DECATUR, Ala. (April 21, 2008) - Boater Eric Wilborn of Boaz, Ala., won the Bass Fishing League Choo Choo Division bass fishing tournament on Wheeler Lake Saturday with a five-bass catch weighing 16 pounds, 6 ounces. The victory earned Wilborn $3,990 plus a $704 Ranger contingency bonus and placed him one step closer to qualifying for the Lake Seminole Regional Championship in Bainbridge, Ga., Oct. 16-18, where he could ultimately win a new 198VX Ranger boat and a Chevy truck.
"It was one of those days where everything went right," Wilborn said. "I didn't really think I was on that many fish; I just caught one here and one there and just hit it lucky."
Wilborn caught his limit throwing a spinnerbait early in the morning, but caught most of his fish when he switched to a jig.
Rounding out the top five boaters are Bryan Gregory of Fort Payne, Ala. (five bass, 15-08, $2,348); Johnny Patterson of Grant, Ala. (five bass, 14-14, $1,565); Jason Hill of Decatur, Ala. (five bass, 14-13, $1,096) and Brian Merriman of Falkville, Ala. (five bass, 14-08, $939).
Jake Moody of Muscle Shoals, Ala., took home the Boater Division Big Bass award, earning $700 for a 6-pound, 3-ounce bass he caught on flipping a jig.
Tim Cummings of Waynesboro, Tenn., earned $2,348 as the co-angler winner Saturday thanks to five bass weighing 11 pounds, 7 ounces that he caught in shallow grass on a Rat-L-Trap and big worm.
Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Jonathan Fleming of Russellville, Ala. (five bass, 10-10, $977); James McLemore of Phil Campbell, Ala. (five bass, 10-10, $977); Hank Bussman of Hartselle, Ala. (five bass, 10-06, $548) and David Eyrse of Collinsville, Ala. (five bass, 10-05, $470). Brad Smead of Decatur, Ala., earned $350 as the co-angler Big Bass winner after catching a 5-pound, 5-ounce bass he caught on a spinnerbait on the south end of the lake.
Choo Choo Division anglers will visit Neely Henry Lake in Gadsden, Ala., June 21 for their fourth regular-season event. A two-day Super Tournament, the division's fifth and final event, will be held on Lake Guntersville in Scottsboro, Ala., Sept. 20-21.