Fox Wins Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League Event On Columbus Pool
Category: Tournament
May 19th, 2008 by OutdoorsFIRST
Modified May 19th, 2008 at 12:00 AM
COLUMBUS, Miss. (May 19, 2008) – Boater Tim Fox of Meridian, Miss., won the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League® Mississippi Division tournament on the Columbus Pool of the Mississippi River Saturday with a five-bass catch weighing 13 pounds, 9 ounces. The victory earned Fox $3,705 and placed him one step closer to qualifying for the Wheeler Lake Regional Championship in Decatur, Ala., Oct. 9-11, where he could ultimately win a new 198VX Ranger boat and a Chevy truck.
“I won the BFL event on the Columbus Pool in 2005,” Fox said. “But it’s pretty neat to win another one. I’ve got several friends who have won one, but when you win two, in my opinion, you prove it’s not a fluke.
“My biggest thrill, though, was winning the big bass award for the day,” Fox added.
Fox said his five keeper bites came on a variety of baits, including a Strike King spinnerbait. Fox said he keyed on shallow stumps that had grass around them.
Rounding out the top five boaters are Mike Perrigin of Gordo, Ala. (five bass, 11-02, $2,179); David Dove of Steens, Miss. (five bass, 10-10, $1,452); Gary Harlan of Tishomingo, Miss. (four bass, 10-01, $1,017) and Mike Hoover of Jackson, Tenn. (four bass, 10-00, $872).
Fox took home the Boater Division Snickers Big Bass award, earning $625 for a 5-pound, 14-ounce bass he caught.
Roger Reid of Arlington, Tenn., earned $2,179 as the co-angler winner Saturday thanks to three bass weighing 9 pounds, 4 ounces.
Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Rick McKlemurry of Brandon, Miss. (three bass, 7-05, $1,090); Wesley Wheat of Meridian, Miss. (four bass, 5-13, $725); Michael Pfeiffer of Columbus, Miss. (three bass, 5-08, $509) and Sammy Mitchell of Russellville, Ala. (three bass, 5-07, $436).
McKlemurry earned $312 as the co-angler Big Bass winner after catching a 4-pound, 10-ounce bass.
Mississippi Division anglers will visit Tunica Lake in Tunica, Miss., June 14 for their fourth regular-season event. A two-day Super Tournament, the division’s fifth and final event, will be held on Lake Ferguson in Greenville, Miss., Sept. 6-7.
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 Wheeler Lake 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® offers anyone the opportunity to enter for their chance to land the catch of a lifetime with the opportunity to win $7.3 million in cash and prizes. 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, visit 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.