GILBERTSVILLE, Ky. (Oct. 22, 2007) - Boater Brad McCulley of Batesville, Miss., earned a fully rigged Ranger 198VX and a new Chevy truck Saturday as the winner of the Bass Fishing League Regional Championship on Kentucky Lake in Gilbertsville, Ky. The top 40 boaters and the top 40 co-anglers from the Buckeye, Hoosier, Mississippi and Mountain divisions competed in the three-day event.
McCulley's winning three-day catch of 15 bass weighed 37 pounds, 6 ounces. In addition to the new truck and boat, McCulley earned a ticket to the 2008 $1 million Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League All-American on the Connecticut River in Hartford, Conn., May 29-31. The winning boater and co-angler at the All-American will also advance to the $2 million 2008 Forrest Wood Cup on Lake Murray in Columbia, S.C., Aug. 14-17.
"This was my first time on Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley," McCulley said. "The wind made it extremely tough during the tournament. The spots I found were protected which helped."
McCulley caught his winning bass near boat docks throwing a junebug worm on the east side of Lake Barkley.
The top six boaters and the top six co-anglers at the regional championship earned a spot to compete in the All-American. Rounding out the top six boaters were Larry Sisk of Evansville, Ind. (13 bass, 34 pounds, 12 ounces, $4,000); Frank McClain of Scottsburg, Ind. (12 bass, 32 pounds, 12 ounces, $2,000); Chris Martinkovic of Liberty Township, Ohio (11 bass, 30 pounds, 13 ounces, $1,600); Barry Smith of Catlettsburg, Ky. (11 bass, 30 pounds, 11 ounces, $1,200); and Perry Neathery of Albany, Ky. (12 bass, 28 pounds, 10 ounces, $1,000).
Michael Adams of Ocean Springs, Miss. earned a new Ranger boat as the co-angler winner, thanks to a three-day total of seven bass weighing 20 pounds, 11 ounces that he caught on a homemade spinnerbait and buzzbait around shallow cover and submerged grass near Paris Landing.
Rounding out the top six co-anglers were Dwight Coontz of Stanford, Ky. (seven bass, 19 pounds, $2,000); Tad Bosley of Glenmont, Ohio (six bass, 17 pounds, 5 ounces, $1,000); Chris Dozier of Collinsville, Miss. (six bass, 17 pounds, 4 ounces, $800); Kenny Dials of Oak Harbor, Ohio (seven bass, 16 pounds, 8 ounces, $600); and Randy Medlin of Kettering, Ohio (six bass, 14 pounds, 1 ounce, $500).