Meredith takes top honors at BFL event on Table Rock

Trudel tops co-anglers

BRANSON WEST, Mo. – Boater Brady Meredith of Springdale, Ark., won the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League Ozark Division tournament on Table Rock Saturday with a five-bass catch weighing 18 pounds, 11 ounces. The victory earned Meredith $3,599 and placed him one step closer to qualifying for the Mississippi River Regional Championship in Fort Madison, Iowa, Oct. 4-6, where he could ultimately win a new 519VX Ranger boat and a Chevy truck.

Meredith was sight-fishing with black and blue jigs.

Rounding out the top five boaters are Josh Busby of Springfield, Mo. (five bass, 15-2, $2,118); David Donham of Highlandville, Mo. (five bass, 14-9, $1,413); Andrew Renkoski of Purdy, Mo. (five bass, 13-13, $988); and Greg Leary of Jefferson City, Mo. (five bass, 13-12, $847).

R.C. Gordy of Galena, Mo., took home the Boater Division Snickers Big Bass award, earning $590 for a 6-pound, 3-ounce bass.

James Trudel of Branson, Mo., earned $2,118 as the co-angler winner Saturday thanks to five bass weighing 11 pounds, 7 ounces.

Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Dereck Dirschuweit of Florissant, Mo. (five bass, 11-4, $1,059); Tommy Lowery of O’Fallon, Mo. (five bass, 11-0, $706); Andrew Stanphill of Green Forest, Ark. (five bass, 10-3, $494); and Ernest Cate of Springdale, Ark. (four bass, 10-0, $424).

Jeff Fishburn of Eldon, Mo., earned $295 as the co-angler Big Bass winner after catching a 5-pound, 3-ounce bass.

The Ozark Division’s fourth event will be held June 30 on Truman Lake in Clinton, Mo., and the final event of the regular season will be a two-day Super Tournament held Sept. 15-16 on Lake of the Ozarks in Lake of the Ozarks State Park, Mo.

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 Mississippi River 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 241 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 Walmart.com.

For more information about FLW Outdoors and its tournaments, browse FLWOutdoors.com or call (270) 252-1000.