04-24-2012, 10:10 PM
BRISTOL, Tenn. - Joe Lee of Knoxville, Tenn., weighed a five-bass limit totaling 18 pounds, 2 ounces Saturday to win the Walmart Bass Fishing League Volunteer Division event on the South Holston Reservoir. For his victory, Lee earned $4,505.
"Coming in I had decided that I was going to fish the lower end of the lake," said Lee. "I was trying to target the spawning smallmouths that were up on the sides of coves and up the big creek arms. It turned out to be a good decision for me, as I caught 15 bass today. I did catch a few largemouth as well, but they were a little deeper and were still in the pre-spawn phase I believe."
"I was using a 4-inch green pumpkin-colored Berkley Finesse Worm," Lee continued. "I was fishing with 8-pound test fluorocarbon line and fishing it extremely slow. They were up real shallow; I couldn't see them, but I think they were on the beds. I also caught a few largemouth on a green pumpkin-colored Berkley Havoc Pit Boss. I'm really looking forward to the next tournament on Douglas Lake and continuing my goal of a fourth-straight points championship in the Volunteer division."
Rounding out the top 10 pros were:
Boater Joe Lee of Knoxville, Tenn., took first in the April 21 Volunteer Division event on South Holston Reservoir with a total weight of 18 pounds, 2 ounces.
2nd: Rod Grayson, Bristol, Va., five bass, 17-11, $1,753
3rd: Ken Vicchio, Bluff City, Tenn., five bass, 16-15, $1,169 + $1,000 Evinrude Bonus<br />
4th: Willie Browning, Saltville, Va., five bass, 16-11, $818<br />
5th: Tim Hicks, Kingsport, Tenn., five bass, 15-11, $701<br />
6th: David Martin, Check, Va., five bass, 15-10, $643<br />
7th: Joe Leonard, Bristol, Va., five bass, 14-15, $584<br />
8th: Guy Sams, Elizabethton, Tenn., five bass, 14-14, $526<br />
9th: Jonathan Henry, Grant, Ala., five bass, 14-10, $467<br />
10th: Derrick Blake, Rockwood, Tenn., five bass, 14-5, $388<br />
10th: Anthony Rife, Woodlawn, Va., five bass, 14-5, $388
Complete results can be found at FLWOutdoors.com.
Brandon Booher of Bristol, Tenn., weighed in four bass totaling 15 pounds, 1 ounce Saturday to win $1,753 in the co-angler division.
Rounding out the top 10 co-anglers were:
2nd: Michael Carter, Church Hill, Tenn., five bass, 12-11, $876<br />
3rd: Kenneth Palmer, Lenoir City, Tenn., four bass, 12-6, $585<br />
4th: Doug Neal, Blountville, Tenn., four bass, 12-2, $409<br />
5th: Stephen Wagner, Elizabethton, Tenn., five bass, 11-11, $351<br />
6th: Greg Ray, Bandy, Va., five bass, 11-5, $321<br />
7th: Lester Botts, Blountville, Tenn., three bass, 11-3, $277<br />
7th: Clint Dyer, Jonesbough, Tenn., five bass, 11-3, $277<br />
9th: Jason Yates, Dandridge, Tenn., five bass, 10-4, $23<br />
10th: Chris Seese, Lenoir City, Tenn., five bass, 9-9, $204
The next BFL Volunteer Division tournament is scheduled for May 12 on Douglas Lake in Kodak, Tenn. After the fifth Volunteer 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<br />
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 FLWOutdoors.com or FantasyFishing.com and look for FLW on Twitter and Facebook.
www.FLWOutdoors.com
Media Contact<br />
Chad Gay, Director of Public Relations, (270) 703-3346 or cgay@flwoutdoors.com<br />
Julie Huber, Communications Specialist, (612) 337-1810 (w), (612) 812-9512 (m) or julie.huber@jacobs-mgmt.com<br />
Joe Opager, Communications Specialist, (612) 337-1989 (w), (218) 434-0748 (m) or joe.opager@jacobs-mgmt.com
"Coming in I had decided that I was going to fish the lower end of the lake," said Lee. "I was trying to target the spawning smallmouths that were up on the sides of coves and up the big creek arms. It turned out to be a good decision for me, as I caught 15 bass today. I did catch a few largemouth as well, but they were a little deeper and were still in the pre-spawn phase I believe."
"I was using a 4-inch green pumpkin-colored Berkley Finesse Worm," Lee continued. "I was fishing with 8-pound test fluorocarbon line and fishing it extremely slow. They were up real shallow; I couldn't see them, but I think they were on the beds. I also caught a few largemouth on a green pumpkin-colored Berkley Havoc Pit Boss. I'm really looking forward to the next tournament on Douglas Lake and continuing my goal of a fourth-straight points championship in the Volunteer division."
Rounding out the top 10 pros were:
Boater Joe Lee of Knoxville, Tenn., took first in the April 21 Volunteer Division event on South Holston Reservoir with a total weight of 18 pounds, 2 ounces.
2nd: Rod Grayson, Bristol, Va., five bass, 17-11, $1,753
3rd: Ken Vicchio, Bluff City, Tenn., five bass, 16-15, $1,169 + $1,000 Evinrude Bonus<br />
4th: Willie Browning, Saltville, Va., five bass, 16-11, $818<br />
5th: Tim Hicks, Kingsport, Tenn., five bass, 15-11, $701<br />
6th: David Martin, Check, Va., five bass, 15-10, $643<br />
7th: Joe Leonard, Bristol, Va., five bass, 14-15, $584<br />
8th: Guy Sams, Elizabethton, Tenn., five bass, 14-14, $526<br />
9th: Jonathan Henry, Grant, Ala., five bass, 14-10, $467<br />
10th: Derrick Blake, Rockwood, Tenn., five bass, 14-5, $388<br />
10th: Anthony Rife, Woodlawn, Va., five bass, 14-5, $388
Complete results can be found at FLWOutdoors.com.
Brandon Booher of Bristol, Tenn., weighed in four bass totaling 15 pounds, 1 ounce Saturday to win $1,753 in the co-angler division.
Rounding out the top 10 co-anglers were:
2nd: Michael Carter, Church Hill, Tenn., five bass, 12-11, $876<br />
3rd: Kenneth Palmer, Lenoir City, Tenn., four bass, 12-6, $585<br />
4th: Doug Neal, Blountville, Tenn., four bass, 12-2, $409<br />
5th: Stephen Wagner, Elizabethton, Tenn., five bass, 11-11, $351<br />
6th: Greg Ray, Bandy, Va., five bass, 11-5, $321<br />
7th: Lester Botts, Blountville, Tenn., three bass, 11-3, $277<br />
7th: Clint Dyer, Jonesbough, Tenn., five bass, 11-3, $277<br />
9th: Jason Yates, Dandridge, Tenn., five bass, 10-4, $23<br />
10th: Chris Seese, Lenoir City, Tenn., five bass, 9-9, $204
The next BFL Volunteer Division tournament is scheduled for May 12 on Douglas Lake in Kodak, Tenn. After the fifth Volunteer 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<br />
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 FLWOutdoors.com or FantasyFishing.com and look for FLW on Twitter and Facebook.
www.FLWOutdoors.com
Media Contact<br />
Chad Gay, Director of Public Relations, (270) 703-3346 or cgay@flwoutdoors.com<br />
Julie Huber, Communications Specialist, (612) 337-1810 (w), (612) 812-9512 (m) or julie.huber@jacobs-mgmt.com<br />
Joe Opager, Communications Specialist, (612) 337-1989 (w), (218) 434-0748 (m) or joe.opager@jacobs-mgmt.com