SCOTTSBORO, Ala. (March 2, 2009) - Rick Armstrong of Owens Cross Roads, Ala., won the Bass Fishing League Choo Choo Division bass fishing tournament on Lake Guntersville Saturday with a five-bass catch weighing 26 pounds, 6 ounces. The victory earned Armstrong $6,000 and placed him one step closer to qualifying for the Clarks Hill Lake Regional Championship in Appling, Ga., Oct. 15-17, where he could ultimately win a new Ranger boat and a Chevy truck.
"I practiced two or three days when it was sunny and did very well," Armstrong said. "The day of the tournament, it turned out rainy and cloudy. I prefer it to be sunny weather, but it seems I did alright."
Armstrong fished the upper part of Lake Guntersville in 4 to 8 feet of water around grass and stumps throwing an Excalibur Xr-75.
Rounding out the top five boaters are Tim Gore of Albertville, Ala. (five bass, 25-4, $3,000); Bill Day of Frankfort, Ky. (five bass, 24-13, $2,000); Danny Bishop of Buchanan, Ga. (five bass, 24-3, $1,400) and James Johnson of Hartselle, Ala. (five bass, 23-10, $1,200).
Bill Day took home the Boater Division Big Bass award, earning $1,000 for a 10-pound, 8-ounce bass he caught.
Mike D'Angelo of Remlap, Ala., earned $3,000 as the co-angler winner Saturday thanks to five bass weighing 33 pounds, 9 ounces that he caught on a Rat-L-Trap.
Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Jackie Teat of Brookwood, Ala. (five bass, 21-15, $1,500); David Eyrse of Collinsville, Ala. (five bass, 19-15, $1,000); Wayne Garner of Sherwood, Tenn. (five bass, 18-12, $700); and Ernie Gamble of Stevenson, Ala. (five bass, 18-5, $600).
Mike D'Angelo earned $500 as the co-angler Big Bass winner after catching an 8-pound, 8-ounce bass.
The next Choo Choo Division event will be held on the Lake Guntersville in Scottsboro, Ala., March 28.