Norris wins Wal-Mart BFL event on Lake Sinclair

MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. – Boater Jeff Norris of Newborn, Ga., won the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League Bulldog Division tournament on Lake Sinclair Saturday with a five-bass catch weighing 14 pounds, 1 ounce. The victory earned Norris $4,926 and placed him one step closer to qualifying for the Lake Murray Regional Championship in Columbia, S.C., Oct. 23-25, where he could ultimately win a new 198VX Ranger boat and a Chevy truck.

Norris fished rocks, edges and docks with a white ChatterBait to catch his limit.

Rounding out the top five boaters are Ray Odum, Jr. of Douglas, Ga. (five bass, 13-8, $2,898); Mike Robinson of Acworth, Ga. (five bass, 10-14, $1,934); Tommy Hensley of Jackson, Ga. (five bass, 10-13, $1,352) and Stew Medlin of Atlanta, Ga. (five bass, 9-13, $1,159).

Odum took home the Boater Division Snickers Big Bass award, earning $945 for a 6-pound, 3-ounce bass he caught on a crankbait.

Jim Lovelace of Leesburg, Ga., earned $2,898 as the co-angler winner Saturday thanks to four bass weighing 7 pounds, 10 ounces that he caught using a soft plastic lizard in the grass.

Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Brady Whitehead of Danielsville, Ga. (two bass, 6-15, $1,449); Don Griffin of Roswell, Ga. (five bass, 6-8, $967); Shane Byrom of Newnan, Ga. (three bass, 6-6, $676) and Terry Blaxton, Jr. of Columbus, Ga. (five bass, 6-4, $555).

Whitehead earned $472 as the co-angler Big Bass winner after catching a 5-pound bass he caught skipping docks.

Bulldog Division anglers will visit Lake Seminole in Bainbridge, Ga., March 29 for their second regular-season event, followed by an event on Lake Oconee in Buckhead, Ga., April 19. The division’s fourth qualifying event will be held on West Point Lake in Lanett, Ala., May 17. A two-day Super Tournament, the division’s fifth and final event, will be held on Lake Eufaula in Eufaula, Ala., Sept. 13-14.

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 Murray 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 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 Forrest Wood Cup. This event, featuring a top award of $1 million, is the sport’s biggest championship.

Tournament anglers aren’t the only ones winning big this season. With the introduction of FLW Fantasy Fishing, FLW Outdoors will be awarding the largest fantasy sports payout in history. Players can become a virtual pro angler by signing up for Player’s Advantage, providing them with exclusive insider information that could guide them to a $100,000 victory at every Wal-Mart FLW Tour stop and the Forrest Wood Cup. Player’s Advantage will give them an edge over the competition and increase their shot for a $1 million cash grand prize that will be awarded to the FLW Fantasy Fishing cumulative points winner. Those who visit FantasyFishing.com today can sign up for Player’s Advantage and FLW Outdoors will include a $15 Wal-Mart gift card.

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.

FLW Outdoors, named after Forrest L. Wood, the legendary founder of Ranger Boats, is the largest fishing tournament organization in the world. In 2008 alone the organization is offering more than 90,000 anglers the chance to win over $40 million through 230 tournaments in 10 circuits targeting bass, walleye, redfish, kingfish and striped bass. FLW Outdoors is also taking fishing mainstream with the largest cash awards in the history of fantasy sports, $7.3 million.

For more information about FLW Outdoors and its tournaments, browse FLWOutdoors.com or call (270) 252-1000. For more information about FLW Fantasy Fishing and Player’s Advantage, visit FantasyFishing.com.

Total awards are based on a full field of 200 boats in every tournament.