Hollowell wins Chevy Trucks Wild Card on Kentucky Lake

Boater Todd Hollowell of Fisher, Ind., earned a chance to win $140,000 in the 2006 All-American for taking top honors in Oct. 28-29 BFL Chevy Wild Card event on Kentucky Lake. Angler: Todd Hollowell.

October 29, 2005 • MLF • Archives

GILBERTSVILLE, Ky. – Boater Todd Hollowell of Fisher, Ind., earned a chance to win $140,000 in the 2006 Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League All-American for taking top honors in this weekend’s BFL Chevy Wild Card event on Kentucky Lake. Hollowell’s two-day catch of 10 bass weighed 25 pounds, 15 ounces.

All anglers who competed the entire season in one of 28 BFL divisions but did not qualify for a postseason regional championship were eligible to fish the Chevy Wild Card and possibly gain a berth into the 2006 All-American. Hollowell qualified for the Chevy Wild Card by fishing all five events in the LBL Division.

Hollowell threw a 3/8-ounce Stanley willow-leaf blade spinnerbait over shallow flats in the backs of creeks. He earned $5,754 for the win. This makes the second time Hollowell has qualified for the All-American, having also qualified in 2003 as a co-angler.

The top six boaters and the top six co-anglers fishing the event also earned a berth into the All-American. Rounding out the top six boaters were Ray Barga of Gilbertsville (six bass, 22 pounds, 5 ounces, $2,877); Bill Miesse of Germantown, Tenn. (nine bass, 20 pounds, 5 ounces, $2,176); Michael McAtee of Waverly (five bass, 18 pounds, 8 ounces, $1,535); Reed Sartin of Austin, Texas (eight bass, 17 pounds, 8 ounces, $1,215); and Robert Behrens Jr. of Dyersburg, Tenn. (seven bass, 14 pounds, 11 ounces, $1,087).

Barga earned $500 as the highest-finishing participant in the Ranger Cup incentive program.

Jerry Jones of Dyersburg, Tenn., earned a berth into the All-American as the co-angler winner, where he will have a shot at $70,000, the largest co-angler prize in competitive bass fishing. Jones earned $3,150 for his win, thanks to six bass weighing 12 pounds, 1 ounce. Jones also qualified through the LBL Division.

Rounding out the top six co-anglers were Greg Gilley of Boaz, Ala. (four bass, 11 pounds, 10 ounces, $1,575); John McNeil of Pine Bluff, Ark. (four bass, 11 pounds, 6 ounces, $1,190); Jerry Lineberger of Lincolnton, N.C. (four bass, 10 pounds, 15 ounces, $840); Gary Stamper of Grayson (three bass, 10 pounds, 2 ounces, $665); and Tom Messer of Douglasville, Ga. (six bass, 10 pounds, 1 ounce, $595).

The $8.4 million Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League features 28 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 FLWOutdoors.com.

Named after the legendary founder of Ranger Boats, Forrest L. Wood, FLW Outdoors administers the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League and nine other national tournament circuits including the Wal-Mart FLW Tour, Wal-Mart FLW Series, Stren Series, Wal-Mart Texas Tournament Trail, Wal-Mart FLW Walleye Tour, Wal-Mart FLW Walleye League, Wal-Mart FLW Kingfish Tour, Wal-Mart FLW Kingfish Series and Wal-Mart FLW Redfish Series. These circuits offer combined purses exceeding $35 million through 235 events in 2006.

Wal-Mart and many of America’s largest and most respected companies support FLW Outdoors and its tournament trails. Wal-Mart signed on as title sponsor of the FLW Tour in 1997 and today is the title sponsor of all FLW Outdoors events. For more information on Wal-Mart, visit Wal-Mart.com.