Corbett takes top honors at Fort Gibson

WAGONER, Okla. – Boater Jerry Corbett of Chouteau, Okla., won the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League Okie Division tournament on Fort Gibson Saturday with a four-bass catch weighing 16 pounds, 12 ounces. The victory earned Corbett $3,823 and placed him one step closer to qualifying for the Wright Patman Lake Regional Championship in Texarkana, Texas, Oct. 25-27, where he could ultimately win a new 519VX Ranger boat and a Chevy truck.

Corbett caught his fish near the dam fishing a crankbait 10 to 12 feet deep.

Rounding out the top five boaters are Mitchell Webb of Skiatook, Okla., (four bass, 15-15, $2,249); Stanley Breshears of Rogers, Ark., (five bass, 15-12, $1,498); Jason Sandidge of Centerton, Ark., (five bass, 15-0, $1,050) and John Shore of Owasso, Okla., (five bass, 15-7, $900).

Larry Rea of Stigler, Okla., and Corbett split the Boater Division Snickers Big Bass award, and each earned $322 for a pair of 6-pound, 6-ounce bass.

Darin Anderson of Drumright, Okla., earned $2,249 as the co-angler winner Saturday thanks to four bass weighing 13 pounds, 4 ounces that he caught while fishing a BOOYAH spinnerbait shallow around mid-lake.

Rounding out the top five co-anglers are James Marion of Tulsa, Okla., (five bass, 11-6, $1,125); Wade Garcia of Alma, Ark., (three bass, 10-8, $752); Billy Gwaltney of Fayetteville, Ark., (four bass, 9-15, $525) and Steve Bradfield of Claremore, Okla., (three bass, 9-11, $450).

Joe Montalbano of Broken Arrow, Okla., earned $322 as the co-angler Big Bass winner after catching a 6-pound, 2-ounce bass.

The Okie Division’s next event will be May 12 on Lake Eufaula in Eufaula, Okla., followed by a tournament June 16 on the Arkansas River in Webber Falls, Okla. The final event of the regular season will be a two-day Super Tournament held Sept. 15-16 on Grand Lake in Grove, Okla.

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 Wright Patman 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 241 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.