Roussel wins Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League Super Tournament on Atchafalaya Basin

MORGAN CITY, La. – Boater Rocky Roussel of Morgan City, La., earned 300 points and $4,882 Sunday as the winner of the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League Louisiana Division Super Tournament on the Atchafalaya Basin.

Roussel’s two-day winning catch of eight bass weighed 15 pounds, 9 ounces.

Rounding out the top five boaters are Jason Pittman of Covington, La. (seven bass, 15 pounds, $2,441); Marc Lowenthal of Prairieville, La. (six bass, 14 pounds, 7 ounces, $1,625); Chad Vosburg of Port Allen, La. (seven bass, 14 pounds, 2 ounces, $1,139); and Scott Buxton of Napoleonville, La. (eight bass, 13 pounds, 14 ounces, $976).

Lowenthal also took home $500 for being the highest placing Ranger Cup participant.

Travis Warthen of St. Gabriel, La., won the Boater Division Snickers Big Bass award with a 4-pound, 15-ounce bass that earned him $600.

Henry Warthen III of St. Gabriel, La., earned $2,441 as the co-angler winner thanks to five bass weighing 9 pounds, 3 ounces.

Rounding out the top five co-anglers are John Fuller of Baton Rouge, La. (four bass, 8 pounds, 10 ounces, $1,220); Gary Graffagnino of Slidell, La. (four bass, 8pounds, 9 ounces, $814); Troy Trahan of Bourg, La. (four bass, 8 pounds, 8 ounces, $570); and Duane Pittman of Prairieville (four bass, 8 pounds, 7 ounces, $488).

Trahan also earned $300 as the co-angler Snickers Big Bass winner with a 3-pound, 4-ounce bass.

The top 40 Louisiana Division boaters and co-anglers based on year-end points standings will now advance to the no-entry-fee Wright Patman Regional Championship near Texarkana, Texas Oct. 19-21, where they will compete against Arkie, Cowboy and Okie Division 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 Louisiana Division standings, browse 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.