Tharp takes Super Tournament on Guntersville Lake

SCOTTSBORO, Ala. – Boater Randall Tharp of Gardendale, Ala., won the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League Bama Division Super Tournament on Guntersville Lake with a two-day catch of 10 bass weighing 36 pounds, 12 ounces. The victory earned Tharp $5,883 plus a $1,038 Ranger contingency bonus and placed him one step closer to qualifying for the Fort Loudoun-Tellico Lakes Regional Championship in Lenior City, Tenn., Oct. 18-20, where he could ultimately win a new 519VX Ranger boat and a Chevy truck.

Tharp caught his bass throwing a Snag Proof Frog on the north end of the lake.

Rounding out the top five boaters are David Gray of Section, Ala. (10 bass, 31-15, $3,461); Johnny Patterson of Grant, Ala. (10 bass, 31-6, $2,306); Stanley Morris of Boaz, Ala. (10 bass, 29-12, $1,615); and Marshall Deakins of Dunlap, Tenn. (nine bass, 28-9, $1,384).

Greg Buie of Athens, Ala., took home the Boater Division Snickers Big Bass award, earning $1,020 for a 7-pound, 1-ounce bass.

Josh Driver of Hiram, Ga., earned $3,461 as the co-angler winner thanks to seven bass weighing 21 pounds, 15 ounces that he caught while flipping soft plastics in and around grass.

Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Jason Jones of Oak Ridge, Tenn. (eight bass, 21-13, $1,730); Tim Collins of Douglasville, Ga. (seven bass, 20-12, $1,154); Wally Steen of Newport, Ark. (six bass, 18-2, $808); and Tony Prince of Pulaski, Tenn. (six bass, 16-11, $692).

Theron Hawkes of Florence, Ala., earned $510 as the co-angler Big Bass winner after catching a 6-pound, 4-ounce bass.

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 Fort Loudoun-Tellico Lakes 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.