Stringer best boater at BFL event on Lake Douglas

SEVIERVILLE, Tenn. – Boater Michael Stringer of Monticello, Ky., earned $5,165 Saturday as winner of the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League Mountain Division event on Lake Douglas. The tournament was the first of five regular-season Mountain Division events and featured 161 boaters vying for the win, which earned Stringer 200 points in the Boater Division.

Stringers’ winning catch of five bass weighed 18 pounds, 7 ounces. He threw a floating worm on shallow banks in a foot of water or less to catch his bass.

Rounding out the top five boaters were Brian Holt of Newport, Tenn. (five bass, 17 pounds, 11 ounces, $2,582); Guy Siler of Rutlegdge, Tenn. (five bass, 17 pounds, 9 ounces, $1,722); Steve Cornett of Manchester, Ky. (five bass, 15 pounds, 5 ounces, $1,205); and Buster Lilly of Bluff City, Tenn., and Tee Watkins of East Point, Ky., tied for fifth (five bass, 14 pounds, 3 ounces, $990).

Watkins won an additional $750 for being the highest-placing Ranger Cup and Yamaha contingency participant.

David Mullins of Mount Carmel, Tenn., took Boater Division big-bass award honors, earning $805 for a 5-pound, 12-ounce bass.

Richard Wolfe of White Pine, Tenn., bested the Co-angler Division to earn $2,512 thanks to five bass weighing 14 pounds, 12 ounces that he caught while fishing a trout color deep-diving crankbait in 22 feet of water along shell banks. Wolfe earned and additional $193.50 as the co-angler big-bass award winner with a 5-pound, 2-ounce bass.

Rounding out the top five co-anglers were Herman Moore of Seymour, Tenn. (five bass, 11 pounds, 13 ounces, $1,256); Kris Kordenbrock of Covington, Ky. (five bass, 11 pounds, 12 ounces, $838); Billy Hughes of Eubank, Ky. (five bass, 9 pounds, 10 ounces, $586); and James Griffith of Harrodsburg, Ky. (five bass, 9 pounds, 1 ounce, $502).

Wolfe earned and additional $193.50 as the co-angler big-bass award winner with a 5-pound, 2-ounce bass.

The Mountain Division’s next event will be held May 20 on Cherokee Lake near Morristown, Tenn., followed by the divisions two-day Super Tournament on the Barren River near Scottsville, Ky., Sept. 23-24.

Following the regular season, the Mountain 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 Mountain Division boaters and co-anglers based on year-end points standings will advance to the Kentucky Lake Regional Championship near Gilbertsville, Ky., Oct. 19-21 where they will compete against Buckeye, Hoosier and Bama 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.