Murray tops field at BFL tourney on Lake Sinclair

Boater Jim Murray Jr. of Arabi, Ga., earned $6,000 March 11 as winner of the BFL Bulldog Division event on Lake Sinclair. Angler: Jim Murray Jr.

March 11, 2006 • MLF • Archives

MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. – Boater Jim Murray Jr. of Arabi, Ga., earned $6,000 Saturday as winner of the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League Bulldog Division event on Lake Sinclair. The tournament was the first of five regular-season Bulldog Division events and featured 200 boaters vying for the win, which earned Murray 200 points in the Boater Division.

Murray’s winning catch of five bass weighed 18 pounds, 11 ounces. He was throwing a green-pumpkin Zoom worm around docks, brush and stumps when he caught his bass.

Rounding out the top five boaters are Tim Weredyk of Rincon, Ga. (four bass, 15 pounds, 1 ounce, $3,000); Mike Cleveland of Monticello, Ga. (five bass, 14 pounds, $2,000); Clifford Avery of Bonaire, Ga. (five bass, 12 pounds, 4 ounces, $1,400) and Mike D. Blackshear of Macon, Ga. (five bass, 11 pounds, 15 ounces, $1,200).

Weredyk took Boater Division big-bass award honors, earning $1,000 for an 8-pound, 1-ounce bass he caught on a crankbait, plus an additional $500 as winner of the Ranger Cup award.

Clark Harper of Eatonton, Ga., and Mark Olden of McDonough, Ga., tied for first place in the Co-angler Division. Each angler caught four bass weighing 10 pounds, 8 ounces and earned $2,250.

Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Russell Hall of Covington, Ga., (five bass, 9 pounds, 6 ounces, $1,000) Todd Classon of Albany, Ga., (five bass, 8 pounds, 9 ounces, $700) and Billy Cain of Jackson, Ga. (four bass, 8 pounds, 1 ounce, $600).

Wayne Swinford of Cartersville, Ga., earned $500 as the co-angler big-bass award winner, thanks to a 6-pound, 3-ounce bass he caught on a Carolina rig.

Bulldog Division anglers will next visit Lake Seminole in Bainbridge, Ga., April 1 for their second regular-season event, followed by an event on Lake Eufaula in Eufaula, Ala., May 6. The division’s fourth qualifying event will be held at West Point Lake in Lanette, Ala., June 3. A two-day Super Tournament, the division’s fifth and final event, will be held on Lake Oconee in Buckhead, Ga., Sept. 30-31. For more information or to enter a tournament, call (270) 252-1000 or browse FLWOutdoors.com.

Following the regular season, the Bulldog Division boater with the most points who advances farthest in the Wal-Mart BFL All-American will earn $10,000 as the Yamaha “Be the Best” points champion. The co-angler points champion who advances farthest will earn $5,000 as the Yamaha “Be the Best” points champion 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 40 Bulldog Division boaters and co-anglers based on year-end points standings will advance to the Lake Chickamauga Regional Championship near Hixson, Tenn., Oct. 12-14 where they will compete against Dixie, LBL and Music City division anglers for one of six slots in the 2007 All-American. With a total purse of $1 million and a potential $140,000 cash prize going to the winning boater and $70,000 going to the winning co-angler, the All-American is one of the most prestigious and lucrative events in bass fishing.

The $8.8 million Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League features 28 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.

Named after the legendary founder of Ranger Boats, Forrest L. Wood, FLW Outdoors administers the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League, as well as the Wal-Mart FLW Tour, Wal-Mart FLW Series, Stren Series, Wal-Mart Texas Tournament Trail, Stratos Owners’ Tournament Trail, Wal-Mart FLW Walleye Tour, Wal-Mart FLW Walleye League, Wal-Mart FLW Kingfish Tour, Wal-Mart FLW Kingfish Series and Wal-Mart FLW Redfish Series. These circuits offer combined purses exceeding $36.9 million through 241 events in 2006.

Wal-Mart and many of America’s largest and most respected companies support FLW Outdoors and its tournament trails. Wal-Mart signed on as title sponsor of the FLW Tour in 1997 and today is the title sponsor of all FLW Outdoors events. For more information on Wal-Mart, visit Wal-Mart.com.