Staten lands on top at Guntersville

Frazier takes co-angler title
Image for Staten lands on top at Guntersville
Willie Staten of Albertville, Ala., won the Sept. 28-29 Choo Choo Division Super Tournament on Lake Guntersville with nine bass over two days weighing 35 pounds. For his efforts, Staten took home over $5,600 in prize money.
September 29, 2013 • MLF • Archives

SCOTTSBORO, Ala. – Willie Staten of Albertville, Ala., weighed in a two-day total of nine bass for 35 pounds even Sunday to win the Walmart Bass Fishing League Choo Choo Division Super Tournament on Lake Guntersville. For his victory, Staten earned $5,632.

Staten rode a massive 25-pound bag on the first day to narrowly claim his first BFL win.

“I found the fish the weekend before during practice,” said Staten. “I ran down the river and fished my way back up.

“I was catching fish on a topwater frog in grass 5-feet deep and flipping a jig in deep hydrilla in 8 to 13 feet of water,” continued Staten. “It went so well on the first day I backed off them by 11 o’clock and just hoped they would bite on the second day.

“The second day I struggled,” said Staten. “I think I only got seven bites all day and only four keepers. When I got back I thought I may have had a shot to win it, but I didn’t know until the end. I’ve been wanting to win for a while, and it’s great to finally seal the deal.”

Staten said he caught his fish on a black and yellow-colored Snag Proof frog and by flipping a Mean Mouth jig.

Rounding out the top 10 pros:

2nd: Bryan Gregory, Fort Payne, Ala., 10 bass, 34-12, $2,816

3rd: Jason Tucker, Dutton, Ala., 10 bass, 32-5, $1,877

4th: Marshall Deakins, Dunlap, Tenn., 10 bass, 31-13, $1,314

5th: Paul Wilcoxson, Russellville, Ala., 10 bass, 31-13, $1,126

6th: Blake Hall, Hartselle, Ala., eight bass, 30-7, $1,033

7th: Brandon Lester, Fayetteville, Tenn., 10 bass, 30-0, $939

8th: Johnny Patterson, Grant, Ala., 10 bass, 28-13, $845

9th: John Talton, Georgetown, Tenn., 10 bass, 28-6, $751

10th: Billy Brindle, Calhoun, Ga., 10 bass, 28-4, $657

Complete results can be found here.

Frazier wins co-angler title

Co-angler Cody Frazier of Soddy Daisy, Tenn., won the Sept. 28-29 Choo Choo Division Super Tournament on Lake Guntersville with a two-day total of 28 pounds, 5 ounces. Frazier walked away with over $2,800 for his efforts.Cody Frazier of Soddy Daisy, Tenn., weighed in a two-day total of 10 bass weighing 28 pounds, 5 ounces Sunday to win $2,816 in the co-angler division.

Rounding out the top 10 co-anglers:

2nd: Justin Sward, Birmingham, Ala., six bass, 20-13, $1,408

3rd: Rodney Treadaway, Decatur, Ala., seven bass, 18-12, $941

4th: Jeffery Hill, Huntsville, Ala., five bass, 16-11, $657

5th: Jaret Henry, Kingsport, Tenn., five bass, 16-4, $563

6th: Waylon Hancock, Cartersville, Ga., five bass, 16-2, $516

7th: Dean McDonald, Greer, S.C., six bass, 15-6, $469

8th: Jason Mullinax, White, Ga., six bass, 13-12, $422

9th: Mickey Locke, Albertville, Ala., four bass, 13-1, $375

10th: Tim Gledhill, Fort Payne, Ala., four bass, 11-9, $329

Complete co-angler results can be found here.

The top 40 boaters and 40 co-anglers based on point standings will qualify for the Oct. 10-12 Regional Championship on Lake Lanier in Gainesville, Ga. 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. 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 anglers of all skill levels the opportunity to compete for millions in prize money nationwide in 2013 over the course of 220 tournaments across five tournament circuits, four of which provide an avenue to the sport’s richest payday and most coveted championship trophy – the Forrest Wood Cup. FLW tournament fishing can be seen on the Emmy-nominated “FLW” television show and is broadcast to more than 564 million households worldwide, making it the most widely distributed weekly outdoors-sports television show in the world. FLW is committed to providing a lifestyle experience that is the “Best in Fishing, On and Off the Water.” For more information about FLW visit FLWOutdoors.com and look for FLW on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and YouTube.