jonathan Collins of Vinemont, Ala., earned $315 as the co-angler Big Bass winner after catching a 5-pound, 1-ounce bass.

The division’s fourth event will be held June 30 on Neely Henry Lake in Gadsden, Ala., and the final event of the regular season will be a two-day Super Tournament held Sept. 15-16 on Lake Guntersville in Scottsboro, 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 Fort-Loudoun-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 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.