Wooten wins Wal-Mart BFL Super Tournament on Lake Gaston

Jamie Denison of Winston Salem, N.C., grabs first place in Co-angler Division

BRACEY, Va. – Boater Patrick Wooten of Wake Forest, N.C., won the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League Piedmont Division Super Tournament on Lake Gaston with a two-day catch of 10 bass weighing 29 pounds, 11 ounces. The victory earned Wooten $5,741 and placed him one step closer to qualifying for the Potomac River Regional Championship in Marbury, Md., Oct. 11-13, where he could ultimately win a new 519VX Ranger boat and a Chevy truck.

Wooten caught his bass throwing a Senko in and around grass.

Rounding out the top five boaters are Joe Nichols Jr. of Ahoskie, N.C. (10 bass, 29-10, $3,378); Christopher Burns of Durham, N.C. (nine bass, 23-13, $2,255); Rodney Sorrell of Stokesdale, N.C. (10 bass, 22-6, $1,576) and Scott Smith of Apex, N.C. (eight bass, 22-0, $1,351).

Gary Love of Roanoke Rapids, N.C., took home the Boater Division Snickers Big Bass award, earning $982 for a 5-pound, 7-ounce bass that he caught on a Senko.

Jamie Denison of Winston Salem, N.C., earned $3,378 as the co-angler winner thanks to seven bass weighing 21 pounds, 14 ounces that he caught while fishing a jig near rocks and grass.

Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Rodney Stevens of Garner, N.C. (seven bass, 17-3, $1,689); Ben Dacey of Chesterfield, Va. (six bass, 13-8, $1,127); Jim Nichols of Chapel Hill, N.C. (five bass, 12-8, $788) and Orlando Giles of Lexington, N.C. (five bass, 11-14, $676).

Denison earned $491 as the co-angler Big Bass winner after catching a 6-pound 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 Potomac River 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, call (270) 252-1000.