SMYRNA, Tenn. – Boater Clarence Reed of Lafayette, Tenn., won the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League Music City Division tournament on Percy Priest Saturday with a five-bass catch weighing 17 pounds, 15 ounces. The victory earned Reed $3,607 and placed him one step closer to qualifying for the Fort Loudon-Tellico Lakes Regional Championship in Lenoir City, Tenn., Oct. 18-20, where he could ultimately win a new 519VX Ranger boat and a Chevy truck.
Rounding out the top five boaters are Bryant Ailor of Knoxville, Tenn. (five bass, 16-7, $2,122); Tim Smiley of White Pine, Tenn. (five bass, 15-12, $1,413); Shane McCosh of Knoxville, Tenn. (five bass, 15-5, $990) and Scott Brummett of Brentwood, Tenn., and Jeff Lokken of Lebanon, Tenn., tied for fifth (five bass, 15-4, $813).
Brummett also earned an additional $500 for being the highest-placing Ranger Cup participant.
David Gnewikow of Mount Juliet, Tenn., took home the Boater Division Snickers Big Bass award, earning $600 for a 6-pound, 2-ounce bass.
Robert Damron of Tullahoma, Tenn., earned $2,122 as the co-angler winner Saturday thanks to four bass weighing 14 pounds, 13 ounces that he caught while fishing a crankbait on wind-blown, main-lake points.
Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Doug Fraser of Ashland City, Tenn. (five bass, 14-2, $1,061);Tyler Riley of Eads, Tenn. (five bass, 11-7, $707); John Case of Murfreesboro, Tenn. (three bass, 11-6, $495) and Teddy Raney of Murfreesboro, Tenn. (four bass, 10-10, $424).
Keith Norris of Nashville, Tenn., earned $300 as the co-angler Big Bass winner after catching a 6-pound, 2-ounce bass.
The Music City Division’s next event will be May 5 on Old Hickory Lake in Gallatin, Tenn., followed by a tournament June 9 on Kentucky Lake in Buchannan, Tenn. Their final event of the regular season will be a two-day Super Tournament held Sept. 15-16 on Old Hickory Lake in Gallatin, Tenn.
Following the end of regular-season competition, the top 40 boaters and 40 co-anglers based on year-end points standings in the division will advance to the no-entry-fee Fort Loudon-Tellico Lakes Regional Championship where they will compete against top qualifiers from three other BFL divisions. At the Regional Championship boaters will fish for a new Ranger boat and Chevy truck and co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger boat. The top six boaters and top six co-anglers at the Regional Championship will also advance to the 2008 All-American presented by Chevy. With a total purse of $1 million, a potential $140,000 cash prize going to the winning boater and as much as $70,000 going to the winning co-angler, the All-American is one of the most prestigious and lucrative events in bass fishing. The winning boater and winning co-angler at the All-American also advance to the no-entry-fee $2 million 2008 Forrest Wood Cup. This event, featuring a top award of $1 million, is the sport’s biggest championship.
The $8.8 million Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League features 28 divisions nationwide. In BFL competition, boaters and co-anglers are randomly paired. Boaters supply the boat and fish from the front deck against other boaters while co-anglers compete 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 FLW Tour, Wal-Mart FLW Series, Stren Series, Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League, Wal-Mart Texas Tournament Trail presented by Abu Garcia, Ranger Owners Tournament Championship Series, Wal-Mart FLW Walleye Tour, Wal-Mart FLW Walleye League, Wal-Mart FLW Kingfish Tour, Wal-Mart FLW Kingfish Series, Wal-Mart FLW Redfish Series and Wal-Mart FLW Striper Series. These circuits will offer combined purses of nearly $43 million through 238 events in 2007.
Wal-Mart and many of America’s largest and most respected companies support FLW Outdoors and its tournament trails. Wal-Mart signed on as an FLW Outdoors sponsor in 1997 and today is the world’s leading supporter of tournament fishing. For more information about Wal-Mart, visit Wal-Mart.com.
For more information about FLW Outdoors and its tournaments, browse FLWOutdoors.com or call (270) 252-1000.