Dickey Wins BFL on Grand Lake, OK
Category: Tournament
Jul 2nd, 2008 by OutdoorsFIRST
Modified Jul 2nd, 2008 at 12:00 AM
GROVE, Okla. (June 23, 2008) – Boater Joe Dickey of Rogers, Ark., won the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League® Ozark Division tournament on Grand Lake Saturday with a five-bass catch weighing 22 pounds, 14 ounces. The victory earned Dickey $3,607 and placed him one step closer to qualifying for the Lake Ouachita Regional Championship in Mount Ida, Ark., Oct. 23-25, where he could ultimately win a new 198VX Ranger boat and a Chevy truck.
Dickey caught his bass on a Rapala DT Series crankbait on points in the mid lake.
Rounding out the top five boaters are Tom Murphy of Richland, Mo. (five bass, 21-15, $2,122); Rick Johnston of Oronogo, Mo. (five bass, 18-00, $1,413); Chris Macy of Diamond, Mo. (five bass, 17-15, $990) and Ronnie Kane of Gardner, Kan. (five bass, 17-14, $849).
Murphy took home the Boater Division Snickers Big Bass award, earning $600 for a 6-pound, 14-ounce bass he caught on a Berkley 10-inch worm in June-bug.
Scott Parsons of Bentonville, Ark., earned $2,122 as the co-angler winner Saturday thanks to five bass weighing 20 pounds, 2 ounces that he caught on a shaky-head worm in green-pumpkin.
Rounding out the top five co-anglers are John Haley of Branson West, Mo. (five bass, 18-05, $1,061); Eugene Robinett of Springfield, Mo. (five bass, 16-08, $707); Gary Gregory of Troy, Mo. (five bass, 15-03, $495) and Wade Bryan of Springdale, Ark. (five bass, 15-01, $424).
Bobbie Green of Lees Summit, Mo., earned $300 as the co-angler Big Bass winner after catching a 5-pound, 15-ounce bass he caught on a spinnerbait.
A two-day Super Tournament, the division’s fifth and final event, will be held on Lake of the Ozarks in Osage Beach, Mo., Sept. 27-28.
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 Ouachita 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.
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.