Noel Smith of Ashland City, Tenn., weighed a five-bass limit totaling 19 pounds, 12 ounces Saturday to win the Walmart Bass Fishing League Music City Division event on the Lake Barkley. For his victory, Smith earned $2,883.
“I knew if I could get to my area early I would have a good chance of winning,”said Smith, whose sweet spot was shallow backwater. “I pulled up to my spot before 7 a.m. and caught two nice keepers within five minutes. Then it went dead; I needed the wind to pick up and blow the shad in, but it wasn’t there yet, so I made the long run and headed across the state line into Kentucky.
“I was able to fill my limit in Kentucky waters,”Smith continued. “But I didn’t think it was enough. The wind had picked up, so I headed back to the area where I started because I knew there were big fish there. I got there with only an hour left to fish. The wind had picked up enough to push the shad in, and I got two 5-pounders within five minutes. It was enough to push me over the top.?
Smith said that he was “churning mud”most of the day fishing water that was less than a foot deep. He was flipping black and blue jigs with Strike King Rage Tail Chunks as well as Punisher spinnerbaits.
Rounding out the top 10 boaters were:
| 2nd: | Adam Vance | Mount Juliet, Tenn. | five bass | 18-10 | $1,442 |
| 3rd: | Drew Boggs | Lebanon, Tenn. | five bass | 17-7 | $960 |
| 4th: | Gary Singleton | Dickson, Tenn. | five bass | 16-12 | $673 |
| 5th: | Brent Anderson | Kingston Springs, Tenn. | five bass | 16-8 | $577 |
| 6th: | Phillip Haley | Auburn,Ky. | five bass | 16-3 | $505 |
| Robert Reagan | Byrdstown, Tenn. | five bass | 16-3 | $505 | |
| 8th: | Greg Rollins | Monteagle, Tenn. | five bass | 16-1 | $408 |
| Larry Sisk | Evansville, Ind. | five bass | 16-1 | $408 | |
| 10th: | Marty Sisk | Evansville, Ind. | five bass | 15-7 | $336 |
Chad Johnson of Sparta Tenn., weighed a five-bass limit totaling 17 pounds, 8 ounces Saturday to win $1 442 in the co-angler division.
Rounding out the top 10 co-anglers were:
| 2nd: | Jeff Emerton | Hillham, Tenn. | five bass | 16-5 | $721 |
| 3rd: | Jamie Saylor | Knoxville, Tenn. | five bass | 15-3 | $483 |
| 4th: | Denny Strunk | Tullahoma, Tenn. | five bass | 15-0 | $336 |
| 5th: | Lucas Medlin | Cookeville, Tenn. | five bass | 13-6 | $288 |
| 6th: | Tim Huddleston | Paducah, Ky. | five bass | 12-14 | $264 |
| 7th: | Billy Gardner | Livingston, Tenn. | five bass | 11-7 | $240 |
| 8th: | Charles Bennington | Scottsville, Ky. | five bass | 10-11 | $216 |
| 9th: | David Welcher | Burns, Tenn. | four bass | 10-8 | $192 |
| 10th: | John Cook | Jamestown, Tenn. | five bass | 10-1 | $168 |
The next BFL Music City Division tournament is scheduled for June 30 on Old Hickory Lake in Gallatin, Tenn. After the fifth event in the Music City Division tournament is complete, the top 40 boaters and 40 co-anglers based on point standings will qualify for the Oct. 4-6 Regional Championship on Cherokee Lake in Morristown, Tenn. 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,
