KNIGHT WINS WALMART BASS FISHING LEAGUE VOLUNTEER DIVISION EVENT ON SOUTH HOLSTON RESERVOIR

                                                                                          

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BRISTOL, Tenn. (May 11, 2015) – Jeff Knight of Cleveland, Tennessee, weighed a five-bass limit totaling 17 pounds, 2 ounces Saturday to win the third Walmart Bass Fishing League Volunteer Division tournament of 2015 on South Holston Reservoir. For his victory, Knight earned $3,514.

Knight said his winning bass came from spots near the South Holston Dam, where there was lay-down on the main river.

“My boat sat in about 35 feet of water and I would fish the drop-offs,” said Knight. “There was a lot of action in the trees so I knew I would be sticking around there for a while. I caught nine keepers in the 3½- to 4-pound range by the end of the day.”

Knight said his key baits were a green-pumpkin-colored V&M football-head jig and a bone-colored wakebait.

“I would just keep running the wakebait across the top of those trees and grab the jig if that didn’t work,” said Owen. “Luckily the fish weren’t too finicky.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:

1^st:          Jeff Knight, Cleveland, Tenn., five bass, 17-2, $3,514

2^nd:         Wayne Coppage, Jonesboro, Tenn., five bass, 16-1, $1,757

3^rd:          Kevin Edwards, Knoxville, Tenn., five bass, 15-15, $1,172

4^th:          Seth Austin, Bristol, Tenn., five bass, 15-13, $820

5^th:          Sam Meade, Coeburn, Va., five bass, five bass, 15-7, $703

6^th:          Nick Meadows, Cedar Bluff, Va., five bass, 14-14, $644

7^th:          Jimmy Amburgey, Lebanon, Va., five bass, 14-11, $556

7^th:          Doug Burke, Castlewood, Va., five bass, 14-11, $556

9^th:          Derrick Blake, Rockwood, Tenn., five bass, 14-7, $469

10^th:        Corey Neece, Bristol, Tenn., five bass, 14-2, $410

Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Jerry Goodner of Cleveland, Tennessee, caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the pro division, a fish weighing 5 pounds, 4 ounce and earned the day’s Big Bass award of $450.

Craig Smith of Knoxville, Tennessee, weighed in a five-bass limit totaling 12 pounds, 12 ounces Saturday to win $1,753 in the co-angler division.

The top 10 co-anglers were:

1^st:          Craig Smith, Knoxville, Tenn., five bass, 12-12, $1,753

2^nd:         Joshua Jernigan, Rocky Top, Tenn., five bass, 12-8, $876

3^rd:          Marcus White, Johnson City, Tenn., five bass, 11-15, $585

4^th:          Jason Melton, Knoxville, Tenn., three bass, 9-2, $409

5^th:          Christopher Fleming, Clinchco, Va., four bass, 8-12, $351

6^th:          Wade Gilbert, Lafayette, Ga., three bass, 8-10, $306

6^th:          Jessee Roberts, Big Stone Gap, Va., four bass, 8-10, $306

8^th:          Franklin Ray, Unicoi, Tenn., three bass, 8-3, $263

9^th:          Tony Brown, Harriman, Tenn., three bass, 8-0, $219

9^th:          Steve Hall, Hillsville, Va., three bass, 8-0, $219

Luther Crass Jr. of Harriman, Tennessee, caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the co-angler division and earned the day’s Big Bass award of $220.

The top 50 boaters and 50 co-anglers based on point standings will qualify for the Oct. 15-17 Regional Championship on Lake Wateree in Camden, South Carolina. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard and $20,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518C 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 50 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. Top winners in the BFL can move up to the Rayovac FLW Series or even the Walmart FLW Tour.