SCOTTSBORO, Ala. (Oct. 5, 2009) - Woody Parks of Lincolnton, Ga., won the Bass Fishing League final Choo Choo Division bass fishing tournament on Lake Guntersville Sunday with a two-day 9-bass catch weighing 37 pounds, 8 ounces. The victory earned Parks $6,053 and helped him qualify 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 went frog fishing," said Parks. "On the last day of practice I found a sweet spot that I was able to fish in all weekend. I lost three fish during the tournament and only weighed four fish on the first day. I was a little nervous that not weighing a limit both days was going to cost me the tournament. Usually you don't win with nine fish, but I caught a pretty good bag the second day and it was enough to win the tournament for me."
"I only needed to catch one fish in order to qualify for the regional championship and so that was my goal for this event," added Parks. "Mentally I knew I wasn't going to get a lot of bites this weekend and that I needed to boat every bite I got in order to stay competitive; I knew the fishing wasn't going to be fast and I needed a lot of patience. Once I got that first fish early on day one I was able to slow way down and fish real relaxed, I think that was the difference."
Rounding out the top five boaters are Wesley Helton of Calhoun, Tenn. (9 bass, 34-2, $3,026); Christopher Lane of Guntersville, Ala. (10 bass, 31-9, $2,018); Thomas Helton of Charleston, Tenn. (9 bass, 30-9, $1,412) and Tim Buckner of Scottsboro, Ala. (10 bass, 29-12, $1,211).
Parks also took home the Boater Division Folgers Big Bass award, earning $817 for a 7-pound, 5-ounce bass he caught.
Harold Coffman of Trion, Ga., earned $3,027 as the co-angler winner Sunday thanks to 8- bass weighing 26 pounds, 11 ounces that he caught using frogs.
Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Bud McKelvey of Knoxville, Tenn. (7 bass, 21-8, $1,513); James Swindle of Parrish, Ala. (7 bass, 18-7, $1,010); Waylon Hancock of Cartersville, Ga. (7 bass, 17-13, $706); and Jerry (Boats) Nydam of Arab, Ala. (6 bass, 17-8, $605).
Ray Spraker of Apison, Tenn., earned $409 as the co-angler Folgers Big Bass winner after catching a 7-pound, 1-ounce bass.