Aldrich aces BFL event on West Point Lake

LANETTE, Ala. – Boater Eric Aldrich of Cumming, Ga., won the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League Bulldog Division tournament on West Point Lake Saturday with a five-bass catch weighing 17 pounds, 9 ounces. The victory earned Aldrich $4,744 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.

Aldrich caught his bass flipping a football-head jig around shallow cover in the lower lake area.

Rounding out the top five boaters are Kip Carter of Loganville, Ga. (five bass, 13-3, $2,791); Scott Hayes of Newnan, Ga. (five bass, 12-7, $1,861); William Hensley of McDonough, Ga. (five bass, 11-8, $1,302); and Tim Howell of Ball Grand, Ga. (five bass, 11-7, $1,116).

David Lowery of Milledgeville, Ga., took home the Boater Division Snickers Big Bass award, earning $895 for a 5-pound, 11-ounce bass.

Jack Griffin of Flowery Branch, Ga., earned $2,791 as the co-angler winner Saturday thanks to five bass weighing 8 pounds, 2 ounces.

Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Joey Weaver of Macon, Ga. (five bass, 7-10, $1,395); Charles Smith of Tyrone, Ga. (five bass, 7-8, $931); Chad Thompson of Gaylesville, Ala. (two bass, 7-6, $651); and Billy Cain of Jackson, Ga. (five bass, 7-3, $558).

Thompson also earned $447 as the co-angler Big Bass winner after catching a 5-pound, 11-ounce bass.

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 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.