NATCHITOCHES, La. – Boater Division competitor Ross Cagle of Downsville earned $3,851 Saturday as winner of the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League Louisiana Division event on the Red River in Natchitoches. The tournament was the fourth of five regular-season Louisiana Division events. The regular season will wrap up Oct. 2-3 with a two-day Super Tournament that will be held on the Atchafalaya Basin near Morgan City.
Cagle caught a five-bass limit weighing 14 pounds, 10 ounces. He fished an 8-inch worm on a Carolina rig in Pool 3. He also won $3,000 as the highest finishing Ranger Cup qualifier and won the $1,000 for using Garmin electronics.
Rounding out the top five boaters are Clark Reehm of Leesville (five bass, 11 pounds, 10 ounces, $1,926); Danny Gulledge of Hamburg, Ark. (five bass, 11 pounds, $1,309); James Fredieu of St. Martinville (four bass, 10 pounds, 13 ounces, $1,001); and Terry Adams of Morgan City (five bass, 10 pounds, 11 ounces, $847).
Michael Bock of Meraux earned $705 as the Boater Division big-bass award winner with a 5-pound, 5-ounce bass.
Rene Planchard of Baton Rouge won the Co-angler Division with a five-bass catch weighing 11 pounds, 2 ounces worth $1,817. Planchard caught the winning limit on a spinnerbait.
Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Chris Megee of Natchez (five bass, 10 pounds, 12 ounces, $908); Billy Bonner of Natchitoches (four bass, 10 pounds, 10 ounces, $618); Alan Hults of Gautier, Miss. (five bass, 9 pounds, 13 ounces, $472); and Rita Connella of Bentley (five bass, 9 pounds, 1 ounce, $400).
Bonner caught a 4-pound, 9-ounce bass to win Co-angler Division big-bass honors and $323.
Following the regular season, the top 30 Louisisana Division boaters and co-anglers based on year-end points standings will advance to the Toledo Bend regional near Many, La., Oct. 12-16. They will compete against qualifying anglers from the Arkie, Okie and Ozark divisions for one of six slots in the 2005 All-American, one of competitive bass fishing’s most prestigious events. The winning boater at the All-American will take home $100,000 cash, and the winning co-angler will earn $50,000 cash.
Every angler who receives weight credit in a tournament earns points, with 200 points awarded 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. These points determine angler standings. The Louisiana Division boater who amasses the most points at the end of the regular season will earn $1,000 as the Yamaha “Be the Best” points leader, and the co-angler earning the most points will earn $500 as the Yamaha “Be the Best” points leader in the Co-angler Division.
Anglers who compete in all five regular-season events within a division but do not advance to regional competition are eligible to fish the Chevy Trucks Wild Card for an All-American berth. Six nationwide regionals plus the Wild Card will each send six boaters and six co-anglers to the All-American for a total field of 84 competitors.
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.