McLemore takes tourney win on Apalachicola River

Boater Carmen McLemore of Wewahitchka, Fla., earned $3,122 April 8 as winner of the BFL Seminole Division event on the Apalachicola River. Angler: Carmen McLemore.

April 8, 2006 • MLF • Archives

WHITE CITY, Fla. – Boater Carmen McLemore of Wewahitchka, Fla., earned $3,122 Saturday as winner of the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League Seminole Division event on the Apalachicola River. The tournament was the third of five regular-season Seminole Division events and earned Mclemore 200 points in the Boater Division.

McLemore’s winning catch of five bass weighed 26 pounds, 5 ounces. He caught his fish on crankbaits in the Chipola River and earned an additional $375 as winner of the big-bass award, thanks to a 6-pound, 14-ouncer.

Rounding out the top five boaters are Bobby Smith of Panama City, Fla. (five bass, 16 pounds, 7 ounces, $1,561); Damon Wooley of Live Oak, Fla. (five bass, 16 pounds, 3 ounces, $1,043); Randy Hadden of Jacksonville, Fla. (five bass, 15 pounds, 10 ounces, $728) and Ira Forehand of Wewahitchka, Fla. (five bass, 14 pounds, 14 ounces, $624).

Wooley earned an additional $500 as winner of the Ranger Cup award.

George Pridgeon of Perry, Fla., earned $1,561 as the co-angler winner, thanks to five bass weighing 17 pounds, 1 ounce that he caught on points with crankbaits. Pridgeon earned an additional $187 as winner of the big-bass award in the Co-angler Division, thanks to an 8-pound, 7-ouncer.

Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Kevin Giddens of Moultrie, Ga. (five bass, 13 pounds, 5 ounces, $781); Randall Langston of Sopchoppy, Fla. (five bass, 12 pounds, 13 ounces, $521); Ron Cunningham of Ft. McCoy, Fla., (five bass, 11 pounds, 1 ounce, $364) and Sean Creel of Panama City (five bass, 10 pounds, 11 ounces, $312).

The Seminole Division’s next event will be held April 29 on Lake Seminole near Snead, Fla., and the Seminole Division will wrap up its regular season Sept. 23-24 with a two-day Super Tournament on the St. John’s River near Palatka, Fla.

Following the regular season, the Seminole 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 Seminole Division boaters and co-anglers based on year-end points standings will advance to the Lake Demopolis Regional Championship near Demopolis, Ala., Oct. 19-21 where they will compete against Choo Choo, Everglades and Mississippi 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. For more information or to enter a tournament, call (270) 252-1000 or browse FLWOutdoors.com.

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.