American made
2003 BFL All-American standouts highlighted
Its mere existence intimidates – so voluminous, so foreign and so storied.
The Mobile-Tensaw Delta on Alabama’s southeast corner is where it happens – where BFL Regional conquerors will contend for the top boater award of $100,000 cash and $50,000 cash in the Co-angler Division. Forty-five challengers go head-to-head, six from six regionals, three from another and another six Wild Card qualifiers. Out of the 45 contenders, eight immediately stood out. Here are their stories:
Gene Brown
Gene Brown’s track record is short. He’s only been casting for cash in the BFL since 2002. But in that brief space, Brown, a West Point, Miss., dweller, won the Pearl River Regional and finished third overall in the Mississippi Division points standings. Those are pretty stellar stats for a rookie.
He intends to do more than just show up in Mobile. “I’ll get down there to pre-fish as much as I can,” said Brown, who by day is a structural steel estimator. “Driving distance is my advantage. Mobile isn’t that far away.”
The nearness of Mobile to Brown’s stomping grounds might also be useful in the strategic department. “A lot of the tactics will probably be the same,” he said. “But if not, I can usually figure things out pretty quickly.”
Curtis Samo
If being a high-flying greenhorn is Brown’s claim to fame, then permanence is Curtis Samo’s chief attribute. Samo, of Creston, Ill., has fished in 55 events since 1996 and shattered the top 10 17 times along the way.
Samo has competed in four All-Americans and was a serious threat on three occasions. He snatched a fourth in 1997, took third in 1998 and seventh in 1999. Samo also fared well in the BFL’s Great Lakes Division, having three times been one of the top 10 points earners.
Tony Christian
The Savannah River divisional points title fits Hull, Ga.’s Tony Christian rather well. From 2000 to 2002, he battled in the middle of the pack in the Bulldog Division. In 2002, however, he crossed over to the Savannah River Division and now sits on top of the world.
Christian has amassed eight top-10 finishes and five wins in only 16 total events. In fact, the five victories, including the Lake Gaston Regional, all occurred in 2002.
Billy Bowen Jr.
The $100,000 milestone is within reach for veteran basser Billy Bowen Jr. Bowen, a resident of Ocala, Fla., has fished the BFL since 1987.
It’s apparent that Bowen – who now fishes full time – has plenty left in the tank, too. He tallied the most points in the Gator Division and went on to grab third place at the 2002 Lake Seminole Regional. He, in fact, has ranked among the top 10 Gator Division points earners in six of the last seven years.
“I’ll take as much time as I can to pre-fish,” Bowen said. “I’ll focus on the banks and points and look for wood, too.”
Bowen, who specializes in flipping and pitching, and he fully expects to exercise those talents at the All-American. “I’ll probably flip with a Gambler crawdad or pitch a Florida Rig,” he said.
David Young
Here’s another seasoned basser on the verge of $100,000 in lifetime earnings. David Young, a plumber by trade, has fished the BFL since 1996 and finished in the top 10 an impressive 18 times.
Young, a Mayfield, Ky., resident, led the LBL Division in points and nabbed runner-up status at the 2002 Wheeler Lake Regional. He seems to be peaking at the right time.
Young credits an “overall knowledge of fishing” to his tournament success. “I’ve had 30 years of experience on the water,” he said. “That builds confidence. I don’t worry much, either. You can have a terrible time (pre-fishing) and still win a tournament.”
Jimmy Davis
There are Davises in Willard, Mo., lots of them, including some who fish the BFL and EverStart Series. And one Davis in particular, Jimmy Davis Jr., beat out another Davis, Jackie Davis, to win the 2002 Lake Hamilton Regional. (Both will be competing in the All-American.)
Davis, the Jimmy Jr. one, has finished in the top 10 four times in his BFL career, and all four top-10 performances came in 2002. Before winning the regional, he claimed the No. 1 spot in the 2002 Ozark Division points race.
Davis, an auctioneer, is all words at the microphone but nothing but action in the boat, and he intends to translate those fishing talents to the waters of Mobile. “I’ll try to match a pattern to what I do on my home lakes,” Davis said. “Jigs and worms are my strongest baits, so I’ll see what I can do with those.”
Bobby Horn
There’s a champion in the desert, and his name is Bobby Horn. As a resident of Lake Havasu City, Ariz., Horn was undoubtedly a favorite at the regional there. Locals always have a perceived edge but, ironically, don’t usually win. Horn bucked the mean, though, and trumped the field.
Over the years, he’s performed quite well at the divisional level, too. In 2000, Horn earned the most points in the Colorado River Division and landed in 10th position in 2002.
Kenneth Stone
Once you’re in the All-American, it really doesn’t matter how you got there. At least that’s how the six Chevy Trucks Wild Card contestants likely see things. They’re in, and that’s what counts.
Kenneth Stone of Silver Creek, Ga., is a poster child for Wild Card berths. This is his second in as many years. In both Wild Card clashes he finished in second chair.
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