Heatherly wins Wal-Mart BFL event on Santee Cooper

SUMMERTON, S.C. – Boater David Heatherly of Buffalo, S.C., won the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League South Carolina Division tournament on Santee Cooper lakes Saturday with a five-bass catch weighing 22 pounds, 15 ounces. The victory earned Heatherly $3,823 and placed him one step closer to qualifying for the Clarks Hill Lake Regional Championship in Appling, Ga., Oct. 11-13, where he could ultimately win a new 519VX Ranger boat and a Chevy truck.

Heatherly caught his bass throwing a Zoom Brush Hog on lower lake points.

Rounding out the top five boaters are Eddie Cox of Goose Creek, S.C. (five bass, 22-3, $2,249); Michael Maxfield of North Charleston, S.C. (five bass, 21-9, $1,498); Jason Barrett of Moncks Corner, S.C. (five bass, 21-8, $1,050); and Wade Grooms of Bonneau, S.C. (five bass, 18-6, $900).

Carl Williams Jr. of Bessemer City, N.C., took home the Boater Division Snickers Big Bass award, earning $645 for a 8-pound bass.

Don Kohli of Lincolnton, Ga., earned $2,175 as the co-angler winner Saturday thanks to four bass weighing 17 pounds, 5 ounces.

Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Bo Price of Seneca, S.C. (three bass, 7-9, $1,088); Joe Moran of Newberry, S.C. (three bass, 6-14, $726); Lonnie Fulmer of Batesburg, S.C. (two bass, 6-5, $507); and Jeff Stidom of Columbia, S.C. (one bass, 5-13, $435).

Kohli also earned $307 as the co-angler Big Bass winner after catching an 8-pound, 12-ounce bass.

The division’s fourth event will be held June 9 on Lake Wateree in Camden, S.C., and the final event of the regular season will be a two-day Super Tournament held Sept. 22-23 on Lake Wylie in Lake Wylie, S.C.

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 Clarks Hill Lake 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.