Newberry nets BFL win on Sam Rayburn
Strother takes home co-angler title during Feb. 8 Cowboy Division event
BROOKELAND, Texas – Dicky Newberry of Houston, Texas, weighed a five-bass limit totaling 19 pounds, 4 ounces Saturday to win the first Walmart Bass Fishing League Cowboy Division tournament of 2014 on Sam Rayburn Reservoir. For his victory, Newberry earned $7,652.
Newberry notched his ninth BFL win on a stingy Sam Rayburn by relying on a grind-it-out mentality and judiciously applied local knowledge.
“The fishing was really tough on Rayburn,” said Newberry. “It’s been really cold and the water temperature was down to 45 degrees, and that’s colder than it’s been in years.
“I caught the first four on the edge of the grass on a Rat-L-Trap. Once I caught the first one I stuck with it in the same area. Later on, I backed off and threw a ¼-ounce Santone jig into grass, and apparently the fish had gotten tired of seeing that same Rat-L-Trap come past, because one hit it first cast and it was my big fish.
“I was throwing to about a 50-foot circle between two stumps. I only caught five fish all day. I went to a few other areas but never got a bite. Being persistent and staying with it was key,” finished Newberry. “I just made the same cast over and over again, and most people don’t do that.”
Rounding out the top 10 pros:
2nd: Ricky Guy, Humble, Texas, five bass, 17-1, $2,326
3rd: Pete Lowe, Woodworth, La., five bass, 16-0, $1,551
4th: Tommy Mendoza, Lake Charles, La., four bass, 15-7, $1,086
5th: Mark Tullis, Conroe, Texas, four bass, 14-3, $930
6th: Michael LaFleur, Orangefield, Texas, five bass, 13-10, $853
7th: Alex Manitzas, Deridder, La., four bass, 12-12, $775
8th: Scott Bailey, Longview, Texas, four bass, 12-6, $698
9th: Michael Garrett, Pearland, Texas, three bass, 10-13, $581
9th: Kevin Gressett, Tioga, Texas, three bass, 10-13, $581
To view complete results from the Boater Division, click here.
Strother secures co-angler win
Jerry Strother of Glenmora, La., weighed in a five-bass limit totaling 21 pounds, 13 ounces to win $2,326 in the Co-angler Division.
Rounding out the top 10 co-anglers:
2nd: James Littleford, Seabrook, Texas, four bass, 15-2, $1,163
3rd: William Leon Gaston Jr., Shreveport, La., four bass, 11-13, $660
3rd: Eddie Lindley, Ulm, Ark., four bass, 11-13, $660
5th: John Morris, Houston, Texas, two bass, 10-11, $465
6th: Bill Rogers, Jasper, Texas, five bass, 10-2, $426
7th: Randall Bellard, Denham Springs, La., two bass, 8-08, $388
8th: Rocky Parker, Kyle, Texas, two bass, 8-0, $349
9th: Albert Kissinger, Brookeland, Texas, two bass, 6-12, $310
10th: Randy Pewthers, Pearland, Texas, two bass, 6-9, $257
10th: Klint Myers, Hampshire, Texas, two bass, 6-9, $257
To view complete co-angler results, click here.
The top 40 boaters and 40 co-anglers based on point standings will qualify for the Oct. 9-11 Regional Championship on Pickwick Lake in Florence, Ala. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard and a Chevy Silverado, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard.
About the Walmart BFL
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. The 2014 BFL All-American is being held June 5-7 on Wilson Lake in Florence, Ala. Top winners in the BFL can move up to the Rayovac FLW Series or even the Walmart FLW Tour.
About FLW
FLW is the industry’s premier tournament-fishing organization, providing anglers of all skill levels the opportunity to compete for millions in prize money nationwide in 2014 over the course of 229 tournaments across five tournament circuits, four of which provide an avenue to the sport’s richest payday and most coveted championship trophy – the Forrest Wood Cup. FLW tournament fishing can be seen on the Emmy-nominated “FLW” television show and is broadcast to more than 564 million households worldwide, making it the most widely distributed weekly outdoors-sports television show in the world. FLW is committed to providing a lifestyle experience that is the “Best in Fishing, On and Off the Water.” For more information about FLW visit FLWOutdoors.com and look for FLW on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and YouTube.