MORRISTOWN, Tenn. – David Mullins of Mount Carmel, Tenn., weighed a five-bass limit totaling 18 pounds, 2 ounces Saturday to win the Walmart Bass Fishing League Volunteer Division event on Lake Cherokee. For his victory, Mullins earned $3,418 plus a $1,000 Mercury bonus.
“Both my co-angler and I were able to catch a quick limit on Saturday using crankbaits and a Carolina rig,” said Mullins. “About 9:30 I moved to another spot to try and catch better quality fish. I caught two 5-pounders on back-to-back casts with a swimbait.”
Mullins said the key to his victory was his Lowrance electronics that enabled him to locate deep fish. He was fishing in about 25 feet of water and said the fish were at about 20 feet.
“The real challenge on Cherokee is finding the quality fish, as the bass like to roam on this lake,” Mullins continued. “I had located several schools I thought I could run on Saturday and was fortunate to find a hole that held two kicker bass for me.”
Rounding out the top 10 boaters:
2nd: Kevin Powers, Unicoi, Tenn., five bass, 15-15, $1,709
3rd: Kevin Edwards, Knoxville, Tenn., five bass, 14-14, $968
3rd: Jack Faulkner II, Jacksboro, Tenn., five bass, 14-14, $968
5th: Guy Sams, Elizabethton, Tenn., five bass, 14-11, $684
6th: Rex Huff, Corbin, Ky., five bass, 14-5, $627
7th: Joe Lee, Knoxville, Tenn., five bass, 14-0, $570
8th: Bobby Ferguson, Chuckey, Tenn., five bass, 13-15, $484
8th: Jimbo Harris, Maryville, Tenn., five bass, 13-15, $484
10th: Jonathan Henry, Grant Ala., five bass, 13-6, $399
Complete results can be found here.
Saddler strikes again
Jonathan Saddler of Bristol, Tenn., weighed in a five-bass limit totaling 13 pounds, 12 ounces Saturday to win $1,628 in the co-angler division.
Rounding out the top 10 co-anglers:
2nd: Jonathan Hankins, North Tazewell, Va., five bass, 10-15, $814
3rd: Chris Seese, Lenoir City, Tenn., five bass, 10-11, $542
4th: Jason Yates, Dandridge, Tenn., five bass, 10-2, $380
5th: Kevin Simmons, Christiansburg, Va., five bass, 10-1, $326
6th: David Shreve, Knoxville, Tenn., five bass, 10-0, $298
7th: Colby Frost, Abingdon, Va., three bass, 9-5, $271
8th: Justin McGaha, Knoxville, Tenn., five bass, 8-13, $244
9th: Joshua Metz, Knoxville, Tenn., four bass, 8-4, $217
10th: Richard Wolfe, White Pine, Tenn., four bass, 8-3, $190
Complete co-angler results can be found here.
The next BFL Volunteer Division tournament is scheduled for Sept. 8-9 on Watts Bar Lake in Rockwood, 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. 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 FLWOutdoors.com or FantasyFishing.com and look for FLW on Twitter and Facebook.
