Chapman outfishes field on Kentucky Lake

BUCHANAN, Tenn. – Boater Kenneth Chapman of Woodlawn, Tenn., won the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League Music City Division tournament on Kentucky Lake Saturday with a five-bass catch weighing 20 pounds, 5 ounces. The victory earned Chapman $3,233 and placed him one step closer to qualifying for the Fort Loudoun-Tellico Lakes Regional Championship in Lenoir City, Tenn., Oct. 18, where he could ultimately win a new 519VX Ranger boat and a Chevy truck.

Rounding out the top five boaters are Tim Smiley of White Pine, Tenn. (five bass, 19-01, $1,902); Jason Sain of Beechgrove, Tenn. (five bass, 18-06, $1,267); Sam Lashlee of Camden, Tenn. (five bass, 18-03, $888) and Josh Tramel of Smithville, Tenn. (five bass, 18-00, $761).

Sain took home the Boater Division Snickers Big Bass award, earning $505 for a 6-pound bass.

Robert Damron of Tullahoma, Tenn., earned $1,902 as the co-angler winner Saturday thanks to five bass weighing 14 pounds, 4 ounces that he caught while fishing near ledges 14 to 20 feet deep.

Rounding out the top five co-anglers are James Crague of Hendersonville, Tenn. (five bass, 13-14, $951); James Fontaine of Smyrna, Tenn. (five bass, 13-13, $634); Mark Griffin of Gallatin, Tenn. (five bass, 12-13, $444) and Kirk Lafferty of Columbia, Tenn. (four bass, 12-08, $380).

Doug Fraser of Ashland City, Tenn., earned $252 as the co-angler Big Bass winner after catching a 4-pound, 6-ounce bass.

The Music City Division’s 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 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.