BFL Gulf Coast Division tournament won by Speights

Randy Speights of Saraland, Ala., topped 71 BFL competitors on the Tensaw River with five bass weighing 14 pounds, 6 ounces. Angler: Randy Speights.

February 8, 2003 • MLF • Archives

STOCKTON, Ala. – Randy Speights of Saraland, Ala., topped 71 Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League competitors Saturday on the Tensaw River with five bass weighing 14 pounds, 6 ounces. The catch earned him $2,482 and 200 points in the Boater Division.

Speights caught his limit flipping a black and blue jig in isolated laydowns. The catch topped second-place boater David Henson of Jackson, Ala., by 3 pounds, 7 ounces. Henson finished the one-day tournament with a four-bass catch weighing 10 pounds, 15 ounces worth $1,241. Speights also received a $1,000 bonus from Ranger Boats as the highest-finishing participant in the Ranger Cup incentive program and another $1,000 from Garmin for using a fixed-mount Garmin Fishfinder or combination GPS/sounder.

Barry McClain of Mobile, Ala. (three bass, 10 pounds, 13 ounces, $844); Bob Perry of Ocean Springs, Miss. (five bass, 10 pounds, 3 ounces, $645); and Jesse Draime of Long Beach, Miss., (five bass, 9 pounds, 6 ounces, $546) rounded out the top five boaters.

McClain earned boater big-bass honors and $355 with a 5-pound, 4-ounce bass that he caught on a crankbait.

Steven Duty of Collins, Miss., and Charles Webb Sr. of Ocean Springs, Miss., tied for first place in the 70-competitor Co-angler Division. Duty caught five bass weighing 7 pounds, 5 ounces, and Webb caught four bass weighing 7 pounds, 5 ounces. Each earned $917 for the catch.

Johnathan Moran of Lakeshore, Miss. (five bass, 6 pounds, 1 ounce, $416); Morgan Brown of Mobile, Ala. (three bass, 5 pounds, 13 ounces, $318); and Carl Hooper of Satsuma, Ala., (two bass, 5 pounds, 2 ounces, $269) rounded out the top five co-anglers.

Co-angler Steve Meadows of Milton, Fla., earned big-bass honors and $175 in his division with a 3-pound, 4-ounce bass. He finished ninth thanks to the one bass.

The Wal-Mart BFL will visit the Pearl River March 1 for the second of five Gulf Coast Division events. The boater with the most points after the division’s season finale, a two-day Super Tournament Oct. 4-5 on the Mobile Delta, 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 Gulf Coast Division boaters and co-anglers will advance to regional competition Oct. 21-25 on the Red River near Natchitoches, La., where they will go up against top competitors from the Arkie, Bama and Cowboy divisions for a shot at qualifying for the Wal-Mart BFL All-American – one of the most lucrative postseason tournaments in competitive angling.

As much as $6 million will be awarded in the 2003 Wal-Mart BFL.

For more information or to enter a tournament, call (270) 252-1000 or browse this Web site.

Wal-Mart and many of America’s most respected companies support FLW Outdoors and its six tournament trails. Wal-Mart has been the title sponsor of FLW Outdoors since 1997. For a complete list of FLW Outdoors sponsors and for more information about the premier products and services they offer, please browse this Web site.