Hammack wins Cowboy Division event on Sam Rayburn

JASPER, Texas – Charles Hammack of New Caney earned $4,232 Saturday as winner of the third regular-season Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League Cowboy Division event, held on Sam Rayburn near Jasper. He caught five bass weighing 21 pounds, 3 ounces to claim the win and 200 points in the Boater Division.

He caught his tournament-winning bass on a watermelon-colored Senko. He also earned $795 as the Boater Division big-bass award winner with an 8-pound bass he caught on the south end of the lake.

Rounding out the top five boaters are Stephen Johnston of Hemphill (five bass, 20 pounds, 10 ounces, $2,116); Scott David of Goodrich (five bass, 19 pounds, 3 ounces, $1,439); Stephen Francis of Brookeland (five bass, 18 pounds, 7 ounces, $1,100); and Greg Fleming of Big Sandy (five bass, 18 pounds, $931).

Johnston earned a $500 bonus from Ranger Boats as the highest-finishing participant in the Ranger Cup incentive program.

Ryan Pinkston of Center claimed $2,076 as winner of the Co-angler Division with a five-bass catch weighing 17 pounds, 5 ounces that he caught flipping a Senko in the bushes.

Finishing second was Vaughan Phillips of Spring with five bass that weighed 14 pounds, 13 ounces worth $1,038. Tied for third were Doug Killough of Kountze (four bass) and Bret Myers of Keller (five bass). Both anglers caught 14 pounds, 3 ounces of bass that earned each of them $623. Finishing fifth was Charles Hogg of Bossier City, La., with five bass weighing 13 pounds, 6 ounces that earned him $457.

Cory Gordon of Lumberton and Glenn Reding of Weatherford tied for co-angler big-bass honors. Each caught a 6-pound, 6-ounce bass that earned them $195.

The Cowboy Division’s next stop will be May 8 on Toledo Bend in Hemphill, and the regular season will come to a close Sept. 25-26 with a two-day Super Tournament on Sam Rayburn in Jasper.

Following the regular season, the top 30 boaters and 30 co-anglers based on year-end points standings will advance to the Columbus Pool regional near Columbus, Miss., Oct. 19-23, where they will compete against anglers from the Illini, Music City and Seminole divisions for one of six slots in the 2005 All-American. With a $100,000 cash prize going to the winning boater and $50,000 to the winning co-angler, the All-American is one of the most prestigious and lucrative events in competitive 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 Cowboy 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.