Ferguson runs away with title on Douglas Lake
Saddler wins co-angler title
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Bobby Ferguson of Chuckey, Tenn., weighed a five-bass limit totaling 26 pounds, 11 ounces Saturday to win the Walmart Bass Fishing League Volunteer Division event on Douglas Lake. For his victory, Ferguson earned $5,337.
“Everything was perfect out there,” said Ferguson. “I could not have asked for a better day. I was fishing for suspended fish in around 25 feet of water. I only had seven bites on the day, but I was able to boat all seven of them. I was pretty confident when I was coming to the scales. I figured coming in that it would take around 25 pounds to win this event, so when I was bringing my stringer up I knew that I had a very good shot.
“I was throwing a custom painted Luhr Jensen Hot Lips crankbait most of the day using my 7-foot, 7-inch All Pro Rods cranking stick,” Ferguson continued. “The key to my day was just being patient and persistent. When you’re fishing for suspended fish, it can be tough and you don’t get a whole lot of bites. The bite was never really better at any point during the day; all seven of my fish came at different times. I was just happy to catch enough to get the win.”
Rounding out the top 10 pros:
2nd: J.R. Henard, Rogersville, Tenn., five bass, 20-13, $1,668
3rd: Wayne Coppage, Jonesboro, Tenn., five bass, 19-1, $1,112
4th: Tory Ferrell, Morristown, Tenn., five bass, 18-8, $779 + $1,000 Evinrude Bonus
5th: Burton Bryan, Sevierville, Tenn., five bass, 17-7, $667
6th: David Mullins, Mount Carmel, Tenn., five bass, 17-4, $612
7th: Archie Wilson Jr., Corryton, Tenn., five bass, 16-13, $556
8th: Tim Smiley, White Pine, Tenn., five bass, 16-6, $501
9th: Joe Leonard, Bristol, Va., five bass, 14-12, $445
10th: Joe Lee, Knoxville, Tenn., five bass, 14-8, $389
Complete results can be found here.
Saddler grabs co-angler title
Jonathan Saddler of Bristol, Tenn., weighed a five-bass limit totaling 25 pounds even Saturday to win $1,668 in the co-angler division.
Rounding out the top 10 co-anglers:
2nd: Billy Watson, Readyville, Tenn., three bass, 15-9, $834
3rd: Tim Townes, Castlewood, Va., five bass, 10-15, $558
4th: Brett Rodefer, Blountville, Tenn., five bass, 10-13, $389
5th: Jason Yates, Dandridge, Tenn., five bass, 10-12, $334
6th: Clint Dyer, Jonesbough, Tenn., five bass, 10-10, $306
7th: Lester Botts, Blountville, Tenn., five bass, 10-1, $278
8th: Rod James, Soddy Daisy, Tenn., five bass, 9-15, $250
9th: Joshua Trent, Sevierville, Tenn., five bass, 9-10, $222
10th: Maelstrom Kiewiet, Knoxville, Tenn., five bass, 9-8, $195
Complete co-angler results can be found here.
The next BFL Volunteer Division tournament is scheduled for June 9 on Lake Cherokee in Morristown, Tenn. After the fifth Volunteer 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 Pickwick Lake in Florence, Ala. 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.