Clark wins Wal-Mart BFL event on St. Johns River
PALATKA, Fla. – Boater Preston Clark of Lake Butler earned $3,077 Saturday as winner of the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League Seminole Division event on the St. Johns River. The tournament was the second of five regular-season Seminole Division events and featured 101 boaters vying for the win, which earned Clark 200 points in the Boater Division.
Clark’s winning catch of five bass weighed 28 pounds, 1 ounce, and he caught them on a jig in Lake George. He also earned $505 as the big-bass award winner in the Boater Division thanks to a 9-pound, 4-ounce bass.
Finishing second was John Kremer of Sanford with five bass weighing 20 pounds, 7 ounces that earned him $1,539. Walter Johns of Starke claimed $1,046 as the third-place finisher thanks to five bass weighing 20 pounds, 6 ounces. In fourth was Allen Hopper of San Mateo with five bass weighing 19 pounds, 14 ounces worth $800, and finishing fifth and earning $677 was Kelly Borgh of Silver Springs with five bass weighing 19 pounds, 7 ounces.
Bryan Hudgins of Orange Park earned a $500 bonus from Ranger Boats as the highest-finishing participant in the Ranger Cup incentive program.
Billy Coleman of Holly Hill bested 98 Co-angler Division competitors to earn $1,529 as the co-angler winner, thanks to five bass weighing 10 pounds, 12 ounces that he caught on a Zoom Fluke.
Finishing second was James Gregg of Englewood with three bass weighing 10 pounds, 11 ounces worth $764. Tied for third were Ronald Bridges of Pensacola (three bass) and Robert Dice of Perry (five bass). Both men caught 10 pounds, 8 ounces worth of bass that earned them $458. Finishing fifth was Trenton with five bass weighing 9 pounds, 6 ounces that earned him $336.
Gregg earned $245 as the co-angler big-bass award winner with a 6-pound, 4-ounce bass he caught on a Senko.
The Seminole Division’s next event will be held May 1 on the Apalachicola River near White City, followed by another event in Palatka June 5. The Seminole Division will wrap up its regular season Sept. 11-12 with a two-day Super Tournament on Lake Seminole near Bainbridge, Ga.
Following the regular season, the Seminole Division boater with the most points will earn $1,000 as the Yamaha “Be the Best” points leader. The co-angler amassing the most points will earn $500 as the Yamaha “Be the Best” points leader in the Co-angler Division.
Every angler who receives weight credit in a tournament earns points, with 200 points going to the winner, 199 for second, 198 for third, and so on except for Super Tournaments, which award 300 points to the winner, 299 for second, 298 for third, and so on. The top 30 Seminole Division boaters and co-anglers based on year-end points standings will advance to the Columbus Pool regional near Columbus, Miss., Oct. 19-23, where they will compete against Cowboy, Illini and Music City division anglers for one of six slots in the 2005 All-American. With a $100,000 cash prize going to the winning boater and $50,000 going to the winning co-angler, the All-American is one of the most prestigious and lucrative events in bass fishing.
The $6.3 million Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League features 24 divisions nationwide. In BFL competition, boaters and co-anglers are randomly paired, with boaters supplying the boat and fishing against other boaters and co-anglers fishing from the back deck against other co-anglers. For more information or to enter a tournament, call (270) 252-1000 or browse this Web site.
Wal-Mart and many of America’s most respected companies support FLW Outdoors and its six tournament trails. Wal-Mart has been the title sponsor of FLW Outdoors since 1997. For a complete list of FLW Outdoors sponsors and for more information about the premier products and services they offer, please visit FLWOutdoors.com’s sponsor page.