Frank Kitchens III of Conyers, Ga., weighed a five-bass limit totaling 20 pounds, 5 ounces Saturday to win the Walmart Bass Fishing League Bulldog Division event on Lake Sinclair. For his victory, Kitchens earned $3,889.
“I’ve fished Lake Sinclair quite a bit in the past,”said Kitchens. “But it’s been three years since I last fished it. I ended up having a real good day. It was partly cloudy and warm – a real nice day to be out on the water. I had my limit by 11:30 a.m.
“I was fishing a Lunker Lure Buzzbait, and caught all of my fish on that. I switched up to a jig and tried flipping docks later in the afternoon, but all of my fish I weighed in came on the buzzbait. I was fishing about a half-mile up the Oconee River looking for the bass that were suspended out in front of the grassy areas. I was fishing 10 to 15 feet in front of the grass, targeting 8 to 10 feet of water. I caught 12 fish on the day, so I was having success. I’m happy I had enough to get the win and I’m looking forward to the next Bulldog event at Oconee.”
Rounding out the top 10 pros were:
Boater Frank Kitchens III of Conyers, Ga., took first in the April 21 Bulldog Division event on Lake Sinclair with a total weight of 20 pounds, 5 ounces.
| 2nd: | Justin Lanier | Macon, Ga. | five bass | 16-2 | $1,944 |
| 3rd: | Walter Green | Milledgeville, Ga. | five bass | 15-4 | $1,297 |
| 4th: | David Millsaps | Ranger, Ga. | five bass | 14-14 | $907 |
| 5th: | Brett Self | Griffin, Ga. | five bass | 14-6 | $778 |
| 6th: | David Koski | Canton, Ga. | five bass | 13-15 | $713 |
| 7th: | Kim Carver | Milledgeville, Ga. | five bass | 13-11 | $648 + $1,000 Evinrude Bonus |
| 8th: | Alan Brightwell | Moultrie, Ga. | five bass | 13-6 | $583 |
| 9th: | Mike Cleveland | Monticello, Ga. | five bass | 13-2 | $519 |
| 10th: | Karey Dickerson | Dahlonega, Ga. | five bass | 12-11 | $454 |
John Blevins of Cumming, Ga., weighed a five-bass limit totaling 10 pounds, 13 ounces Saturday to win $1,944 in the co-angler division.
Rounding out the top 10 co-anglers were:
| 2nd: | Chuck Delorme | Folly Beach, S.C. | five bass | 10-12 | $972 |
| 3rd: | Harold Grizzle | Gainesville, Ga. | five bass | 9-10 | $649 |
| 4th: | Robert Fleming | McDonough, Ga. | five bass | 7-15 | $454 |
| 5th: | Mike Mahady | Kennesaw, Ga. | five bass | 7-13 | $389 |
| 6th: | Jason Gamage | Tifton, Ga. | four bass | 7-3 | $324 |
| 6th: | Frank Godwin Jr. | Bainbridge, Ga. | five bass | 7-3 | $324 |
| 6th: | Kyle Parks | Albany, Ga. | five bass | 7-3 | $324 |
| 9th: | Darryl Johnson | Flowery Branch, Ga. | three bass | 6-15 | $259 |
| 10th: | William James | Lawrenceville, Ga. | five bass | 6-11 | $227 |
The next BFL Bulldog Division tournament is scheduled for June 6 on Lake Oconee in Buckhead, Ga. After the fifth Bulldog Division tournament is complete, the top 40 boaters and 40 co-anglers based on point standings will qualify for the Oct. 18-20 Regional Championship on Pickwick Lake in Florence, Ala. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518 with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard and a Chevy Silverado, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518 with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard.
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 2012 BFL All-American is being held May 17 – 19 on the Potomac River in National Harbor, Md. Top winners in the BFL can move up to the EverStart Series or even the Walmart FLW Tour.
ABOUT FLW
FLW is the industry’s premier tournament-fishing organization, providing unparalleled fishing resources and entertainment to our sponsors, fans and host communities. FLW is offering anglers of all skill levels the opportunity to compete for millions in prize money nationwide in 2012 over the course of 191 tournaments across five tournament circuits, each providing an avenue to the sport’s richest payday and most coveted championship trophy – the Forrest Wood Cup. FLW is committed to providing a lifestyle experience that is the “Best in Fishing, On and Off the Water,”through a variety of platforms including tournaments, outdoor expos and the world’s richest fantasy sports game – FLW Fantasy Fishing. For more information about FLW and FLW Fantasy Fishing, visit the FLWOutdoors or FantasyFishing websites and look for FLW on Twitter and Facebook.By: Joe Opager, Communications Specialist
