COLUMBUS, MS. (April 30, 2012) – Jamie Long of Amory, Miss., weighed a five-bass limit totaling 16 pounds, 13 ounces Saturday to win the Walmart Bass Fishing League Mississippi Division event on the Columbus Pool. For his victory, Long earned $3,879.
“There was a post-spawn deal going on,” said Long. “I caught all my fish coming off beds. I was flipping grass and hyacinth in about 1 to 3 feet of water. I got one bass with a frog, but the rest came on worms. I pretty much stuck to one area all day; I had three or four different beds that I was targeting within 100 yards of each other.”
Long indicated that it was partly cloudy to sunny and that more cloud cover probably would have improved his bite. According to Long, the sun was pulling the bass under the mats, and the afternoon bite was non-existent. Long said he had caught all of his fish by 10:30.
Rounding out the top 10 boaters were:
| 2nd: | Cody Nichols | Fayette, Ala. | five bass | 16-4 | $1,940 |
| 3rd: | Jerry Gilliam | Ethelsville, Ala. | five bass | 14-7 | $1,293 |
| 4th: | Andrew Schrock | Aberdeen, Miss. | five bass | 13-4 | $905 |
| 5th: | Chase Harris | Columbus, Miss. | five bass | 12-2 | $776 |
| 6th: | Monte Knight | Meridian, Miss. | five bass | 11-3 | $711 |
| 7th: | Tom Childress | Union, Miss. | five bass | 10-14 | $647 |
| 8th: | Robert Powell | Clarksdale, Miss. | five bass | 10-13 | $582 |
| 9th: | Brandon Bolton | West Point, Miss. | ive bass | 10-10 | $517 |
| 10th: | Gene Brown | West Point, Miss. | four bass | 10-7 | $453 |
Tommy Dove of Ethelsville, Ala., weighed four bass totaling 9 pounds, 14 ounces Saturday to win $1,940 in the co-angler division.
Rounding out the top 10 co-anglers were:
| 2nd: | Bill Smith | Ocean Springs, Miss. | four bass | 8-2 | $970 |
| 3rd: | Bernard Crump | Jackson, Miss. | four bass | 7-1 | $646 |
| 4th: | Douglas Vierling | Gulfport, Miss. | three bass | 7-0 | $453 |
| 5th: | Jerry Cunningham | Millport, Ala. | four bass | 6-8 | $388 |
| 6th: | Curtis Powell | Brandon, Miss. | four bass | 6-4 | $356 |
| 7th: | Jimmy Ledsworth | Columbus, Miss. | two bass | 6-1 | $323 |
| 8th: | Lance Jackson | Starkville, Miss. | three bass | 5-12 | $291 |
| 9th: | Ansel Davis | Tylertown, Miss. | three bass | 5-11 | $259 |
| 10th: | Tim Davis | Laurel, Miss. | three bass | 5-10 | $226 |
The next BFL Mississippi Division tournament is scheduled for June 16 on Lake Ferguson in Greenville, Miss. After the fifth event in the Mississippi 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 the Red River in Natchitoches, La. 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: Julie Huber,
