(Feb. 12, 2013 - SCOTTSBORO, AL.)... Johnny Patterson of Grant, Ala., weighed a five-bass limit totaling 31 pounds, 12 ounces Saturday to win the Walmart Bass Fishing League Choo Choo Division event on Lake Guntersville. For his victory, Patterson earned $5,565.
"I had a two-pronged approach for the day," said Patterson. "I had some big fish that I located deeper and targeted with the Alabama rig and also some shallower fish that I caught with a Rat-L-Trap. I started out with the deeper fish in the morning and later on in the day I went shallow and was able to catch a few more.
"My Lowrance electronics were key in finding the offshore structure where the bigger fish were holding in about 16 feet of water" Patterson continued. "It was typical Guntersville ledge fishing with an Alabama rig and Shadalicious swimbaits. Also my Hammer Micro Series rods really helped me get the most out of every cast."
Rounding out the top 10 pros were:
| 2nd: | Leon Knight | Guntersville, Ala. | five bass | 28-15 | $2,783 |
| 3rd: | Dennis Barnes | Boaz, Ala. | five bass | 25-9 | $1,853 |
| 4th: | Brian Haynes | Hollywood, Ala. | five bass | 25-3 | $1,299 |
| 5th: | Adam Clark | Trussville, Ala. | five bass | 24-1 | $1,113 + Evinrude Bonus: $300 |
| 6th: | Scott Bates | Hiram, Ga. | five bass | 23-10 | $1,020 |
| 7th: | Jeremy Stutts | Muscle Shoals, Ala. | five bass | 23-1 | $928 |
| 8th: | Brent Crow | Hartselle, Ala. | five bass | 22-8 | $835 |
| 9th: | Carl Hayes III | Sharpsburg, Ga. | five bass | 22-0 | $742 |
| 10th: | Tim Buckner | Scottsboro, Ala. | four bass | 21-15 | $649 |
Creighton Johnson of Canton, Ga., weighed a five-bass limit totaling 25 pounds, 14 ounces Saturday to win $2,783 in the co-angler division. Johnson also scored the big bass of the tournament with a 13-pound, 1-ounce fish. This bass was the biggest bass to be weighed in a BFL event for both pros and co-anglers since 1996.
Rounding out the top 10 co-anglers were:
| 2nd: | Lyn Melton | Florence, Ala. | five bass | 21-14 | $1,391 | | 3rd: | Damien Willis | Jacksonville, Ala. | five bass | 21-8 | $926 |
| 4th: | David Perron | Dayton, Tenn. | five bass | 21-2 | $649 |
| 5th: | Cliff Broadrick | Tullahoma, Tenn. | five bass | 18-8 | $557 |
| 6th: | John Rice | New Market, Ala. | five bass | 18-4 | $510 |
| 7th: | Brad Harmon | Ringgold, Ga. | five bass | 18-1 | $464 |
| 8th: | Orville Cope | Treadway, Tenn. | five bass | 17-9 | $417 |
| 9th: | Ronnie Brewer | Bedford, Ky. | four bass | 17-5 | $371 |
| 10th: | Danny Moss | Glencoe, Ala. | five bass | 16-7 | $325 |
The next BFL Choo Choo Division tournament is scheduled for April 6 on Lake Guntersville in Scottsboro, Ala. After the fifth divisional tournament is complete, the top 40 boaters and 40 co-anglers based on point standings will qualify for the Oct. 10-12 Regional Championship on Lake Lanier in Gainesville, Ga. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518 with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard and a Chevy Silverado, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518 with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard.
The BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 120 tournaments throughout the season, five in each division. The top 40 boaters and co-anglers from each division qualify for a regional tournament and compete to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing - the Walmart BFL All-American presented by Chevy. The 2013 BFL All-American is being held June 27-29 on the Nickajack Lake in Chattanooga, Tenn. Top winners in the BFL can move up to the EverStart Series or even the Walmart FLW Tour.
ABOUT FLW
FLW is the industry’s premier tournament-fishing organization, providing anglers of all skill levels the opportunity to compete for millions in prize money nationwide in 2013 over the course of 220 tournaments across five tournament circuits, four of which provide an avenue to the sport’s richest payday and most coveted championship trophy - the Forrest Wood Cup. FLW tournament fishing can be seen on the Emmy-nominated "FLW" television show and is broadcast to more than 559 million households worldwide, making it the most widely distributed weekly outdoors-sports television show in the world. FLW is committed to providing a lifestyle experience that is the "Best in Fishing, On and Off the Water." For more information about FLW visit the FLWOutdoors website and look for FLW on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and YouTube.
