ROGERSVILLE, Ala. - Boater Corey Bradley of Chattanooga, Tenn., earned $5,000 Saturday as winner of the Bass Fishing League Choo Choo Division bass fishing tournament on Wheeler Lake. The tournament was the second of five regular-season Choo Choo Division events and featured 200 boaters vying for the win, which earned Bradley 200 points in the Boater Division.
Bradley's winning catch of five bass weighed 13 pounds, 12 ounces. This is his first year to fish from the front of the boat in the Boater Division. He ranked seventh last year in Choo Choo Division co-angler standings.
Finishing second was Barry Godbee of Cullman with five bass weighing 13 pounds, 5 ounces that earned him $2,500. Robert Grape of Southside claimed $1,700 as the third-place finisher thanks to five bass weighing 11 pounds, 6 ounces. In fourth was Jonathan Newton of Rogersville with five bass weighing 11 pounds, 4 ounces worth $1,300, and tied for fifth and earning $1,000 each were Rusty Strickland of Athens and Michael Fitzpatrick of Cartersville, Ga. Both anglers caught four bass that weighed 10 pounds, 15 ounces.
Godbee earned a $500 bonus from Ranger Boats as the highest-finishing participant in the Ranger Cup incentive program. Greg Buie of Athens and Mike Davis of Sheffield tied for Boater Division big-bass award honors. Both earned $500 for a 5-pound, 8-ounce bass.
Roger Smart of Woodville bested 198 Co-angler Division competitors to earn $2,493 as the co-angler winner, thanks to five bass weighing 10 pounds, 5 ounces.
Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Victor Rowe of Ooltewah, Tenn. (five bass, 9 pounds, 8 ounces, $1,247); Alan Ray Smart of Pisgah (two bass, 9 pounds, 4 ounces, $848); Allan Garner of Estill Springs, Tenn. (five bass, 8 pounds, 8 ounces, $648); and Chris Scott of Florence (four bass, 8 pounds, 3 ounces, $548).
Smart and Jay Brewer of Collinwood, Tenn., both earned $247 as the co-angler big-bass award winners with a 5-pound, 13-ounce bass.
The Choo Choo Division's next event will be held May 1 on Weiss Lake near Cedar Bluff, followed by an event on Neely Henry in Gadsden June 26. The Choo Choo Division will wrap up its regular season Oct. 2-3 with a two-day Super Tournament on Guntersville Lake near Guntersville.