GADSDEN, Ala. (July 2, 2007) - Boater Geoff McKnight of Rainbow City, Ala., won the Bass Fishing League Bama Division bass fishing tournament on Neely Henry Lake Saturday with a five-bass catch weighing 13 pounds, 13 ounces. The victory earned McKnight $3,990 and placed him one step closer to qualifying for the Fort Loudoun-Tellico Lakes Regional Championship in Lenoir City, Tenn., Oct. 18-20, where he could ultimately win a new 519VX Ranger boat and a Chevy truck.
McKnight fished a crankbait up river on cranking wood.
Rounding out the top five boaters are Marty Boatright of Cleveland, Ala. (five bass, 13-06, $2,348); Roy Yother of Red Bank, Tenn. (five bass, 12-14, $1,565); Kenny Pannell of Springville, Ala. (five bass, 12-07, $1,096) and Randall Tharp of Gardendale, Ala. (five bass, 12-06, $939).
Jeff Lowery of Pinson, Ala., and Rickey Lee of Sulligent, Ala., took home the Boater Division Big Bass awards, earning $350 each for their 5-pound, 2-ounce bass.
Wayne Kilgore of Attalla, Ala., earned $2,348 as the co-angler winner Saturday thanks to five bass weighing 14 pounds, 14 ounces that he caught while fishing a crankbait and spinnerbait at the lower end of the river.
Rounding out the top five co-anglers are James Swindle of Parrish, Ala. (five bass, 13-06, $1,174); Todd McAdams of Fayetteville, Tenn. (five bass, 12-06, $781); Corey Bradley of Chattanooga, Tenn. (five bass, 10-14, $548) and Travis McDermott of Kennesaw, Ga. (five bass, 10-09, $470).
Swindle earned $350 as the co-angler Big Bass winner after catching a 4-pound, 15-ounce bass.
The Bama Division's next event will be a two-day Super Tournament held Sept. 15-16 on Guntersville Lake in Scottsboro, Ala.