Gettys Wins Walmart Bass Fishing League Regional Championship on Lake Seminole
Category: press release
Oct 20th, 2008 by OutdoorsFIRST
Modified Oct 20th, 2008 at 12:00 AM
BAINBRIDGE, Ga. – Boater Edward Gettys of Scottsboro, Ala., earned a fully rigged Ranger 198VX and a new Chevy truck Saturday as the winner of the Walmart Bass Fishing League Regional Championship on Lake Seminole in Bainbridge, Ga. The top 40 boaters and the top 40 co-anglers from the Choo Choo, Everglades, Savannah River and Piedmont divisions competed in the three-day event.
Gettys’ winning three-day catch of 15 bass weighed 61 pounds, 3 ounces. In addition to the new truck and boat, Gettys earned a ticket to the 2009 $1 million Walmart Bass Fishing League All-American presented by Chevy. With a top boater award of $140,000 and a top co-angler award of $70,000, the All-American is one of the most prestigious tournaments in bass fishing. The winning boater and co-angler at the All-American will also advance to the $2 million 2009 Forrest Wood Cup, where pros will fish for a top award of $1 million – the sport’s biggest payday.
Gettys said he caught the majority of his keepers flipping deep grass with a watermelon candy-colored soft plastic crawfish in the Spring Creek area.
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 Johnny Patterson of Grant, Ala. (14 bass, 54-11, $4,000); Corey Bradley of Chattanooga, Tenn. (14 bass, 47-09, $2,000); Bryan Gregory of Fort Payne, Ala. (12 bass, 46-08, $1,600); Allan Cagle of Deltona, Fla. (15 bass, 43-06, $1,200); and Dennis Barnes of Boaz, Ala. (12 bass, 31-02, $1,000).
Jett Loach of Rossville, Ga., earned a new Ranger boat as the co-angler winner, thanks to a three-day total of 10 bass weighing 31 pounds, 8 ounces.
Rounding out the top six co-anglers were Jade Keeton of Florence, Ala. (11 bass, 27-10, $2,000); John Hyatt of Leicester, N.C. (10 bass, 24-07, $1,000); Darren Jeter of Marshall, N.C. (11 bass, 22-12, $800); Raymond Riendeau of Saint Cloud, Fla. (eight bass, 20-06, $600); and Ron Jackups of Fairfield, Ohio (six bass, 19-13, $500).
As the nation’s leading provider of affordable, close-to-home weekend tournaments, the BFL is widely credited with opening competitive bass fishing to the masses. It also serves as a steppingstone for anglers who wish to advance to the Stren Series and ultimately the Walmart FLW Series and Walmart FLW Tour – bass fishing’s most lucrative tournament circuits.
For more information about FLW Outdoors and its tournaments, visit FLWOutdoors.com or call (270) 252-1000. For more information about FLW Fantasy Fishing and Player’s Advantage, visit FantasyFishing.com.