Bobo best boater in BFL event on Lake Martin

ALEXANDER CITY, Ala. – Boater Dalton Bobo of Northport, Ala., won the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League Dixie Division tournament on Lake Martin Saturday with a five-bass catch weighing 14 pounds, 11 ounces. The victory earned Bobo $5,100 plus a $900 Ranger Cup award and placed him one step closer to qualifying for the Lake Seminole Regional Championship in Bainbridge, Ga., Oct. 25-27, where he could ultimately win a new 519VX Ranger boat and a Chevy truck.

Bobo was throwing crankbaits around brush and other submerged structure in shallow water to catch his tournament winning stringer of bass.

Rounding out the top five boaters are Reed Montgomery of Birmingham, Ala. (four bass, 13-4, $3,000); Jimmy Bahakel of Birmingham, Ala. (five bass, 13 pounds, $2,000); Charlie Williams of Lagrange, Ga. (five bass, 12-9, $1,400) and Blake Lewis of Pace, Fla. (five bass, 12-7, $1,200).

Eddie Jackson of Trussville, Ala., took home the Boater Division Snickers Big Bass award, earning $1,000 for a7-pound, 9-ounce bass.

Dennis Hudson of Fortson, Ga., earned $3,000 as the co-angler winner Saturday thanks to five bass weighing 10 pounds, 12 ounces that he caught while fishing finesse gear around deep structure.

Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Mike Dutton of Warrior, Ala. (five bass, 10-11, $1,500); Tom Frey of Oxford, Ala. (five bass, 9-2, $1,000); William Pickle of Jasper, Ga. (five bass, 8-13, $700) and Bryant Roland of Dacula, Ga. (four bass, 8-9, $600).

Dutton also earned an additional $500 as the co-angler Big Bass winner after catching a 4-pound, 7-ounce bass.

The Dixie Division’s next event will be March 3 on Lake Eufaula in Eufaula, Ala., followed by tournament March 31 on Lay Lake in Calera, Ala. The division’s fourth event will be held June 9 on West Point Lake in Lanett, Ala., and the final event of the regular season will be a two-day Super Tournament held Aug. 25-26 on Logan Martin Lake in Pell City, Ala.

Following the end of regular-season competition, the top 40 boaters and 40 co-anglers based on year-end points standings in the division will advance to the no-entry-fee Lake Seminole Regional Championship where they will compete against top qualifiers from three other BFL divisions. At the Regional Championship boaters will fish for a new Ranger boat and Chevy truck and co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger boat. The top six boaters and top six co-anglers at the Regional Championship will also advance to the 2008 All-American presented by Chevy. With a total purse of $1 million, a potential $140,000 cash prize going to the winning boater and as much as $70,000 going to the winning co-angler, the All-American is one of the most prestigious and lucrative events in bass fishing. The winning boater and winning co-angler at the All-American also advance to the no-entry-fee $2 million 2008 Forrest Wood Cup. This event, featuring a top award of $1 million, is the sport’s biggest championship.

The $8.8 million Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League features 28 divisions nationwide. In BFL competition, boaters and co-anglers are randomly paired. Boaters supply the boat and fish from the front deck against other boaters while co-anglers compete 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, Ranger Owners Tournament Championship Series, 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 will offer combined purses of nearly $43 million through 238 events in 2007.

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.

For more information about FLW Outdoors and its tournaments, browse FLWOutdoors.com or call (270) 252-1000.