MARBURY, Md. (Oct. 15, 2007) - Boater Thomas Wooten of Huddleston, Va., earned a fully rigged Ranger 198VX and a new Chevy truck Saturday as the winner of the Bass Fishing League Regional Championship on the Potomac River in Marbury, Md. The top 40 boaters and the top 40 co-anglers from the Empire, Northeast, Piedmont and Shenandoah divisions competed in the three-day event.
Wooten's winning three-day catch of 15 bass weighed 46 pounds, 5 ounces. In addition to the new truck and boat, Wooten 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. With a top boater award of $140,000 and a top co-angler award of $70,000. 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.
Wooten caught his winning bass by flipping mats with a Reaction Innovations Sweet Beaver teamed with a 1 ½-ounce tungsten weight.
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 Chris Baldwin of Lexington, N.C. (15 bass, 39-02, $4,000); Rip Bass of Spring Hope, N.C. (15 bass, 33-13, $2,000); Shayne Berlo of Vienna, Va. (15 bass, 31-05, $1,600); Ray Griffin of Henderson, N.C. (15 bass, 30-05, $1,200); and Bryan Schmitt of Deale, Md. (13 bass, 29-12, $1,000).
Scott Goodson of Fredericks, Va. earned a new Ranger boat as the co-angler winner, thanks to a three-day total of 15 bass weighing 30 pounds, 8 ounces.
Rounding out the top six co-anglers were James Skidmore of York, Pa. (11 bass, 25-09, $2,000); Michael Roy of Charlottesville, Va. (15 bass, 23-14, $1,000); Joe Rinaldi of Ashburn, Va. (12 bass, 23-09, $800); Dick Gum of Woodbridge, Va. (11 bass, 21-07, $600); and Alan Price of Staunton, Va. (nine bass, 19-15, $500).