Casey Martin of New Market, Ala., weighed a five-bass limit totaling 24 pounds even Saturday to win the Walmart Bass Fishing League Choo Choo Division event on Lake Guntersville. For his victory, Martin earned $3,963 plus a $2,000 bonus from Ranger and a $1,000 bonus from Evinrude.
“The lake is fishing tough for Guntersville standards,” said Martin, who said he is looking forward to the EverStart Series event on Guntersville that starts on Wednesday. “You only needed 13-plus pounds to get a check in this tournament, whereas in the past it would have taken at least 16 pounds. I was lucky that I was able to get a couple of nice bites early, and that is really what is going to be key at the EverStart this week ? getting early bites. This win puts a lot of pressure on me. A lot of guys are watching me now. But it was nice to get the win.
Lake Guntersville BFL winner, Casey Martin of New Market, Ala. (Click here to download image)
“I caught a couple of nice bass early off a shad spawn using an Omega Swim Jig,” Martin continued. “The afternoon bite was pretty much non-existent. I went deep, about 12 feet, and caught a couple more solid 4- to 5-pounders late in the afternoon.
Rounding out the top 10 boaters were:
| 2nd: | Ryan Ollard | Pell City,Ala. | five bass | 21-13 | $1,981 |
| 3rd: | Jason Cooper | Shelbyville, Tenn. | five bass | 21-2 | $1,322 |
| 4th: | Leon Knight | Guntersville, Ala. | five bass | 20-14 | $925 |
| 5th: | Joe Walters | Summertown, Tenn. | five bass | 18-12 | $793 |
| 6th: | Bruce Neal | Lancaster, Ohio | five bass | 18-3 | $727 |
| 7th: | Dustin Evans | Eads, Tenn. | five bass | 17-7 | $660 |
| 8th: | Corey Bradley | McDonald, Tenn. | five bass | 17-6 | $594 |
| 9th: | Jason Tucker | Dutton, Ala. | five bass | 17-1 | $528 |
| 10th: | Brad Carroll | Hiram, Ga. | five bass | 16-11 | $462 |
Lee Graves of Southside, Ala., weighed a five-bass limit totaling 17 pounds, 10 ounces Saturday to win $1,981 in the co-angler division.
Rounding out the top 10 co-anglers were:
| 2nd: | Scooter Parish | Madison, Ala. | five bass | 14-7 | $991 |
| 3rd: | Frelon Moore | Albertville, Ala. | five bass | 13-7 | $562 |
| Jerry Nydam | Arab, Ala. | five bass | 13-7 | $562 | |
| 5th: | John Hayes | Haleyville, Ala. | five bass | 13-1 | $396 |
| 6th: | Randy Brewington | Moulton, Ala. | five bass | 12-12 | $346 |
| Charles Nails | Rainbow City, Ala. | four bass | 12-12 | $346 | |
| 8th: | Phillip Criss | Scottsboro, Ala. | three bass | 12-2 | $297 |
| 9th: | Kibbee McCoy | Crossville, Tenn. | five bass | 12-1 | $264 |
| 10th: | Justin Sward | Birmingham,Ala. | five bass | 11-15 | $231 |
The next BFL Choo Choo Division tournament is the two-day super tournament scheduled for Sept. 15-16 on Lake Guntersville in Guntersville, Ala. After this Choo Choo 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 Lake Seminole in Bainbridge, Fla. 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,
