Durham wins Wal-Mart BFL event on Lake Wateree

CAMDEN, S.C. – Boater Chris Durham of Lyman, S.C., won the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League South Carolina Division tournament on Lake Wateree Saturday with a five-bass catch weighing 16 pounds, 3 ounces. The victory earned Durham $3,793 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.

Durham caught his five-bass limit throwing a Carolina rig on mid-lake points.

Rounding out the top five boaters are Roby Kelley of Sumter, S.C. (five bass, 16-0, $2,232); Glenn Altman of Marion, S.C. (five bass, 15-10, $1,265); Lyn Langston of Bishopville, S.C. (five bass, 15-10, $1,265) and Maurice Freeze of Concord, N.C. (five bass, 15-7, $893).

Jeremy Talbert of Albemarle, N.C., took home the Boater Division Snickers Big Bass award, earning $640 for a 6-pound, 8-ounce bass.

Robert Lynn of Savannah, Ga., earned $2,157 as the co-angler winner Saturday thanks to five bass weighing 14 pounds, 11 ounces.

Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Dean Talbert of Albemarle, N.C. (five bass, 11-7, $1,079); Ronnie Bridges of Belmont, N.C. (five bass, 11-0, $717); Todd Gambrell of Duncan, S.C. (five bass, 10-10, $503) and Tony Lambert of Richfield, N.C. (five bass, 10-5, $431).

Ronald Bryant of Batesburg, S.C., earned $305 as the co-angler Big Bass winner after catching a 5-pound, 5-ounce bass.

The South Carolina Division’s 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, visit FLWOutdoors.com or call (270) 252-1000.