Deakins wins BFL Choo Choo Division event on Lake Guntersville

Cochran wins co-angler title

GUNTERSVILLE, Ala. – Marshall Deakins of Dunlap, Tenn., weighed a five-bass limit totaling 32 pounds, 3 ounces Saturday to win the Walmart Bass Fishing League Choo Choo Division event on Lake Guntersville. For his victory, Deakins earned $5,796.

“That’s about the second coldest day I have ever fished,” said Deakins. “It was a very rough day. The wind was around 30 miles per hour, and the temperature was below freezing. My rod was frozen all day long. Despite the weather, the fishing was pretty good for me.

“I caught them all day, but I never did catch a really big one,” Deakins continued. “I had been catching some big ones in practice, but the wind really kept me from going to those places. I was throwing the Alabama rig rigged with swimbaits, along with 80 percent of the guys down here. Everyone I saw was throwing it. We were fishing around 5 to 6 feet of water, and I caught around 25 fish for the entire day.”

Rounding out the top 10 pros:

2nd: Byron Luman, Huntsville, Ala., five bass, 25-10, $2,416

2nd: Mark McCaig, Oxford, Ala., five bass, 25-10, $2,416

4th: Dennis Barnes, Boaz, Ala., five bass, 25-06, $1,352

5th: Thomas Helton, Charleston, Tenn., five bass, 24-08, $1,159

6th: Jason Grape, Attalla, Ala., five bass, 24-06, $1,063

7th: Gil Summerlin, Guntersville, Ala., five bass, 24-04, $966

8th: Keith Buterbaugh, Douglasville, Ga., five bass, 23-05, $869

9th: Rick Cotten, Guntersville, Ala., five bass, 22-09, $773

10th: Paul Tidwell, Horton, Ala., five bass, 22-07, $676

For a complete list of results, click here.

Cochran wins co-angler title

John Cochran of Bryson City, N.C., weighed a five-bass limit totaling 25 pounds, 14 ounces Saturday to win $2,898 in the co-angler division.

Rounding out the top 10 co-anglers were:

2nd: Trent Wright, Scottsboro, Ala., five bass, 20-06, $1,449

3rd: John Hayes, Haleyville, Ala., five bass, 20-04, $967

4th: Brett Ashley, Oliver Springs, Tenn., five bass, 19-07, $676

5th: Kerry Coppock, Ohatchee, Ala., five bass, 19-02, $580

6th: James Baur, Erlanger, Ky., five bass, 18-13, $531

7th: Burr McConnell, Henagar, Ala., five bass, 18-05, $483

8th: Chris Patterson, Kimberly, Ala., five bass, 18-02, $435

9th: Paul Kennemur, Trussville, Ala., four bass, 17-15, $386

10th: David Tillman, Rainbow City, Ala., five bass, 16-14, $338

The next BFL Choo Choo Division tournament is scheduled for March 3 on Lake Guntersville in Scottsboro, Ala. After the fifth Choo Choo Division tournament is complete, the top 40 boaters and 40 co-anglers based on point standings will qualify for the Oct. 4 – 6 Regional Championship on Lake Seminole in Bainbridge, Ga. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518 with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard and a Chevy Silverado, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518 with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard.

The BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 120 tournaments throughout the season, five in each division. The top 40 boaters and co-anglers from each division qualify for a regional tournament and compete to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the Walmart BFL All-American presented by Chevy. The 2012 BFL All-American is being held May 17 – 19 on the Potomac River in National Harbor, Md. Top winners in the BFL can move up to the EverStart Series or even the Walmart FLW Tour.

About FLW

FLW is the industry’s premier tournament-fishing organization, providing unparalleled fishing resources and entertainment to our sponsors, fans and host communities. FLW is offering anglers of all skill levels the opportunity to compete for millions in prize money nationwide in 2012 over the course of 191 tournaments across five tournament circuits, each providing an avenue to the sport’s richest payday and most coveted championship trophy – the Forrest Wood Cup. FLW is committed to providing a lifestyle experience that is the “Best in Fishing, On and Off the Water,” through a variety of platforms including tournaments, outdoor expos and the world’s richest fantasy sports game – FLW Fantasy Fishing. For more information about FLW and FLW Fantasy Fishing, visit FLWOutdoors.com or FantasyFishing.com and look for FLW on Twitter and Facebook.