Clements clinches BFL win on Lake Sinclair

MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. – Boater James Clements of Vidalia, Ga., won the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League Bulldog Division tournament on Lake Sinclair Saturday with a five-bass catch weighing 15 pounds, 3 ounces. The victory earned Clements $5,100 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.

Clements caught his fish flipping a jig in 2 to 4 feet of water.

Rounding out the top five boaters are James Wiley of Monroe, Ga., (four bass, 13-12, $3,000); Brian Cox of Woodstock, Ga., (five bass, 10-12, $2,000); Howard Davis of Fitzgerald, Ga. (four bass, 10-11, $1,400); and Stephen Hazard of Suwanee, Ga., (four bass, 10-0, $1,200).

Marty Everson of Albany, Ga., took home the Boater Division Snickers Big Bass award, earning $1,000 for a 5-pound, 12-ounce bass.

Christopher Gayton of Cumming, Ga., earned $3,000 as the co-angler winner Saturday thanks to four bass weighing 10 pounds, 5 ounces that he caught while flipping a jig on the main lake.

Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Karl Hazard of Marietta, Ga., (four bass, 8-6, $1,500); Lowell Johnson of Woodstock, Ga., (four bass, 7-10, $1,000); Lee Davis of Fitzgerald, Ga. (five bass, 7-5, $700); and Chuck Kiblinger of Monticello, Ga., (five bass, 6-11, $600).

Billy Cox of Powder Springs, Ga., earned $500 as the co-angler Big Bass winner after catching a 4-pound, 14-ounce bass.

The Bulldog Division’s next event will be March 24 on Lake Oconee in Buckhead, Ga., followed by a tournament April 14 on Lake Lanier in Gainesville, Ga. The division’s fourth event will be held May 19 on West Point Lake in Lanette, Ala., and the final event of the regular season will be a two-day Super Tournament held Sept. 8-9 on Lake Eufaula in Eufaula, 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.