ROGERSVILLE, Ala. (Oct. 25, 2004) - Boater Grant Goldbeck of Gaithersburg, Md., leads the list of six anglers who earned a ticket to the 2005 All-American at this weekend's Bass Fishing League Wheeler Lake Regional bass fishing tournament. Qualifying anglers from four BFL divisions advanced to the regional, and Goldbeck topped the leaderboard with a three-day catch weighing 32 pounds, 11 ounces that earned him a new Chevy truck and an Evinrude- or Yamaha-powered Ranger boat.
The top 30 boaters and top 30 co-anglers from the Bulldog, LBL, Mountain and Shenandoah divisions comprised the Wheeler Lake Regional field, and Goldbeck ranked No. 1 in Shenandoah Division points standings to earn a regional berth. He caught 14 pounds, 12 ounces on day one and followed that up with another 4 pounds, 13 ounces on day two, and he wrapped up the win with a final-day catch that weighed 13 pounds, 2 ounces. He caught his tournament-winning bass on a tube just six miles from the launch site at Joe Wheeler State Park in Rogersville.
Goldberg also earned a $1,000 bonus from Ranger Boats as the highest-finishing participant in the Ranger Cup incentive program. Garmin also awarded him $1,000 for using qualifying Garmin electronics exclusively during the event.
Rounding out Boater Division anglers heading to the All-American are Robert Langford of Danville, Ky. (29 pounds, 14 ounces, $5,000); Brad Burkhart of Speedwell, Tenn. (28 pounds, 13 ounces, $2,500); John Pearson of Perry, Ga. (26 pounds, 5 ounces, $2,000); Brian Hickey of Cadiz, Ky. (24 pounds, 8 ounces, $1,500); and Britt Cone of Benton, Ky. (18 pounds, 6 ounces, $1,100).
Cloverdale, Va., resident John Vest won the Co-angler Division with a three-day total of 22 pounds, 4 ounces. He caught his winning stringer on a crankbait. Vest advanced to the regional from the Shenandoah Division, where he ranked 26th in year-end points standings. He won an Evinrude- or Yamaha-powered Ranger boat for his regional win.
Rounding out the top six co-anglers who will advance to the All-American are Joseph Brockman of Clarksville, Tenn. (22 pounds, 2 ounces, $2,500); John Skipper of Dothan (20 pounds, 4 ounces, $1,250); Steve Caudill of Morehead, Ky. (17 pounds, 2 ounces, $1,000); David Lambert of Middletown, Ohio (15 pounds, 9 ounces, $750); and Warren Palmer of Lexington, Ky. (13 pounds, 14 ounces, $550).
All-American qualifiers from the Wheeler Lake Regional will join competitors that advance from five other regionals plus the Wild Card for an All-American field of 42 boaters and 42 co-anglers. The winning boater will earn $100,000 cash and the winning boater will earn $50,000 cash. The location and date of the 2005 All-American will be announced at a later date.