Walters wins Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League Super Tournament on Lake Hickory

HICKORY, N.C. – Boater Todd Walters of High Point, N.C., earned 300 points and $5,197 Sunday as the winner of the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League North Carolina Division Super Tournament on Lake Hickory.

Walters’ two-day winning catch of 10 bass weighed 28 pounds, 5 ounces. He was throwing crankbaits around deep bridges to catch his bass.

Rounding out the top five boaters are Kevin Helms of Denver, N.C. (six bass, 16 pounds, 15 ounces, $2,598); Thomas Anderson of Hickory, N.C. (seven bass, 14 pounds, 4 ounces, $1,733); Mark Carpenter of Lincolnton, N.C., (seven bass, 13 pounds, 8 ounces, $1,213) and Sane Patrick of Fleetwood, N.C. (six bass, 13 pounds, 7 ounces, $1,039).

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

Chuck Douthit of Mooresville, N.C., won the Boater Division Snickers Big Bass award with a 5-pound, 2-ounce bass that earning him $652.

Jason Mulkey of Granite Falls, N.C., earned $2,599 as the co-angler winner thanks to four bass weighing 9 pounds, 12 ounces that he caught on a Jig around rocks and docks.

Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Charles Stroud of Boiling Springs, N.C. (three bass, 8 pounds, 4 ounces, $1,299); Jerry Hayden of Charlotte, N.C. (three bass, 7 pounds, 8 ounces, $867); Junior Self of Vale, N.C., (two bass, 7 pounds, 5 ounces, $606) and Gordon Smith of Lake Wylie, S.C. (three bass, 6 pounds, 10 ounces, $520).

Self also earned an additional $326 as the co-angler Snickers Big Bass winner with a 4-pound, 10-ounce bass.

The top 40 North Carolina Division boaters and co-anglers based on year-end points standings will now advance to the no-entry-fee Smith Mountain Regional Championship near Moneta, Va., Oct. 19-21, where they will compete against Empire, Northeast and Piedmont anglers for a new Ranger boat and a Chevy truck in the Boater Division plus six slots in the no-entry-fee 2007 Wal-Mart BFL All-American presented by Chevy. With a total purse of $1 million and a potential $140,000 cash 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 Boater Division points champion who advances the farthest at the All-American will earn $10,000 as the Yamaha “Be the Best” points champion. The co-angler points champion who advances the farthest will earn $5,000 as the Yamaha “Be the Best” points champion in the Co-angler Division.

For complete North Carolina Division standings, check online at FLWOutdoors.com.

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.

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.

For more information or to enter a tournament, call (270) 252-1000 or browse FLWOutdoors.com.

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.