For additional information, please contact:
Dave Washburn, communications director, (270) 252-1607
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ROBINSON WINS WAL-MART BASS FISHING LEAGUE SUPER TOURNAMENT ON PEARL
RIVER
SLIDELL, La. (Sept. 30, 2002) – Robert Robinson of Mobile, Ala., topped
29 Boater Division competitors on the Pearl River this weekend with a
five-bass catch weighing 12 pounds, 5 ounces. He earned $3,003 and 300
points for the win at the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League Gulf Coast
Division season finale.
After qualifying for the final round of the two-day Super Tournament
in second place with an opening-day catch of five bass weighing 8
pounds, 6 ounces, Robinson out-fished runner-up Herbert Dicharry of
Gulfport, Miss., by 3 pounds, 13 ounces to take the win. Robinson caught
his limit on day two using a black and blue jig.
Dicharry qualified for the final round in first place with five bass
weighing 10 pounds, 3 ounces and finished up with a five-bass catch
weighing 8 pounds, 8 ounces to win $1,501.
Randy Speights of Saraland, Ala. (five bass, 8 pounds, 6 ounces,
$813); Jesse Draime of Long Beach, Miss. (two bass, 2 pounds, 3 ounces,
$688); and Emery Burch III of Hattiesburg, Miss., (one bass, 1 pound, 14
ounces, $563) rounded out the top five boaters.
Speights earned a $500 bonus as the highest-finishing participant in
the Ranger Cup incentive program. Dicharry and Burch tied for boater
big-bass honors with a 3-pound, 9-ounce bass. Each earned $145 for their
big bass.
Steve Morgan of Grand Bay, Ala., topped 29 competitors in the
Co-angler Division to take first place and $1,501 thanks to a
final-round catch of five bass weighing 10 pounds, 2 ounces. Second
place in the division and $751 went to Chris Hults of Gautier, Miss.,
with a four-bass catch weighing 5 pounds, 10 ounces, followed by Gary
Garrick of Dickinson, Ala., in third place with one bass weighing 2
pounds, 11 ounces worth $407.
Michael Blackburn of Slidell, La., won the co-angler big-bass award of
$145 with a 3-pound, 4-ounce bass he caught using a worm.
Draime is the Gulf Coast Division’s Yamaha “Be the Best” points
leader, winning $1,000 for the 1,046 points he earned during five
regular-season tournaments. Hults is the Yamaha “Be the Best” points
leader in the Co-angler Division. He earned $500 for his
division-leading 1,072 points.
The top 30 boaters and top 30 co-anglers in the Gulf Coast Division
will advance to regional competition Oct. 29-Nov. 2 on Lake Hamilton
near Hot Springs, Ark., where they will go up against top competitors
from the Louisiana, Okie and Ozark divisions for a shot at qualifying
for the BFL All-American, one of the most lucrative postseason
tournaments in competitive angling.
2002 BFL awards could reach $7 million based on full fields.
Sponsors of the 2002 Wal-Mart BFL are Wal-Mart, ALPO Pet Foods, BC
Powder, BFGoodrich Tires, Castrol, Chevy Trucks, Conseco, Energizer,
EverStart Batteries, Evinrude, Faded Glory, Frito-Lay, FujiFilm, Garmin,
Kellogg’s, Land O’Lakes, Minn Kota, Newell Rubbermaid, Pepsi, Poulan,
Ranger Boats, Shop-Vac, Snickers, Stanley Works, Stren, U.S. Bank, Weed
Eater and Yamaha Outboards.