BYRDSTOWN, Tenn. (March 5, 2007) - Boater Robert Reagan of Byrdstown, Tenn., won the Bass Fishing League Mountain Division bass fishing tournament on Dale Hollow Lake Saturday with a five-bass catch weighing 15 pounds, 15 ounces. The victory earned Reagan $4,298 and placed him one step closer to qualifying for the Kentucky Lake Regional Championship in Gilbertsville, Ky., Oct. 18-20, where he could ultimately win a new 519VX Ranger boat and a Chevy truck.
Reagan was throwing a combination of jigs and crankbaits around heavy cover to catch his bass.
Rounding out the top five boaters are Todd Beaty of Cookeville, Tenn. (three bass, 15-2, $2,528); Jim Dean of Huntington, W.Va. (three bass, 8-9, $1,685); Bob Johnson of Cecilia, Ky. (two bass, 8-2, $1,108) and Gary Bowens of Byrdstown, Tenn. (three bass, 7-12, $1,011).
Beaty took home the Boater Division Big Bass award, earning $780 for a6-pound, 4-ounce bass. Dean also took home the boater division Ranger Cup contingency award of $500 for being the highest placing Ranger owner in that division.
Kenny Botts of Tompkinsville, Ky., earned $2,528 as the co-angler winner Saturday thanks to five bass weighing 19 pounds, 11 ounces that he caught while fishing jigs and crankbaits ot various depths.
Botts also earned an additional $390 for winning the Snickers Big Bass award in the co-angler division with a 5 pound, 7 ounce bass.
Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Kibbee McCoy of Crossville, Tenn. (three bass, 7-13, $1,264); Trent Norman of Cincinnati, Ohio (two bass, 7-7, $845); Charles Murphy of Pine Knot, Ky. (two bass, 6-6, $590) and Mark Fox of McKee, Ky. (two bass, 6-2, $506).
The Mountain Division's next event will be March 24 on Dale Hollow Lake in Byrdstown, Tenn., followed by a tournament April 28 on Laurel River Lake in London, Ky. The division's fourth event will be held June 9 on Barren River in Glasgow, Ky., and the final event of the regular season will be a two-day Super Tournament held Sept. 15-16 on the Barren River in Glasgow, Ky.