McKnight wins Wal-Mart BFL event on Neely Henry Lake

GADSDEN, Ala. – Boater Geoff McKnight of Rainbow City, Ala., won the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League Bama Division tournament on Neely Henry Lake Saturday with a five-bass catch weighing 13 pounds, 13 ounces. The victory earned McKnight $3,990 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.

McKnight fished a crankbait up river on cranking wood.

Rounding out the top five boaters are Marty Boatright of Cleveland, Ala. (five bass, 13-6, $2,348); Roy Yother of Red Bank, Tenn. (five bass, 12-14, $1,565); Kenny Pannell of Springville, Ala. (five bass, 12-7, $1,096); and Randall Tharp of Gardendale, Ala. (five bass, 12-6, $939).

Jeff Lowery of Pinson, Ala., and Rickey Lee of Sulligent, Ala., took home the Boater Division Snickers Big Bass awards, earning $350 each for their 5-pound, 2-ounce bass.

Wayne Kilgore of Attalla, Ala., earned $2,348 as the co-angler winner Saturday thanks to five bass weighing 14 pounds, 14 ounces that he caught while fishing a crankbait and spinnerbait at the lower end of the river.

Rounding out the top five co-anglers are James Swindle of Parrish, Ala. (five bass, 13-6, $1,174); Todd McAdams of Fayetteville, Tenn. (five bass, 12-6, $781); Corey Bradley of Chattanooga, Tenn. (five bass, 10-14, $548); and Travis McDermott of Kennesaw, Ga. (five bass, 10-9, $470).

Swindle earned $350 as the co-angler Big Bass winner after catching a 4-pound, 15-ounce bass.

The Bama Division’s next event will be a two-day Super Tournament held Sept. 15-16 on Guntersville Lake in Scottsboro, Ala.

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.