Albert wins Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League event on Lake Dardanelle

RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – Boater Billy Albert of Russellville, Ark., earned $4,652 Saturday as winner of the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League Arkie Division event on Lake Dardanelle. The tournament was the fourth of five regular-season Arkie Division events and earned Albert 200 points in the Boater Division.

Albert’s winning catch of five bass weighed 17 pounds, 15 ounces. He was throwing a frog in and around submerged structure to catch his bass.

Rounding out the top five boaters are Matthew Mize of Ben Lomond, Ark. (five bass, 17 pounds, 3 ounces, $2,326); Mark Ellis of Malvern, Ark. (five bass, 16 pounds, 9 ounces, $1,551); David Davis of Paron, Ark., (five bass, 15 pounds, 8 ounces, $1,086) and Eddie Woody of North Little Rock, Ark. (five bass, 15 pounds, 7 ounces, $930).

Roger Harp of Huntsville, Ark., took Boater Division big-bass award honors, earning $685 for a 5-pound, 5-ounce bass.

Robert Percy of Hot Springs, Ark., won the Co-angler Division to earn $2,288 as the co-angler winner, thanks to five bass weighing 12 pounds, 12 ounces that he caught on a black and red flake Zoom Speed Worm fished on 9 to 12 feet ledges.

Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Tony Torres of Anderson, Mo. (four bass, 10 pounds, 12 ounces, $1,144); William Webb of Leola, Ark. (four bass, 10 pounds, 6 ounces, $762); Timmy Cook of Haskell, Ark. (three bass, 9 pounds, 7 ounces, $534); and Scott Hines of Sheridan, Ark. (three bass, 9 pounds, 4 ounces, $458).

Rick Shelton of Plainview, Ark., earned $332 as the co-angler big-bass award winner with a 4-pound, 14-ounce bass he caught on a finesse worm.

The Arkie Division’s next event will be held Sept. 30-Oct.1 on Lake Hamilton near Hot Springs, Ark., for their two-day Super Tournament.

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

Named after the legendary founder of Ranger Boats, Forrest L. Wood, FLW Outdoors administers the Wal-Mart FLW Tour, Wal-Mart FLW Series, Stren Series, Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League, Wal-Mart Texas Tournament Trail presented by Abu Garcia, Stratos Owners’ Tournament Trail, Wal-Mart FLW Walleye Tour, Wal-Mart FLW Walleye League, Wal-Mart FLW Kingfish Tour, Wal-Mart FLW Kingfish Series, Wal-Mart FLW Redfish Series and Wal-Mart FLW Striper Series. These circuits offer combined purses exceeding $37.9 million through 249 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 an FLW Outdoors sponsor in 1997 and today is the world’s leading supporter of tournament fishing. For more information about Wal-Mart, visit Wal-Mart.com.