Davis wins season opener on Guntersville Lake

GUNTERSVILLE, Ala. – The 2004 Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League Bama Division season kicked off Saturday on Guntersville Lake near Guntersville, and Richard Davis of Collinsville, Ill., claimed the win thanks to a five-bass catch weighing 23 pounds, 13 ounces. He bested 200 Boater Division competitors to earn $5,000 and 200 points.

Davis caught his tournament-winning bass using a Rogue and a Husky Jerk in 6 feet of water. He had been vacationing in Guntersville and decided to fish the tournament. He is a frequent competitor in the BFL Illini Division. He also earned another $1,000 from Ranger Boats as the highest-finishing participant in the Ranger Cup incentive program.

Rounding out the top five boaters are Russell Lane of Prattville (five bass, 23 pounds, 6 ounces, $2,500); Tim Gore of Albertville (five bass, 21 pounds, 13 ounces, $1,700); Terry Tucker of Gadsden (five bass, 21 pounds, 6 ounces, $1,300); and Robert Hargiss of Section (five bass, 20 pounds, 13 ounces, $1,100).

George Crain of Pell City claimed Boater Division big-bass honors and $1,000 thanks to an 8-pound, 5-ounce bass that he caught on a Rat-L-Trap.

Gerald Thompson of Bridgeport earned $2,500 as the Co-angler Division winner thanks to a five-bass catch that weighed 18 pounds, 7 ounces. He edged past 200 Co-angler Division competitors thanks to a Rat-L-Trap and a Baby 1-Minus in 8 feet of water.

Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Buck Lance of Fyffe (five bass, 16 pounds, 15 ounces, $1,250); Jamie Amerson of Pine Mountain, Ga. (five bass, 15 pounds, 11 ounces, $850); Danny Moss of Glencoe (five bass, 14 pounds, 8 ounces, $650); and Ricky Wisdom of Florence (four bass, 12 pounds, 3 ounces, $550).

Jeff Mason of Falkville earned $500 as the Co-angler Division big-bass winner with a 9-pound, 9-ounce bass.

The Bama Division’s next stop will be May 8 on Lay Lake in Clanton. Each BFL division features four one-day events followed by a two-day Super Tournament to round out the regular season. The top 30 Bama Division boaters and co-anglers based on year-end points standings will advance to the Lake Seminole regional near Bainbridge, Ga., Oct. 5-9, where they will compete against Gator, Mississippi and Piedmont division anglers for a slot in the 2005 All-American. The winning boater at the All-American receives $100,000 cash, making it one of the most lucrative and prestigious championship events in bass fishing.

Every angler who receives weight credit in a tournament earns points, with 200 points going to the winner, 199 for second, 198 for third, and so on except for Super Tournaments, which award 300 points to the winner, 299 for second, 298 for third, and so on. These points determine angler standings. The Bama Division boater who amasses the most points at the end of the regular season will earn $1,000 as the Yamaha “Be the Best” points leader, and the co-angler earning the most points will earn $500 as the Yamaha “Be the Best” points leader in the Co-angler Division.

The $6.3 million Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League features 24 divisions nationwide. In BFL competition, boaters and co-anglers are randomly paired, with boaters supplying the boat and fishing against other boaters and co-anglers fishing from the back deck against other co-anglers. 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 visit FLWOutdoors.com’s sponsor page.