Fuller wins Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League event on Lake Martin

Boater Greg Fuller of Alexander City, Ala., earned $6,000 Feb. 4 as winner of the BFL Dixie Division event on Lake Martin. Angler: Greg Fuller.

February 4, 2006 • MLF • Archives

ALEXANDER CITY, Ala. – Boater Greg Fuller of Alexander City, Ala., earned $6,000 Saturday as winner of the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League Dixie Division event on Lake Martin. The tournament was the first of five regular-season Dixie Division events and featured a full field of 200 boaters vying for the win, which earned Fuller 200 points in the Boater Division.

Fuller’s winning catch of five bass weighed 17 pounds, 1 ounce. Fuller began his day throwing a Carolina rig, on which he caught a limit. Later, he switched to a crankbait and fished in shallow water, where he culled his entire limit, and added a 6-pound, 15-ounce kicker.

Rounding out the top five boaters are Derek Yasinski of Senoia, Ga. (five bass, 13 pounds, 2 ounces, $3,000); Michael Laster of Newnan, Ga. (five bass, 13 pounds $2,000); Don Oswalt of Mc Calla, Ala. (five bass, 12 pounds, $1,400) and Cason McLaughlin of Leeds, Ala. (five bass, 11 pounds, 14 ounces, $1,200).

McLaughlin took Boater Division big-bass award honors, earning $1,000 for a 7-pound, 10-ounce bass.

Dallas Weldon of Tallassee, Ala., earned $500 as winner of the Ranger Cup contingency award.

Chris Patterson of Gardendale, Ala., bested 200 Co-angler Division competitors to earn $3,000 as the co-angler winner, thanks to five bass weighing 11 pounds, 8 ounces that he caught on a finesse worm and Shaky Head jig.

Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Wayne Bigbee of Munford, Ala. (five bass, 11 pounds, 3 ounces, $1,500); Brian Roszell of Anniston, Ala. (five bass, 10 pounds, 5 ounces, $1,000); Bruce Frazier of Newnan, Ga. (four bass, 8 pounds, 12 ounces, $700); and Chris Gregory of Hueytown, Ala. (five bass, 8 pounds, 11 ounces, $600).

Mike Dodson of Northport, Ala., earned $500 as the co-angler big-bass award winner with a 4-pound, 8-ounce bass.

The Dixie Division’s next event will be held March 18 on Lay Lake near Clanton, Ala., followed by an event on Lake Eufaula near Eufaula, Ala., April 22. The next event will be held May 20 on West Point Lake near Lanett, Ala., and the Dixie Division will wrap up its regular season Sept. 16-17 with a two-day Super Tournament on Logan Martin Lake near Pell City, Ala.

Following the regular season, the Dixie Division boater with the most points who advances farthest in the Wal-Mart BFL All-American will earn $10,000 as the Yamaha “Be the Best” points champion. The co-angler points champion who advances farthest will earn $5,000 as the Yamaha “Be the Best” points champion 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 40 Dixie Division boaters and co-anglers based on year-end points standings will advance to the Lake Chickamauga Regional near Hixson, Tenn., Oct. 12-14 where they will compete against Bulldog, LBL and Music City Division anglers for one of six slots in the 2007 All-American. With a total purse of $1 million and a potential $140,000 cash prize going to the winning boater and $70,000 going to the winning co-angler, the All-American is one of the most prestigious and lucrative events in bass fishing.

The $8.8 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, as well as the Wal-Mart FLW Tour, Wal-Mart FLW Series, Stren Series, Wal-Mart Texas Tournament Trail, Stratos Owners’ 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 $36.9 million through 241 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.