OKEECHOBEE CITY, Fla. (March 9, 2009) - Allan Cagle of Deltona, Fla., won the Bass Fishing League Everglades Division bass fishing tournament on Lake Okeechobee Saturday with a five-bass catch weighing 22 pounds, 8 ounces. The victory earned Cagle $3,718 and placed him one step closer to qualifying for the Lake Seminole Regional Championship in Bainbridge, Ga., Oct. 22-24, where he could ultimately win a new Ranger boat and a Chevy truck.
Cagle said he caught the majority of his fish casting a soft plastic frog to bedding fish.
Rounding out the top five boaters are Michael Woods of Okeechobee, Fla. (five bass, 19-12, $1,859); Rodney Marks of Tavares, Fla. (five bass, 19-11, $1,238); Steve Fairtrace of Okeechobee, Fla. (five bass, 17-1, $867) and Aymon Wilcox of Lauderdale Lakes, Fla. (five bass, 17-0, $744).
Cagle took home the Boater Division Big Bass award, earning $485 for a 7-pound, 9-ounce bass.
Ron Buck of Port Saint Lucie, Fla., earned $1,859 as the co-angler winner Saturday thanks to five bass weighing 17 pounds, 5 ounces.
Rounding out the top five co-anglers are James Trudel of Lighthouse Point, Fla. (five bass, 16-1, $929); Randy Paquette of Sarasota, Fla. (five bass, 15-5, $619); George Davis of Moore Haven, Fla. (five bass, 12-14, $434); and William Wood of West Palm Beach, Fla. (five bass, 11-5, $372).
Elmore Watkins of Boynton Beach, Fla., earned $242 as the co-angler Big Bass winner after catching a 5-pound, 3-ounce bass.
The next Everglades Division event will be held on the Kissimmee River in Lake Wales, Fla., March 28.