HamiltonBFL06

News: 10/01/06

FLW Outdoors press release

Rhoden Wins Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League Super Tournament
on Lake Hamilton

Brandon Rhoden

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. — Boater Brandon Rhoden of Grapevine, Ark., earned 300
points and $6,403 Sunday as the winner of the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League
Arkie Division Super Tournament on Lake Hamilton.

Rhoden’s two-day winning catch of 10 bass weighed 16 pounds, 9 ounces. He
was throwing buzzbaits in the backs of creeks to catch his bass.

Rounding out the top five boaters are Adam Wright of Benton, Ark. (nine bass,
15 pounds, 7 ounces, $3,202); Wayne Hudgens of Hot Springs, Ark. (10 bass,
13 pounds, 11 ounces, $2,133); Josh Wray of Harrison, Ark. (eight bass, 12
pounds, $1,494); and Keith Green of Arkadelphia, Ark. (eight bass, 11 pounds,
15 ounces, $1,281).

Wright also won the Boater Division Snickers Big Bass award with a 5-pound,
15-ounce bass that earned him $892.

Wright also took home an additional $500 for being the highest-placing Ranger
Cup participant. He earned the Powered by Yamaha bonus of $250 for his
second-place finish as well.

Kevin McDonald of Alexander, Ark., earned $3,202 as the co-angler winner
thanks to seven bass weighing 12 pounds, 6 ounces that he caught on a
topwater frog and flipping a jig around shallow docks.

Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Jason Wedel of Lowell, Ark. (four
bass, 8 pounds, 12 ounces, $1,601); Glen Travis Hensley of Vilonia, Ark. (six
bass, 7 pounds, 12 ounces, $1,067); Keeton Blaylock of Benton, Ark. (six bass,
7 pounds, 6 ounces, $747); and David Wormington of Texarkana, Texas (six
bass, 7 pounds, 1 ounce, $640).

Wedel also earned an additional $446 as the Co-Angler Division Snickers Big
Bass winner with a 4-pound, 7-ounce bass.

The top 40 Arkie Division boaters and co-anglers based on year-end points
standings will now advance to the no-entry-fee Wright Patman Regional
Championship near Texarkana, Texas, Oct. 19-21, where they will compete
against Cowboy, Louisiana and Okie anglers for a new Ranger boat and a
Chevy truck in the Boater Division plus six slots in the no-entry-fee 2007 Wal-
Mart BFL All-American presented by Chevy. With a total purse of $1 million and
a potential $140,000 cash going to the winning boater and $70,000 going to the
winning co-angler, the All-American is one of the most prestigious and
lucrative events in bass fishing.

The Boater Division points champion who advances the farthest at the All-
American will earn $10,000 as the Yamaha “Be the Best” points champion. The
co-angler points champion who advances the farthest will earn $5,000 as the
Yamaha “Be the Best” points champion in the Co-angler Division.

For complete Arkie Division standings, browse FLWOutdoors.com.

The $8.8 million Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League features 28 divisions
nationwide. In BFL competition, boaters and co-anglers are randomly paired,
with boaters supplying the boat and fishing against other boaters and co-
anglers fishing from the back deck against other co-anglers.

Named after the legendary founder of Ranger Boats, Forrest L. Wood, FLW
Outdoors administers the Wal-Mart FLW Tour, Wal-Mart FLW Series, Stren
Series, Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League, Wal-Mart Texas Tournament Trail
presented by Abu Garcia, Stratos Owners’ Tournament Trail, Wal-Mart FLW
Walleye Tour, Wal-Mart FLW Walleye League, Wal-Mart FLW Kingfish Tour, Wal-
Mart FLW Kingfish Series, Wal-Mart FLW Redfish Series and Wal-Mart FLW
Striper Series. These circuits offer combined purses exceeding $37.9 million
through 249 events in 2006.

For more information or to enter a tournament, call (270) 252-1000 or browse
FLWOutdoors.com.

Wal-Mart and many of America’s largest and most-respected companies
support FLW Outdoors and its tournament trails. Wal-Mart signed on as an
FLW Outdoors sponsor in 1997 and today is the world’s leading supporter of
tournament fishing. For more information about Wal-Mart, visit Wal-Mart.com.