GUNTERSVILLE, Ala. (Sept. 29, 2003) - Marshall Deakins of Dunlap, Tenn., caught 10 bass weighing 36 pounds, 11 ounces to win $7,196 at the Bass Fishing League Bama Division Super Bass Fishing Tournament, on Guntersville Lake near Guntersville. Deakins bested 130 Boater Division competitors and earned 300 points at the tournament, which was the fifth and final Bama Division event of the regular season.
Deakins caught five bass Saturday weighing 15 pounds, 13 ounces and caught another five weighing 20 pounds, 14 ounces Sunday to win the event. He caught his tournament-winning bass on the grass mats at the north end of the lake. He earned a $1,000 bonus from Ranger Boats as the highest-finishing participant in the Ranger Cup incentive program, and he earned another $1,000 from Garmin for using a fixed-mount Garmin Fishfinder or combination GPS/sounder during the event.
Rounding out the top five boaters are Terry Tucker of Gadsden (10 bass, 32 pounds, 1 ounce); Jeff Helms of Garden City (10 bass, 30 pounds, 8 ounces); Thomas Southern of Sylacauga (eight bass, 30 pounds); and Johnathan Keel of Scottsboro (eight bass, 29 pounds, 12 ounces).
Edward Gettys of Stevenson claimed $1,300 as the Boater Division big-bass award winner with a 6-pound, 13-ounce bass.
Jimmy Kornegay of Brent led 124 Co-angler Division competitors on day two to claim $3,538 as the Super Tournament co-angler winner. He caught five bass Saturday weighing 15 pounds, 9 ounces and followed that up Sunday with three bass weighing 24 pounds, 13 ounces to earn the win. He caught his tournament-winning bass on a 1/2-ounce black and blue jig.
Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Phillip Dukes of Rainsville (seven bass, 20 pounds, 5 ounces); Michael Godwin of Douglasville, Ga. (five bass, 19 pounds, 1 ounce); Jonathan Mason of Falkville (five bass, 18 pounds, 9 ounces); and Jerry Bearden of Ashville (four bass, 16 pounds, 10 ounces).
Kornegay took co-angler big-bass honors and $620 with a 5-pound, 9-ounce bass.
Jason Nixon of Wetumpka is the Bama Division's Yamaha "Be the Best" points leader, winning $1,000 for the 975 points he earned during five regular-season tournaments. Jim Landers of Alexander City is the Yamaha "Be the Best" points leader in the Co-angler Division. He earned $500 for his division-leading 1,016 points.