McCaig wins BFL event on Lay Lake

CLANTON, Ala. – Boater Mark McCaig of Oxford earned $4,759 Saturday as winner of the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League Bama Division event on Lay Lake. The tournament was the second of five regular-season Bama Division events and featured 186 boaters vying for the win, which earned McCaig 200 points in the Boater Division.

McCaig’s winning catch of five bass weighed 14 pounds, 3 ounces, and he caught them flipping a 1/2-ounce brown jig in the grass in 5 to 6 feet of water. He also used a Spook on a gravel bar in 3 feet of water. As the highest-finishing participant in the Ranger Cup incentive program, McCaig also earned a $1,000 bonus from Ranger, and because his boat is powered by a Yamaha outboard, he earned another $500 bonus from Yamaha.

Finishing second was Michael Hayslette of Andalusia with five bass weighing 13 pounds, 7 ounces that earned him $2,380. Mark Henley of Thomasville, Ga., claimed $1,618 as the third-place finisher thanks to five bass weighing 12 pounds, 3 ounces. In fourth was Mike Keel of Auburn with five bass weighing 11 pounds, 14 ounces worth $1,237, and finishing fifth and earning $1,047 was Boyd Duckett of Demopolis with five bass weighing 10 pounds, 6 ounces.

Tullis Lanier of Rockford took Boater Division big-bass award honors, earning $930 for a 5-pound, 12-ounce bass. He caught his big bass on a 3/8-ounce black and blue jig.

Michael Sumrall of McCalla bested 186 Co-angler Division competitors to earn $2,380 as the co-angler winner, thanks to five bass weighing 12 pounds, 5 ounces that he caught on a 3/8-ounce black jig in grass in 12 feet of water.

Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Dennis Gaddy of Hogansville, Ga. (four bass, 7 pounds, 13 ounces, $1,190); Bill Champion of Demopolis (four bass, 7 pounds, 11 ounces, $809); Brandon Scott of Deatsville (three bass, 7 pounds, 7 ounces, $619); and Kevin Smith of Marietta, Ga. (five bass, 7 pounds, 5 ounces, $524).

Scott earned $465 as the co-angler big-bass award winner with a 3-pound, 11-ounce bass he caught on a 3/8-ounce chartreuse and white spinnerbait.

The Bama Division’s next event will be held June 19 on the Alabama River near Prattville, followed by an event on Lake Eufaula in Eufaula July 17. The Bama Division will wrap up its regular season Sept. 25-26 with a two-day Super Tournament on Lake Martin near Alexander City.

Following the regular season, the Bama Division boater with the most points will earn $1,000 as the Yamaha “Be the Best” points leader. The co-angler amassing the most points will earn $500 as the Yamaha “Be the Best” points leader in the Co-angler Division.

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. 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 one of six slots in the 2005 All-American. With a $100,000 cash prize going to the winning boater and $50,000 going to the winning co-angler, the All-American is one of the most prestigious and lucrative events in bass fishing.

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.