Ferguson outfishes field on Douglas Lake

McCoy picks up co-angler win

KODAK, Tenn. – Boater Bobby Ferguson of Chuckey, Tenn., won the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League Volunteer Division tournament on Douglas Lake Saturday with a five-bass catch weighing 19 pounds, 8 ounces. The victory earned Ferguson $4,197 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.

Rounding out the top five boaters are Larry Neal of Piney Flats, Tenn., (five bass, 17-15, $2,469); Jim Street of Roan Mountain, Tenn., (five bass, 17-8, $1,646); Brian Holt of Newport, Tenn., (five bass, 16-14, $1,152); and Tim Wyatt of Crossville, Tenn., (five bass, 15-9, $988).

Holt took home the Boater Division Snickers Big Bass award, earning $745 for a 7-pound, 2-ounce bass.

Kibbee McCoy of Crossville, Tenn., earned $2,469 as the co-angler winner Saturday thanks to five bass weighing 14 pounds, 15 ounces.

Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Justin McClellan of Marion, Va., (five bass, 14-1, $1,235); Michael Johnson of Bristol, Va., (five bass, 12-12, $823); Marty Stewart of Blountville, Tenn., (five bass, 12-9, $576); and Darrel Widner of Knoxville, Tenn., (five bass, 11-14, $494).

Johnson earned $372 as the co-angler Snickers Big Bass winner after catching a 5-pound, 15-ounce bass.

The Volunteer Division’s next event will be May 5 on South Holston in Bristol, Tenn., followed by a tournament June 23 on Watts Barr in Spring City, Tenn. The final event of the regular season will be a two-day Super Tournament held Sept. 29-30 on Fort Loudoun 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 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.