Dufour picks up BFL win on Bayou Black

GIBSON, La. – Boater Chuck Dufour of Gonzales, La., earned $3,756 Saturday as winner of the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League Louisiana Division event on Bayou Black. The tournament was the third of five regular-season Louisiana Division events, which earned Dufour 200 points in the Boater Division.

Dufour’s winning catch of five bass weighed 13 pounds, 14 ounces. He was flipping soft-plastic Zoom Brush Hogs in shallow water on wind-blown banks to catch his fish.

Rounding out the top five boaters were John Burns of Gautier, Miss. (five bass, 13 pounds, 9 ounces, $1,878); Cliff Corchet of Pierre Part, La. (five bass, 13 pounds, 4 ounces, $1,253); Bill Burns of Bastrop, La. (five bass, 13 pounds, 2 ounces, $876); and Beau Fitch of Walker, La. (five bass, 12 pounds, 3 ounces, $751).

John Burns took Boater Division big-bass award honors, earning an additional $490 for a 5-pound, 15-ounce bass.

Bill Burns also took home an additional $500 for being the highest-placing Ranger Cup participant.

Gary Graffagnino of Slidell, La., won the Co-angler Division to earn $1,878 thanks to five bass weighing 11 pounds, 15 ounces that he caught flipping Zoom Baby Brush Hogs in and around submerged cypress trees.

Rounding out the top five co-anglers were Mike Truett of Greenwell Springs, La. (five bass, 11 pounds, 7 ounces, $939); Billy Bonner of Natchitoches, La., (five bass, 11 pounds, 1 ounce, $627); Troy Trahan of Bourg, La., (four bass, 7 pounds, 9 ounces, $438); and Greg Hebert of Marrero, La. (two bass, 6 pounds, 12 ounces, $376).

Stephen Capdeboscq of Independence, La., earned $245 as the co-angler big-bass award winner with a 4-pound, 4-ounce bass.

The Louisiana Division’s next event will be held June 10 on the Red River near Shreveport, La., followed by the divisions two-day Super Tournament on the Atchafalaya Basin near Morgan City, La., Sept. 23-24.

Following the regular season, the Louisianna 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 Louisianna Division boaters and co-anglers based on year-end points standings will advance to the Wright Patman Regional Championship near Texarkana, Texas, Oct. 19-21 where they will compete against Arkie, Cowboy and Okie 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.