Newton picks up BFL win on Kerr Lake

HENDERSON, N.C. – Boater Rich Newton of Manassas, Va., won the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League Shenandoah Division tournament on Kerr Lake Saturday with a five-bass catch weighing 15 pounds, 2 ounces. The victory earned Newton $4,012 plus a $708 Ranger Boat contingency bonus and placed him one step closer to qualifying for the Potomac River Regional Championship in Marbury, Md., Oct. 11-13, where he could ultimately win a new 519VX Ranger boat and a Chevy truck.

Newton fished a shaky head around trees to get his limit.

Rounding out the top five boaters are William Shelton III of South Hill, Va. (five bass, 13-6, $2,360); John Woodroof of Lynchburg, Va. (five bass, 13-3, $1,574); John Hutchins of Catlett, Va. (five bass, 12-12, $1,101); and Dale Simmons of Woodbridge, Va. (five bass, 12-0, $944).

Greg Cooper of Yorktown, Va., took home the Boater Division Snickers Big Bass award, earning $695 for a 5-pound, 8-ounce bass.

David Williams of Fredericksburg, Va., earned $2,253 as the co-angler winner Saturday thanks to five bass weighing 9 pounds, 4 ounces.

Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Scott Goodson of Fredericksburg, Va. (five bass, 8-15, $1,127); Dick Gum of Woodbridge, Va. (three bass, 8-11, $751); Rodney Mosley of Stafford, Va. (five bass, 8-10, $526); and Alan Price of Staunton, Va. (three bass, 8-9, $451).

Price earned $327 as the co-angler Big Bass winner after catching a 5-pound, 9-ounce bass.

The Shenandoah Division’s fourth event will be held July 14 on the James River in Richmond, Va., and the final event of the regular season will be a two-day Super Tournament held Sept. 22-23 on the Potomac River in Woodbridge, Va.

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 Potomac River 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.