Freeman lassoes win in Cowboy Division tournament - Major League Fishing

Freeman lassoes win in Cowboy Division tournament

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Glen Freeman of Converse, La., topped 171 Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League competitors June 29 on Toledo Bend with five bass weighing 16 pounds, 15 ounces and earned a check for $4,459. Angler: Glen Freeman.
June 29, 2002 • MLF • Archives

MANY, La. – Glen Freeman of Converse, La., topped 171 Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League competitors Saturday on Toledo Bend with five bass weighing 16 pounds, 15 ounces. The catch earned him $4,459 and 200 points in the Boater Division.

Freeman caught his limit using a firetiger Bomber 9A and a crankbait. The catch topped second-place boater Stan Burgay of Timpson, Texas, by 15 ounces. Burgay finished the one-day tournament with a five-bass catch weighing 16 pounds worth $2,229.

Archie Hayley of Mount Vernon, Texas (five bass, 15 pounds, 1 ounce, $1,338); Jim Behnken of Garden Ridge, Texas (five bass, 13 pounds, 10 ounces, $1,070); and Lonnie Stanley of Huntingdon, Texas, (four bass, 13 pounds, 9 ounces, $981) rounded out the top five boaters.

Burgay earned boater big bass honors and $855 with a 6-pound, 2-ounce bass that he caught on a firetiger Bomber 9A in 10 to 12 feet of water. He also received a $500 bonus from Ranger Boats as the highest-finishing participant in the Ranger Cup incentive program.

Jim Beard of Pasadena, Texas, claimed first place and $2,229 on June 29 in the 171-competitor Co-angler Division at Toledo Bend with five bass weighing 15 pounds, 15 ounces.Jim Beard of Pasadena, Texas, claimed first place and $2,229 in the 171-competitor Co-angler Division with five bass weighing 15 pounds, 15 ounces. He surpassed second-place co-angler Bobby Barreraz of Center, Texas, by 5 pounds, 15 ounces thanks to a Carolina rig and a Stanley Jig. Barreraz finished with a five-bass catch weighing 10 pounds worth $1,115.

Doug Evans of Houston (three bass, 9 pounds, 8 ounces, $669); Jody Barker of Conroe, Texas (four bass, 8 pounds, 10 ounces, $535); and Steve Arnold of Groves, Texas, (three bass, 7 pounds, 14 ounces, $490) rounded out the top five co-anglers.

Co-angler David Koret of Houston earned big bass honors and $428 in his division with a 6-pound, 6-ounce bass. He finished 13th thanks to the one bass.

Overall, 19 five-bass limits were caught during the tournament.

The Wal-Mart BFL will visit Sam Rayburn reservoir for the division’s season finale, a two-day Super Tournament, Sept. 28-29. The boater with the most points after the Super Tournament 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 Cowboy Division boaters and co-anglers will advance to regional competition Oct. 22-26 on the Pearl River near Slidell, La., where they will go up against top competitors from the Arkie, Bama and Mississippi 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.

Sponsors of the 2002 Wal-Mart BFL are Wal-Mart, ALPO Pet Foods, BC Powder, BFGoodrich Tires, Castrol, Chevy Trucks, Coleman, Conseco, Energizer, EverStart Batteries, Evinrude, Faded Glory, Frito-Lay, FujiFilm, GARMIN, Kellogg’s, Land O’Lakes, Minn Kota, Newell Rubbermaid, Pepsi, Poulan, Ranger Boats, Shop-Vac, Snickers, Stanley Works, Stren, US Bank, Weed Eater and Yamaha Outboards. Associate sponsors are Abu Garcia, Berkley, Eagle Claw, Hover-Lure, Laker, Maxwell House, Plano and Solar Bat.