Gregory captures victory on Guntersville
Sward wins co-angler title
GUNTERSVILLE, Ala. – Bryan Gregory of Fort Payne, Ala., weighed a two-day total of 10 bass for 41 pounds, 14 ounces to win the Walmart Bass Fishing League Choo Choo Division Super Tournament on Lake Guntersville in Guntersville, Ala., on Sunday. For his victory, Gregory earned $5,329.
“I fished primarily in Goose Pond in the mid-lake area,” said Gregory. “All of my big fish came out of one 75-yard stretch. I was flipping grass for the entire tournament using a big weight to punch the mats. I was fishing on the edge of a break, in 9 to 10 feet of water. I flipped one bait both days – a NetBait B Bug.”
Under the sunny conditions of day one, Gregory found great success and boated nearly 20 keepers throughout the day. On day two, the sunny skies gave way to cloudy, overcast conditions and the bites slowed.
“Day two was much tougher,” Gregory said. “At 1 p.m., I only had two fish in the livewell. I had lost two big ones earlier in the day, and it was really a mental grind out there for me. I was getting the bites that I needed, I just couldn’t hook up. I was really nervous, because I figured the other guys were whacking them. I didn’t give up, though, and I just believed that I was going to catch them late. And I did.”
Around 2 p.m. Gregory caught back-to-back largemouth that would put him at the top of the leaderboard.
“I got a 4-pounder and a 7-pounder at 2 p.m., and then I started to breathe again,” Gregory went on to say. “I finally filled out my limit about 30 minutes before I had to return to check-in. The key for me out there was not giving up. I have to thank my wife, Tammy, as I would not be able to have the confidence to compete out here without her.”
Rounding out the top 10 pros:
2nd: Brad Carroll, Hiram, Ga., 10 bass, 38-12, $2,664
3rd: Rodney Hill, Decherd, Tenn., 10 bass, 37-7, $1,777
4th: Alex Davis, Albertville, Ala., 10 bass, 37-6, $1,243
5th: Jeff Knight, Cleveland, Tenn., 10 bass, 35-3, $1,066
6th: Johnny Childers, Toney, Ala., 10 bass, 34-2, $977
7th: Shane Dick, Albertville, Ala., 10 bass, 33-10, $888
8th: Ryan Ollard, Pell City, Ala., 10 bass, 33-9, $799
9th: Thomas Helton, Charleston, Tenn., 10 bass, 33-1, $710
10th: Marshall Deakins, Dunlap, Tenn., 10 bass, 31-6, $622
Complete results can be found here.
Sward nets co-angler title
Justin Sward of Birmingham, Ala., weighed in six bass totaling 26 pounds, 6 ounces Sunday to win $2,664 in the co-angler division.
Rounding out the top 10 co-anglers:
2nd: Jason Norris, Ohatchee, Ala., nine bass, 24-12, $1,332
3rd: Andrew Clayton, Westpoint, Tenn., seven bass, 24-8, $889
4th: Daniel Crockett, Old Hickory, Tenn., seven bass, 21-2, $622
5th: Curtis Merriman II, Cullman, Ala., seven bass, 18-15, $533
6th: David Ashley, Estill Springs, Tenn., six bass, 18-14, $488
7th: Scott Cheyne, New Market, Ala., six bass, 15-10, $444
8th: James Castle, Nauvoo, Ala., five bass, 14-6, $400
9th: Ray Elmore, Calhoun, Ga., five bass, 14-1, $355
10th: Burr McConnell, Henagar, Ala., five bass, 12-13, $311
Complete co-angler results can be found here.
The top 40 boaters and 40 co-anglers based on point standings will qualify for the Oct. 4-6 Regional Championship on Lake Seminole in Bainbridge, Ga. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518 with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard and a Chevy Silverado, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518 with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard.
The BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 120 tournaments throughout the season, five in each division. The top 40 boaters and co-anglers from each division qualify for a regional tournament and compete to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the Walmart BFL All-American presented by Chevy. Top winners in the BFL can move up to the EverStart Series or even the Walmart FLW Tour.
About FLW
FLW is the industry’s premier tournament-fishing organization, providing unparalleled fishing resources and entertainment to our sponsors, fans and host communities. FLW is offering anglers of all skill levels the opportunity to compete for millions in prize money nationwide in 2012 over the course of 191 tournaments across five tournament circuits, each providing an avenue to the sport’s richest payday and most coveted championship trophy – the Forrest Wood Cup. FLW is committed to providing a lifestyle experience that is the “Best in Fishing, On and Off the Water,” through a variety of platforms including tournaments, outdoor expos and the world’s richest fantasy sports game – FLW Fantasy Fishing. For more information about FLW and FLW Fantasy Fishing, visit FLWOutdoors.com or FantasyFishing.com and look for FLW on Twitter and Facebook.