CEDAR BLUFF, Ala. (May 21, 2007) - Boater Clark Smith Jr. of Pell City, Ala., won the Bass Fishing League Choo Choo Division bass fishing tournament on Weiss Lake Saturday with a five-bass catch weighing 19 pounds, 8 ounces. The victory earned Smith $4,169 plus a $735 Ranger contingency 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. Smith caught his bass on a crankbait in shallow water.
Rounding out the top five boaters are Phillip Dukes of Rainsville, Ala. (five bass, 15-9, $2,453); Edward Gettys of Stevenson, Ala. (five bass, 15-4, $1,635); Randall Tharp of Gardendale, Ala. (five bass, 14-13, $1,145) and Tim Buckner of Scottsboro, Ala. (five bass, 14-8, $981).
Smith also took home the Boater Division Big Bass award, earning $740 for a 6-pound bass.
Jason Cooper of Shelbyville, Tenn., earned $2,453 as the co-angler winner Saturday thanks to five bass weighing 15 pounds, 3 ounces.
Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Brian Carroll of Morrow, Ga. (five bass, 12-14, $1,226); Charles Skelton of Rockmart, Ga. (four bass, 11-12, $816); John Cook of Trinity, Ala. (four bass, 11-11, $572) and Kyle Shirley of Huntsville, Ala. (four bass, 10-11, $491).
Cooper also earned $370 as the co-angler Big Bass winner after catching a 6-pound, 14-ounce bass.
The division's fourth event will be held June 16 on Neely Henry Lake in Gadsden, Ala., and the final event of the regular season will be a two-day Super Tournament held Sept. 22-23 on Guntersville Lake in Scottsboro, Ala.