Sullivan grinds it out on Fort Gibson Lake

Potter wins co-angler title

WAGONER, Okla. – Casey Sullivan of Vian, Okla., weighed a five-bass limit totaling 17 pounds, 14 ounces Saturday to win the Walmart Bass Fishing League Okie Division event on Fort Gibson Lake. For his victory, Sullivan earned $3,756.

“It was a long, tough day out there,” said Sullivan. “I didn’t get my first fish in the boat until 9:45 a.m. I only had five bites all day, and my last one came at 2:55 p.m. It was a grind. I was running points all day near dirty water. The water level had been fluctuating all week from all of the rainfall that we had, and I wanted it to stay down. Once the water comes up, then it’s anyone’s ball game. Luckily they kept the gates on (Fort) Gibson open and the water was just flowing through. The current was extremely strong, though.

“I caught most of my fish on a green pumpkin-colored Strike King Football Head jig, but I also threw a War Eagle spinnerbait,” Sullivan continued. “All of my fish that I weighed in were post-spawn, but still came pretty shallow – from 2 to 6 feet of water. There was a thunderstorm building all day, but we stayed dry. It’s nice when your game plan comes together. I was just running my spots and it worked out well for me.”

Rounding out the top 10 pros:

2nd: Bob Noble, Nowata, Okla., five bass, 17-6, $1,878

3rd: Blake Ellison, Inola, Okla., five bass, 15-9, $1,253

4th: Derek Fulps, Broken Arrow, Okla., five bass, 14-8, $876

5th: Danny Shepard, Cottonwood Falls, Kan., five bass, 14-2, $751

6th: Bill Bean, Eufaula, Okla., five bass, 13-14, $689

7th: Floyd Drannon, Stratford, Okla., five bass, 13-10, $626

8th: Jason Sandidge, Centerton, Ark., five bass, 13-9, $563

9th: Rick Kelley, Ada, Okla., five bass, 13-5, $501

10th: Mitchell Webb, Skiatook, Okla., five bass, 12-13, $438

Complete results can be found here.

Potter grabs co-angler title

Wesley Potter of Colcord, Okla., weighed a five-bass limit totaling 15 pounds, 7 ounces Saturday to win $1,878 in the co-angler division.

Rounding out the top 10 co-anglers:

2nd: Brad Reynolds, Lowell, Ark., five bass, 12-14, $939

3rd: Clayton Hale, Tulsa, Okla., five bass, 12-13, $627

4th: John David Jamison, Muskogee, Okla., four bass, 12-12, $438

5th: Terry Canady, Skiatook, Okla., five bass, 10-15, $376

6th: Derek Brooks, Atoka, Okla., four bass, 10-11, $344

7th: Bill Gift, Alix, Ark., four bass, 9-14, $313

8th: Matt Columbus, Oklahoma City, Okla., two bass, 8-11, $282

9th: Bob Harrington, Piedmont, Okla., four bass, 8-10, $234

9th: Steve Rutherford, Bella Vista, Ark., two bass, 8-10, $234

Complete co-angler results can be found here.

The next BFL Okie Division tournament is scheduled for July 21 on the Arkansas River in Muskogee, Okla. After the fifth Okie Division tournament is complete, the top 40 boaters and 40 co-anglers based on point standings will qualify for the Oct. 18-20 Regional Championship on the Red River in Natchitoches, La. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518 with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard and a Chevy Silverado, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518 with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard.

The BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 120 tournaments throughout the season, five in each division. The top 40 boaters and co-anglers from each division qualify for a regional tournament and compete to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the Walmart BFL All-American presented by Chevy. The 2012 BFL All-American is being held May 17 – 19 on the Potomac River in National Harbor, Md. Top winners in the BFL can move up to the EverStart Series or even the Walmart FLW Tour.

About FLW

FLW is the industry’s premier tournament-fishing organization, providing unparalleled fishing resources and entertainment to our sponsors, fans and host communities. FLW is offering anglers of all skill levels the opportunity to compete for millions in prize money nationwide in 2012 over the course of 191 tournaments across five tournament circuits, each providing an avenue to the sport’s richest payday and most coveted championship trophy – the Forrest Wood Cup. FLW is committed to providing a lifestyle experience that is the “Best in Fishing, On and Off the Water,” through a variety of platforms including tournaments, outdoor expos and the world’s richest fantasy sports game – FLW Fantasy Fishing. For more information about FLW and FLW Fantasy Fishing, visit FLWOutdoors.com or FantasyFishing.com and look for FLW on Twitter and Facebook.