FLORENCE, Ala. (March 9, 2009) - Brian Tatum of Muscle Shoals, Ala., won the Bass Fishing League Bama Division bass fishing tournament on Pickwick Lake Saturday with a five-bass catch weighing 24 pounds, 15 ounces. The victory earned Tatum $3,963 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.
"It's one of the best feelings I've ever had," said Tatum. "This is the first BFL I've ever entered, so to win this one is just incredible."
Tatum said he caught his fish on a 1/2-ounce double willow blade BOOYAH spinnerbait while targeting prespawn smallmouth staging on rock piles on the upper end of the lake.
"Pickwick Lake is my home lake, so I knew how I needed to fish," Tatum said. "I still can't believe I did as well as I did."
Rounding out the top five boaters are Nicholas Reeves of Moulton, Ala. (five bass, 22-2, $1,981); Jason Lambert of Pickwick Dam, Tenn. (five bass, 22-1, $1,322); Mike Lemmond of Waterloo, Ala. (five bass, 21-2, $925) and Randy Haynes of Counce, Tenn. (five bass, 20-2, $793).
Ty Hester of Russellville, Ala., took home the Boater Division Big Bass award, earning $535 for a 7-pound, 9-ounce bass.
Randy Duncan of Killen, Ala., earned $1,981 as the co-angler winner Saturday thanks to five bass weighing 21 pounds, 15 ounces.
Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Josh Fordham of Glencoe, Ala. (five bass, 16-13, $991); Ryan Salzman of Florence, Ala. (five bass, 16-6, $662); Zach Elliott of Trussville, Ala. (five bass, 15-5, $462); and Eric Knight of Moulton, Ala. (five bass, 14-14, $396).
Duncan earned $267 as the co-angler Big Bass winner after catching a 7-pound, 4-ounce bass.
The next Bama Division event will be held on Lake Guntersville in Scottsboro, Ala., March 21.