Wagner tops boaters on Kentucky Lake

PARIS, Tenn. – Boater Don Wagner of Boonville, Ind., won the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League LBL Division tournament on Kentucky Lake Saturday with a five-bass catch weighing 18 pounds, 3 ounces. The victory earned Wagner $4,380 and placed him one step closer to qualifying for the Fort Loudoun-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 Jeff Siress of Benton, Ky. (five bass, 17-12, $2,577); Sam Lashlee of Camden, Tenn. (five bass, 17-7, $1,719); Gary Ellenberger of Paducah, Ky. (five bass, 16-14, $1,203); Keith Cone of Calvert City, Ky. (five bass, 16-13, $988); and Mike Terry of Troy, Tenn. (five bass, 16-13, $988).

Jim Gullett of Richmond, Ky., took home the Boater Division Snickers Big Bass award, earning $795 for a 6-pound, 8-ounce bass.

David Mouser of Elizabethtown, Ky., earned $2,577 as the co-angler winner Saturday thanks to five bass weighing 14 pounds, 12 ounces.

Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Kris Effinger of Evansville, Ind. (five bass, 14-8, $1,288); Kyle Radake of Cape Girardeau, Mo. (five bass, 14-1, $858); Barry Baldwin of Dayton, Ohio (five bass, 13-9, $601); and Michael Blumer of Louisville, Ky. (five bass, 13-1, $515).

Danny Jones of Berry, Ky., earned $397 as the co-angler Big Bass winner after catching a 5-pound, 14-ounce bass.

All LBL Division BFL Tournaments are held on Kentucky and Barkley lakes. The division’s fourth event will be held June 16 on Kentucky Lake in Aurora, Ky., and the final event of the regular season will be a two-day Super Tournament held Sept. 29-30 on Kentucky Lake in Benton, Ky.

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 Loudoun-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 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.