OKLAHOMA'S RAMSEY WINS ALL-AMERICAN PADUCAH, Ky. (June 11,
2005) -
Boater Wade Ramsey of Midwest City, Okla., caught 15 bass over
three days weighing 33 pounds, 3 ounces to win the 2005 Wal-Mart
Bass Fishing League All-American presented by Chevy on the Ohio
River. Ramsey, who received $100,000 for the victory, claimed
one of the longest running, most lucrative and most respected
championship titles in competitive bass fishing. Ramsey also
won a Ranger 519VX as the highest fishing Ranger Cup participant.
"It was overcast this morning, and we launched 30 minutes earlier
than days one and two," Ramsey said. "Because of that, I decided
to take a gamble and throw a buzzbait in my first area. I caught
a 3-pounder right off the bat. After that, I caught two more
keepers on a Carolina rig." A dry spell followed the morning's
action, as Ramsey fished a long time without getting another
bite. "I tried to hit four or five more spots, and I eventually
headed back to my first area," Ramsey said. There, he was able
to boat another 3-pounder and secure his win. In his fourth
season on the BFL, Ramsey qualified for his first All-American
appearance through the Okie Division, where he finished 11th
in the points standings and fourth at the 2004 Toledo Bend Regional.
More than 36,000 anglers participate in BFL events last season,
and Ramsey is doing well in the Okie Division again this year,
with a win on Grand Lake in March and a second-place finish
on Lake Eufaula in April. Ramsey had to make quite a jump on
Friday to get into the first-place slot, as he was tied for
12th place at the end of Thursday's weigh-in with Adam Wagner
of Cookeville, Tenn. Both anglers caught five bass weighing
8 pounds, 11 ounces. On Friday, Ramsey fished ledges and riprap
to catch five more bass weighing 11 pounds, 10 ounces and make
a big jump to first place, edging out day one leader Brent Crow
of Hartselle, Ala., by nearly four pounds. Ramsey, a police
officer who was married only a few weeks ago, said this win
will be a big help to him and his wife, Candace. "We want to
build a house this winter and start a family. I think this will
help us out quite a bit," Ramsey said. Rounding out the top
five boaters are Adam Wagner of Cookeville, Tenn. (15 bass,
29 pounds, 1 ounce, $25,000); Mark Richards of Houston, Texas
(12 bass, 24 pounds, 2 ounces, $12,000); Brent Crow of Hartselle,
Ala. (12 bass, 23 pounds, 7 ounces, $9,000); and Ryan Deal of
Haubstadt, Ind. (15 bass, 23 pounds, 7 ounces, $7,000). Crow
earned the fourth-place slot over Haubstadt for having the heaviest
one-day weight, which was 11 pounds, 11 ounces on day one. Grant
Goldbeck, who finished in 24th place in the Boater Division,
won the Boater Division Yamaha Be the Best Award, which pays
$10,000 to the highest finishing BFL division points champion.
Goldbeck qualified for the All-American through the Shenandoah
Division, where he won a Regional Championship on Wheeler Lake.
Matt Linton of Kingston, Tenn., who finished in 17th place in
the Co-angler Division, won the Yamaha Be the Best Award in
the Co-angler Division, worth $5,000. Linton qualified for the
All-American through the Mountain Division and the Kentucky
Lake Regional, where he finished in fifth place. Friday saw
the conclusion of the tournament for co-anglers, with Aaron
McManaway of Altamont, Ill., claiming top honors and $50,000.
McManaway caught a two-day total of eight bass weighing 15 pounds,
4 ounces to claim $50,000 - the largest first-place co-angler
prize in competitive bass fishing. This year's championship
marks the 21st anniversary of the first $100,000 award in competitive
bass fishing. That historic award was presented to 1984 All-American
champion Shaw Grigsby of Gainesville, Fla., for his victory
on the Kissimmee Chain of Lakes in Florida. The All-American
and its lucrative cash awards present a unique opportunity for
qualifiers looking to launch a professional bass-fishing career.
Former All-American contenders who have become fishing superstars
on the Wal-Mart FLW Tour include Kellogg's pro Clark Wendlandt,
four-time FLW Tour champion David Fritts and bass-fishing legend
Rick Clunn. Named after the legendary founder of Ranger Boats,
Forrest L. Wood, FLW Outdoors administers the Wal-Mart FLW Tour
and seven other national tournament circuits offering a combined
$30 million in awards through 214 events in 2005. The 27-year-old
organization is the purveyor of America's largest and most prestigious
fishing tournaments, including the Wal-Mart FLW Tour, EverStart
Series, Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League, Wal-Mart Texas Tournament
Trail, Wal-Mart FLW Walleye Tour, Wal-Mart FLW Walleye League,
Wal-Mart FLW Kingfish Tour and Wal-Mart FLW Redfish Series.
Wal-Mart and many of America's largest and most respected companies
support FLW Outdoors and its tournament trails. Wal-Mart signed
on as the title sponsor of the FLW Tour in 1997 and today is
the title sponsor of all FLW Outdoors events. For more information
on Wal-Mart, visit Wal-Mart.com. For more information on FLW
Outdoors and its tournament programs, visit FLW Outdoors.com
or call 270-252-1000. For more information on FSN, visit FoxSports.com
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