Parrot wins Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League event on Lake Eufaula

EUFAULA, Ala. – Boater Mike Parrot of Alexander City, Ala., earned $5,366 Saturday as winner of the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League Dixie Division event on Lake Eufaula. The tournament was the third of five regular-season Dixie Division events and featured 168 boaters vying for the win, which earned Parrot 200 points in the Boater Division.

Parrot’s winning catch of five bass weighed 16 pounds, 1 ounce. He was throwing a jig deep around the north end of the lake.

Rounding out the top-five boaters in the standings are David Lowery (second) of Columbus, Ga. (five bass, 14 pounds, 4 ounces, $2,668); Scott Cantebury (third) of Odenville, Ala. (five bass, 14 pounds, 1 ounce, $1,780); Larry Bozeman (fourth) of Wetumpka, Ala. (five bass, 12 pounds, 15 ounces, $1,245); and Michael Bailey (fifth) of Lagrange, Ga., tied with Scap Cicero (fifth) of Wetumpka, Ala. (five bass, 12 pounds, 14 ounces, $978) and Tom Jannett (fifth) of Birmingham, Ala. (three bass, 12 pounds, 14 ounces, $978).

Terry Coursey of Palemetto, Ga., took Boater Division big-bass award honors, earning $840 for a 5-pound, 14-ounce bass.

Joel Bowden of Sylacauga, Ala., bested 168 Co-angler Division competitors to earn $2,668 as the co-angler winner, thanks to three bass weighing 10 pounds, 1 ounce that he caught while throwing a Zoom Horny Toad over grass beds.

Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Greg Sessions of Pace, Fla. (four bass, 9 pounds, 7 ounces, $1,334); Matt Daniel of Roanoke, Ala. (three bass, 9 pounds, 1 ounce, $888); Mike Chirico of Brundidge, Ala. (three bass, 8 pounds, 3 ounces, $623) and Lou Cobb of Cantonment, Fla. (four bass, 7 pounds, 10 ounces, $534).

Bowden also earned $420 for reeling in the co-angler big bass with a fish weighing 5 pounds, 13 ounces.

The Dixie Division’s next event will be held May 20 on West Point Lake near West Point, Ala., followed by an event on Logan Martin near Pell City, Ala., Sept. 16-17 for the divisions two-day Super Tournament.

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 Championship 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.