KODAK, Tenn. (April 16, 2007) - Boater Bobby Ferguson of Chuckey, Tenn., won the Bass Fishing League Volunteer Division bass fishing tournament on Douglas Lake Saturday with a five-bass catch weighing 19 pounds, 8 ounces. The victory earned Prater $4,197 plus a $740 Ranger bonus and placed him one step closer to qualifying for the Clarks Hill Lake Regional Championship in Appling, Ga., Oct. 11-13, where he could ultimately win a new 519VX Ranger boat and a Chevy truck.
Rounding out the top five boaters are Larry Neal of Piney Flats, Tenn., (five bass, 17-15, $2,469); Jim Street of Roan Mountain, Tenn., (five bass, 17-8, $1,646); Brian Holt of Newport, Tenn., (five bass, 16-14, $1,152) and Tim Wyatt of Crossville, Tenn., (five bass, 15-9, $988).
Holt took home the Boater Division Big Bass award, earning $745 for a 7-pound, 2-ounce bass.
Kibbee McCoy of Crossville, Tenn., earned $2,469 as the co-angler winner Saturday thanks to five bass weighing 14 pounds, 15 ounces.
Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Justin McClellan of Marion, Va., (five bass, 14-1, $1,235); Michael Johnson of Bristol, Va., (five bass, 12-12, $823); Marty Stewart of Blountville, Tenn., (five bass, 12-9, $576) and Darrel Widner of Knoxville, Tenn., (five bass, 11-14, $494).
Johnson earned $372 as the co-angler Big Bass winner after catching a 5-pound, 15-ounce bass.
The Volunteer Division's next event will be May 5 on South Holston in Bristol, Tenn., followed by a tournament June 23 on Watts Barr in Spring City, Tenn. The final event of the regular season will be a two-day Super Tournament held Sept. 29-30 on Fort Loudoun in Lenoir City, Tenn.