GADSDEN, Ala. – Boater Kenny Pannell of Springville, Ala., won the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League Choo Choo Division tournament on Neely Henry Saturday with a five-bass catch weighing 15 pounds, 10 ounces. The victory earned Pannell $3,801 and placed him one step closer to qualifying for the Clark Hills 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 Brian Horton of Fort Payne, Ala. (five bass, 13-14, $2,236); Donnie Sims of Talladega, Ala. (five bass, 13-10, $1,492); Rick Bowen of Jackson, Tenn. (five bass, 13-7, $1,043); and Timothy Little of Acworth, Ga. (five bass, 13-2, $894).
Horton took home the Boater Division Snickers Big Bass award, earning $650 for a 6-pound, 2-ounce bass.
Brian Carroll of Morrow, Ga., earned $2,236 as the co-angler winner Saturday thanks to five bass weighing 18 pounds, 5 ounces that he caught while fishing a slow and deep pattern in the middle of the river.
Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Mark Pirkle of Cleveland, Tenn. (five bass, 13-2, $1,118); Charles Frost of Cordova, Ala. (five bass, 12-7, $633); Ricky Williams of Russellville, Ala. (five bass, 12-7, $633); and Marcus Corbett of Anniston, Ala. (five bass, 11-13, $447).
Carroll earned $325 as the co-angler Big Bass winner after catching a 6-pound bass.
The Choo Choo Division’s next event is the final event of the regular season and will be a two-day Super Tournament held Sept. 22-23 on Guntersville Lake in Scottsboro, 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 Clark Hills 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.