Tucker wins Bulldog Division event on Lake Oconee

BUCKHEAD, Ga. – Butch Tucker of Moultrie earned $4,378 Saturday as winner of the third regular-season Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League Bulldog Division event, held on Lake Oconee near Buckhead. He caught five bass weighing 12 pounds, 2 ounces to claim the win and 200 points in the Boater Division.

Tucker caught his bass midlake on watermelon and gold Carolina-rigged worms, primarily Zoom Trick Worms and Zoom Finesse Worms. He earned a $1,000 bonus from Ranger Boats as the highest-finishing participant in the Ranger Cup incentive program, and because his boat is powered by a Yamaha outboard, he earned another $500 from Yamaha. He also earned $1,000 from Garmin for using only Garmin electronics during the event.

Rounding out the top five boaters are Jeremy York of Loganville (five bass, 10 pounds, 1 ounce, $2,189); Scott Hayes of Newnan (three bass, 9 pounds, 13 ounces, $1,489); Greg Barwick of East Dublin (five bass, 9 pounds, 10 ounces, $1,138); and Danny Hall of Ellijay (five bass, 8 pounds, 9 ounces, $963).

Paul Anthony of Dawson earned $840 as the Boater Division big-bass winner thanks to a 5-pound, 12-ounce bass he caught on a Shad Rap.

Ronald Burdekin of Fayetteville claimed $2,185 as winner of the Co-angler Division with a five-bass catch weighing 9 pounds, 3 ounces that he caught on 5-inch green pumpkin Zoom lizard.

Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Hank Geylin of Columbus (three bass, 8 pounds, 11 ounces, $1,092); Vincent Martin of Woodstock (two bass, 8 pounds, 10 ounces, $743); Richard Martin of Marietta (four bass, 7 pounds, 11 ounces, $568); and Mark Winfield of Montgomery, Ala. (three bass, 7 pounds, 8 ounces, $481).

Vincent Martin took co-angler big-bass honors and $415 with a 6-pound, 6-ounce bass he caught on a chartreuse and white spinnerbait.

The Bulldog Division’s next stop will be June 26 on West Point Lake in Lanett, Ala., and the regular season will come to a close Oct. 2-3 with a two-day Super Tournament on Lake Eufaula in Eufaula, Ala.

Following the regular season, the top 30 boaters and 30 co-anglers based on year-end points standings will advance to the Wheeler Lake regional near Rogersville, Ala., Oct. 19-23, where they will compete against anglers from the LBL, Mountain and Shenandoah 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 Bulldog 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.