Hall outfishes field on South Holston

Rowe best co-angler

BRISTOL, Tenn. – Boater Curtis Hall of Florence, Ky., won the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League Volunteer Division tournament on South Holston Reservoir Saturday with a five-bass catch weighing 18 pounds, 4 ounces. The victory earned Hall $3,599 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 Derrick Snavely of Rogersville, Tenn. (five bass, 18-9, $2,118); Randy Brown of Mosheim, Tenn. (five bass, 17-1, $1,413); Jim Thompson of Bluff City, Tenn. (five bass, 16-6, $988); Larry Neal of Piney Flats, Tenn. (five bass, 15-9, $811); and Kevin Powers of Unicoi, Tenn. (five bass, 15-9, $811).

David Warfield of Dayton, Tenn., took home the Boater Division Snickers Big Bass award, earning $590 for a 5-pound, 5-ounce bass.

Billy Rowe of Abingdon, Va., earned $2,078 as the co-angler winner Saturday thanks to five bass weighing 15 pounds, 1 ounce.

Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Mark Davis of Buena Vista, Va. (five bass, 13-13, $1,039); Rodney Ray of Lebanon, Va. (five bass, 13-3, $691); Michael Boggs of Lily, Ky. (five bass, 13-0, $485); Brian Gillis of Erwin, Tenn. (five bass, 12-12, $398); and Kevin Weldon of Knoxville, Tenn. (five bass, 12-12, $398).

Welden also earned $285 as the co-angler Big Bass winner after catching a 4-pound, 12-ounce bass.

The Volunteer 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 Loudoun-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 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 Walmart.com.

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