Pro Bart Blakelock of Lake Charles, La., caught a five-bass limit weighing 18 pounds even Saturday to win the FLW American Fishing Series Texas Division tournament on Toledo Bend with a three-day total of 15 bass weighing 66 pounds, 2 ounces. For his victory, Blakelock earned $21,943.
“Everything went my way today,” said Blakelock, who posted his first FLW Outdoors victory. “I was so shook up I couldn’t hardly speak on stage. I just thank the good Lord and my fianc? and my kids for putting up with me being gone from home. As a kid, I always wanted to fish a big circuit and win a big event.”
Blakelock said he caught the majority of his large fish on a Peanut Butter Jelly-colored Stanley Bugeye jig but also fished a Texas-rigged Junebug-colored NetBait 10-inch finesse worm as well as Firetiger Norman DD22 and shad-colored Lucky Craft crankbaits.
“I had big fish all three days,” said Blakelock. “I had a limit in about 20 minutes today that weighed 12 pounds.”
Blakelock said after he caught his limit he hit seven or eight more spots to cull fish and lost a fish he estimated at 8 pounds. On the first cast of the last stop of his day, Blakelock caught his big fish, a 9-pounder that helped seal the win.
Rounding out the top five pros were:
| 2nd: | Wayne Ebarb | Many, La. | 15 bass | 61-13 | $7,461 |
| 3rd: | Lamonte Loyd | Gilmer, Texas | 15 bass | 60-14 | $5,266 |
| 4th: | Jeremy Guidry | Opelousas, La.. | 15 bass | 57-0 | $4,389 |
| 5th: | Ryan Pinkston | Center, Texas | 15 bass | 55-15 | , $3,950 |
Blakelock caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the Pro Division Friday – a 9-pound, 12-ounce bass – that earned him the day’s Big Bass award of $246.
Larry Cotten of Huffman, Texas, won the Co-angler Division and $8,858 cash, with a three-day total of 12 bass weighing 46 pounds, 6 ounces.
Rounding out the top five co-anglers were:
| 2nd: | Jeff Sprague | Forney, Texas | 15 bass, | 39-10 | $3,543 |
| 3rd: | David Underwood | Waco, Texas | 12 bass | 37-13 | $1,772 |
| 4th: | Chris Weaver | Lawton, Okla. | 13 bass | 34-4 | $1,550 |
| 5th: | Kelly Stevens | Alexandria, La. | 11 bass | 33-3 | $1,329 |
Troy Dickerson of Abilene, Texas, caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the Co-angler Division Thursday – an 8-pound, 8-ounce bass – that earned him the day’s Big Bass award of $164.
The top pro and co-angler based on point standings from each of the FLW American Fishing Series divisions – Central, Northern, Southeast and Texas – will qualify for the 2011 Forrest Wood Cup. The top 50 pros and co-anglers from each division also qualify for the American Fishing Series Invitational on Wheeler Lake in Decatur, Ala., Nov. 4-6, with the winning pro and co-angler also advancing to the Forrest Wood Cup.
ABOUT FLW OUTDOORS
FLW Outdoors, named after Forrest L. Wood, the legendary founder of Ranger Boats, is the largest fishing tournament organization in the world offering anglers worldwide the opportunity to compete for millions over the course of 189 tournaments in 2010. F. For more information about FLW Outdoors and its tournaments, call (270) 252-1000.By: Julie Huber,
