JACKSON, Miss. (March 6, 2006) - Boater Jason Cordell of Pelahatchie, Miss., and Dudley Salers of Jackson, Miss., each earned $4,278 Saturday for tying for the win of the Bass Fishing League Mississippi Division bass fishing tournament on Ross Barnett Reservoir. The tournament was the first of five regular-season Mississippi Division events and featured 186 boaters vying for the win, which earned both winners 200 points in the Boater Division.
Cordell caught four bass weighing 19 pounds, 6 ounces. He was fishing stumps and grass in the main lake area with a junebug worm. One of his bass, a 10-pound, 14-ouncer, earned him $930 for the big-bass award. He also earned $1,000 for the Bombardier Bonus award.
Salers caught five bass weighing 19 pounds, 6 ounces. He was fishing a black and blue worm around shallow stumps in the Cane Creek area.
Rounding out the top five boaters are Steve Jones of Moss Point, Miss., (four bass, 14 pounds, 10 ounces, $1,901); William McKay Jr. of Brandon, Miss. (three bass, 13 pounds, 12 ounces, $1,331); and Jeff Roberts of Brandon, Miss. (three bass, 13 pounds, 9 ounces, $1,141).
Jones earned an additional $500 as winner of the Ranger Cup award. Joel Ross of Brandon, Miss., earned $2,744 as the co-angler winner, thanks to three bass weighing 9 pounds, 10 ounces that he caught while fishing a Rippler jig.
Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Joe Chisolm of Jackson (three bass, 8 pounds, 4 ounces, $1,372); Mark Sullivan of Collinsville, Miss., (three bass, 8 pounds, 2 ounces, $917) D.J. Hammock of Corinth, Miss., (three bass, 7 pounds, 14 ounces, $640) and David Hug of Collierville, Tenn. (three bass, 7 pounds, 13 ounces, $549).
Ben Hand of Memphis, Tenn., earned $440 as the co-angler big-bass award winner, thanks to a 6-pound bass he caught on while flipping a jig.
The Mississippi Division's next event will be held April 1 on Lake Pickwick near Florence, Ala., followed by an event on the Columbus Pool near Columbus, Miss., May 6. The fourth event will be held June 17 on the Mississippi River near Greenville, Miss., and the Mississippi Division will wrap up its regular season Sept. 16-17 with a two-day Super Tournament on Ross Barnett near Brandon.