Herlong wins BFL Regional on Clarks Hill Lake

Crosnoe tops co-anglers

APPLING, Ga. – Boater Eddie Herlong Sr. of Prosperity, S.C., earned a fully rigged Ranger 198VX and a new Chevy truck Saturday as the winner of the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League Regional Championship on Clarks Hill Lake in Appling, Ga. The top 40 boaters and the top 40 co-anglers from the Choo Choo, Gator, South Carolina and Ozark divisions competed in the three-day event.

Herlong’s winning three-day catch of 14 bass weighed 30 pounds, 7 ounces. In addition to the new truck and boat, Herlong earned a ticket to the 2008 $1 million Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League All-American presented by Chevy on the Connecticut River in Hartford, Conn., May 29-31. With a top boater award of $140,000 and a top co-angler award of $70,000, the All-American is one of the most prestigious tournaments in bass fishing. The winning boater and co-angler at the All-American will also advance to the $2 million 2008 Forrest Wood Cup on Lake Murray in Columbia, S.C., Aug. 14-17, where pros will fish for a top award of $1 million – the sport’s biggest payday.

Herlong caught his winning bass by throwing a lizard near shallow wood.

The top six boaters and the top six co-anglers at the regional championship earned a spot to compete in the All-American. Rounding out the top six boaters were John Bitter of Maitland, Fla. (13 bass, 28-9, $4,000); Lee Pitts of Gaylesville, Ala (13 bass, 28-9, $2,000); Greg Rikard of Leesville, S.C. (15 bass, 28-8, $1,600); Keith Buterbaugh of Douglasville, Ga. (13 bass, 28-0, $1,200); and Jim Street of Roan Mountain, Tenn. (14 bass, 27-13, $1,000).

Robert Crosnoe of Inverness, Fla., earned a new Ranger boat as the co-angler winner, thanks to a three-day total of 13 bass weighing 18 pounds, 2 ounces that he caught on a Carolina rig near Little River.

Rounding out the top six co-anglers were Dean Talbert of Albemarle, N.C. (12 bass, 17-11, $2,000); Tommy Lindler of Lexington, S.C. (11 bass, 17-9, $1,000); Allan Williams of Moncks Corner, S.C. (nine bass, 17-0, $800); Gary Saxarra of Eustis, Fla. (nine bass, 16-1, $600); and Jackie Barber of Cocoa, Fla. (eight bass, 15-14, $500).

As the nation’s leading provider of affordable, close-to-home weekend tournaments, the BFL is widely credited with opening competitive bass fishing to the masses. It also serves as a steppingstone for anglers who wish to advance to the Stren Series and ultimately the Wal-Mart FLW Series and Wal-Mart FLW Tour – bass fishing’s most lucrative tournament circuits.

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 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 tournament programs, browse FLWOutdoors.com or call (270) 252-1000.