Davis wins Wal-Mart BFL Mountain Division tournament

BYRDSTOWN, Tenn. – Tim Davis of Mascot, Tenn., topped 147 Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League competitors Saturday on Dale Hollow Lake with five bass weighing 14 pounds, 5 ounces. The catch earned him $3,966 and 200 points in the Boater Division.

Davis caught his limit fishing spinner baits, jigs and Rat-L-Traps in shallow water. The catch topped second-place boater David Oliver of East Bernstadt, Ky., by 4 pounds. Oliver finished the one-day tournament with a five-bass catch weighing 10 pounds, 5 ounces worth $1,983. He also earned a $500 bonus from Ranger Boats as the highest-finishing participant in the Ranger Cup incentive program.

Tim Smiley of White Pine, Tenn. (five bass, 10 pounds, 2 ounces, $1,190); Rex Huff of Corbin, Ky. (three bass, 9 pounds, 7 ounces, $912); and Kevin Powers of Unicoi, Tenn., (five bass, 9 pounds, 7 ounces, $912) rounded out the top five boaters.

Bryan Copeland of Byrdstown, Tenn., earned boater big bass honors and $735 with a 4-pound, 11-ounce bass that he caught on a ¾-ounce spinner bait. He finished in 11th place overall with two bass weighing 7 pounds, 14 ounces.

Chris Cummins of Lexington, Ky., claimed first place and $1,983 in the 147-competitor Co-angler Division with three bass weighing 9 pounds, 15 ounces. He surpassed second-place co-angler Andy Holstein of Cincinnati, Ohio, by 1 pound, 12 ounces thanks to a ¾-ounce Strike King spinner bait he was casting to bushes in 2 to 3 feet of water. Holstein finished with a five-bass catch weighing 8 pounds, 3 ounces worth $991.

Corey Long of Oneida, Tenn. (four bass, 7 pounds, 14 ounces, $595); Derrick Snavely of Johnson City, Tenn. (four bass, 6 pounds, 9 ounces, $476); and Rodney Alcorn of Berea, Ky., (two bass, 5 pounds, 15 ounces, $436) rounded out the top five co-anglers.

Co-angler Matt Linton of Lebanon, Ohio, earned big bass honors and $367 in his division with a 5-pound, 13-ounce bass. He finished seventh overall thanks to the one bass.

Overall, 10 five-bass limits were caught during the tournament.

The Wal-Mart BFL will visit Lake Cumberland for the third of five Mountain Division events. The boater with the most points after the division’s season finale, a two-day Super Tournament Sept. 14-15 on Cherokee Lake, will be declared the Yamaha “Be the Best” Points Leader and awarded $1,000. The co-angler amassing the most points by the end of the season will receive $500.

The top 30 Mountain Division boaters and co-anglers will advance to regional competition Oct. 15-19 on Kerr Lake near Henderson, N.C., where they will go up against top competitors from the Buckeye, Northeast and Savannah River divisions for a shot at qualifying for the Wal-Mart BFL All-American – one of the most lucrative post-season tournaments in competitive angling.

2002 BFL awards could reach $7 million based on full fields.