HILLSBORO, Texas (Feb. 18, 2008) - Boater Ryan Warren of Gatesville, Texas, won the Bass Fishing League Cowboy Division bass fishing tournament on Lake Whitney Saturday with a five-bass catch weighing 19 pounds, 10 ounces. The victory earned Warren $2,171 plus a $383 Ranger contingency bonus and placed him one step closer to qualifying for the Lake Ouachita Regional Championship in Mount Ida, Ark., Oct. 23-25, where he could ultimately win a new 198VX Ranger boat and a Chevy truck.
"I feel great after winning my first BFL tournament," Warren said. "I practiced one day last week and found my key areas. I focused on two places, the Katy Bridge area and Cedron Creek area."
Warren caught his bass on finesse worms.
Rounding out the top five boaters are Tommy Mackey of Bryan, Texas (five bass, 16-05, $1,277); Dean Jones of Cedar Park, Texas (five bass, 15-01, $852); John Cox of Austin, Texas (five bass, 14-12, $596) and Mike Arnold of China Springs, Texas (five bass, 13-09, $511).
Mackey took home the Boater Division Big Bass award, earning $275 for a 6-pound, 4-ounce bass he caught on an Omega football-head jig.
Cody Cox of Lufkin, Texas, earned $1,277 as the co-angler winner Saturday thanks to five bass weighing 16 pounds, 9 ounces that he caught near Lake Whitney State Park on a Gambler Giggy Head finesse jig.
Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Dennis Lambrecht of Northlake, Texas (five bass, 15-13, $639); Joe Marino of Bryan, Texas (five bass, 13-05, $427); Ronnie Anderson of Keller, Texas (four bass, 10-05, $298) and Steven Utz of San Antonio, Texas (three bass, 10-03, $255).
Lambrecht earned $137 as the co-angler Big Bass winner after catching a 6-pound, 9-ounce bass he caught on creature bait.