Newberry Wins Walmart Bass Fishing League Cowboy Division on Toledo Bend in Louisiana
OutdoorHub 05.13.13
Dicky Newberry of Houston, Texas, weighed a five-bass limit totaling 19 pounds even Saturday to win the Walmart Bass Fishing League Cowboy Division event on Toledo Bend Reservoir. For his victory, Newberry earned $6,632.
“I fished on the south end of the lake,” said Newberry. “I decided that I really wanted to concentrate on the grass and hydrilla near Housen Bay.”
Newberry fished the edges of the grass, keying on secondary points. He said that the majority of his fish came from a Strike King Lures chartreuse shad-colored 6XD crankbait, but he did catch a few throwing a swimbait.
“Once I started to concentrate on the secondary points I really keyed in on the pattern,” Newberry said. “Then, I started covering a lot of water in my Ranger boat that people hadn’t already fished. That was the difference maker for me.”
Newberry estimated that he caught 20 fish throughout the day, with 10 of them weighing more than three pounds.
“Most of my weight came before 9 a.m.,” Newberry said. “I was able to cull a few times, though. It was a fun day.”
Rounding out the top 10 pros were:
2nd: Stephen Johnston, Hemphill, Texas, five bass, 17-15, $1,816
3rd: Nicholas Albus, Trinity, Texas, five bass, 16-1, $1,210
4th: Kevin Lasyone, Dry Prong, La., five bass, 16-0, $847
5th: James Dunn, Lecompte, La., five bass, 15-11, $696
5th: Scotty Villines, Ponca, Ark., five bass, 15-11, $696
7th: Charles Hammack, New Caney, Texas, five bass, 15-9, $605
8th: Dusty Anders, Deville, La., five bass, 15-5, $514
8th: Ken Smith, Dallas, Texas, five bass, 15-5, $514
10th: Phil Marks, Dallas, Texas, five bass, 14-4, $424
Phil Caldwell of Webster, Texas, weighed a five-bass limit totaling 15 pounds, 3 ounces Saturday to win $1,816 in the co-angler division.
Rounding out the top 10 co-anglers were:
2nd: Ron Knight, Hot Springs, Ark., four bass, 14-15, $908
3rd: Dennis Jones, Oakdale, La., five bass, 14-13, $606
4th: Brandon Booth, Bryan, Texas, five bass, 12-4, $424
5th: Bill Fussell, Thibodaux, La., five bass, 12-0, $363
6th: Terry Lindsay, Beckville, Texas, four bass, 11-3, $333
7th: James Moore Jr., Lampasas, Texas, four bass, 10-1, $303
8th: Robert Derr, Hawkins, Texas, five bass, 9-12, $272
9th: Chad Estep, Prairieville, La., four bass, 9-4, $242
10th: Michael Vestal, Carrollton, Texas, two bass, 8-4, $212
The final BFL Cowboy Division tournament is scheduled for Sept. 14-15 on Sam Rayburn Reservoir in Jasper, Texas. After that last divisional tournament is complete, the top 40 boaters and 40 co-anglers based on point standings will qualify for the Oct. 17-19 Regional Championship on Lake Texoma in Pottsboro, Texas. 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 Nickajack Lake in Chattanooga, Tenn. Top winners in the BFL can move up to the EverStart Series or even the Walmart FLW Tour.
