SCOTTSBORO, Ala. – Alex Davis of Albertville, Ala., weighed a five-bass limit totaling 24 pounds, 11 ounces Saturday to win the Walmart Bass Fishing League Music City Division bass fishing tournament on Lake Guntersville. For his victory, Davis earned $5,963.
“My morning went real well,” said Davis. “By 9 a.m. I had already caught 15 fish. It really slowed down as the day went on though. About 9:30 a.m. the wind picked up to 25 to 30 miles per hour, and I couldn’t fish most of the places that I had wanted to. I was only able to cull two times after 9 a.m. I guess it worked out for me though.
“I was using the Alabama rig rigged with swimbaits, like pretty much everyone here,” Davis went on to say. “I tried throwing a jerkbait for a little bit, but I never really had any success with it. I was fishing in 6 to 15 feet of water, and was able to catch 16 fish on the day. Everyone in the top five was throwing the A-rig today.”
Rounding out the top 10 pros were:
Alex Davis of Albertville, Ala., won the Walmart BFL Music City Division event on Lake Guntersville.
2nd: Marshall Deakins, Dunlap, Tenn., five bass, 24-10, $1,981
3rd: Brent Anderson, Kingston Springs, Tenn., five bass, 24-0, $1,322
4th: Pat Hatcliff, Murfreesboro, Tenn., five bass, 23-2, $925
5th: Rick Armstrong, Owens Cross Roads, Ala., five bass, 22-12, $793
6th: Jordan Lee, Auburn, Ala., five bass, 22-3, $727
7th: Dustin Evans, Eads, Tenn., five bass, 21-14, $660
8th: Marty Shelley, Byrdstown, Tenn., five bass, 21-11, $594
9th: Jason Tucker, Dutton, Ala., five bass, 21-4, $528
10th: Will Yelverton, Hazel Green, Ala., five bass, 21-2, $462
Jim Saylor III of Knoxville, Tenn., weighed a five-bass limit totaling 19 pounds, 12 ounces Saturday to win $1,981 in the co-angler division.
Rounding out the top 10 co-anglers were:
2nd: Dustin Barlow, Walling, Tenn., five bass, 18-9, $991
3rd: Chris Hicks, Hendersonville, Tenn., five bass, 17-14, $662
4th: Justin McGaha, Knoxville, Tenn., five bass, 17-6, $462
5th: Gerald Williams, Scottsville, Ky., four bass, 17-5, $396
6th: Travis Key, Perryville, Ky., four bass, 15-13, $363
7th: Lucas Medlin, Cookeville, Tenn., four bass, 15-12, $330
8th: John Cook, Jamestown, Tenn., five bass, 15-9, $297
9th: Allan Garner, Estill Springs, Tenn., five bass, 13-14, $264
10th: Randy Brewington, Moulton, Ala., five bass, 13-6, $231
The next BFL Music City Division tournament is scheduled for March 24 on Kentucky/Barkley lakes in Paris, Tenn. After the fifth Music City Division tournament is complete, the top 40 boaters and 40 co-anglers based on point standings will qualify for the Oct. 4-6 Regional Championship on Lake Cherokee in Morristown, Tenn. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518 with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard and a Chevy Silverado, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518 with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard.
The BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 120 tournaments throughout the season, five in each division. The top 40 boaters and co-anglers from each division qualify for a regional tournament and compete to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American. The 2012 BFL All-American is being held May 17 – 19 on the Potomac River in National Harbor, Md. Top winners in the BFL can move up to the EverStart Series or even the FLW Tour.