Prater picks up BFL win at Cherokee Lake

MORRISTOWN, Tenn. – Boater Carl Prater of Caryville, Tenn., won the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League Volunteer Division tournament on Cherokee Lake Saturday with a five-bass catch weighing 19 pounds, 11 ounces. The victory earned Prater $4,638 and placed him one step closer to qualifying for the Clarks Hill Lake Regional Championship in Appling, Ga., Oct. 11-13, where he could ultimately win a new 519VX Ranger boat and a Chevy truck.

Prater also took home an additional $875 for winning the Boater Division Snickers Big Bass award for a 7-pound, 5-ounces bass.

Rounding out the top five boaters are Jonathan Pelfrey of Rockwood, Tenn. (five bass, 18-2, $2,728); Larry Neal of Piney Flats, Tenn. (five bass, 17-15, $1,819); Jim Street of Roan Mountain, Tenn. (five bass, 16-6, $1,273) and James Bouldin of Rockwood, Tenn. (five bass, 14-14, $1,091).

Kevin Powers of Unicoi, Tenn., earned $500 for being the highest-placing Ranger Cup participant.

Michael Boggs of Lily, Ky., earned $2,582 as the co-angler winner Saturday thanks to five bass weighing 14 pounds, 14 ounces.

Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Tim Coppage of Erwin, Tenn. (three bass, 9-7, $1,291); Larry Houser of Pigeon Forge, Tenn. (four bass, 8-13, $863); Gary Heath of Abingdon, Va. (three bass, 8-3, $603) and Doug Neal of Blountville, Tenn., (two bass, 7-6, $516).

Jonathan Morrison of Harrogate, Tenn., and David Persinger of Kingsport, Tenn., earned $201 as they tied for the co-angler Big Bass winner after catching a 5-pound, 6-ounce bass.

The Volunteer Division’s next event will be April 14 on Douglas Lake in Kodak, Tenn., followed by a tournament May 5 on South Holston Reservoir in Bristol, Tenn. The division’s fourth event will be held June 23 on Watts Barr Lake in Spring City, Tenn., and the final event of the regular season will be a two-day Super Tournament held Sept. 29-30 on Fort Loudon-Tellico Lakes in Lenoir City, Tenn.

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 Clarks Hill Lake 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.