STEGALL WINS WALMART BASS FISHING LEAGUE MISSISSIPPI DIVISION EVENT ON PICKWICK LAKE

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IUKA, Miss. (April 27, 2015) – Roger Stegall of Iuka, Mississippi, weighed a five-bass limit totaling 19 pounds, 5 ounces Saturday to win the second Walmart Bass Fishing League Mississippi Division tournament of 2015 on Pickwick Lake. For his victory, Stegall earned $8,197.

“Winning a tournament like this is a feeling that I haven’t experienced for a few years now,” said Stegall.

Stegall said that he started his day fishing cuts and bars near the takeoff location. Around 6:30 a.m. he caught a 4½-pound smallmouth bass – his second largest fish of the day – using a chartreuse-colored Strike King 6XD Crankbait.

Stegall said he focused on eight spots with similar structure as the day progressed, but used different baits in order to catch his fish.

“I rotated between a Blue Craw-colored Strike King Hack Attack Jig with a green-pumpkin-colored trailer, and a Carolina rig with a green-pumpkin Strike King Game Hawg,” said Stegall. “Strike King natural colors always clean up this time of year.”

Stegall said he caught approximately 15 keepers throughout the day.

“I didn’t think I had as much weight as I needed when the day came to a close,” Stegall said. “I fished hard to catch a 5- or 6-pounder to win, but it turns out I didn’t need it.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:

1st:          Roger Stegall, Iuka, Miss., five bass, 19-5, $5,197 + $2,000 Ranger Cup Bonus + $1,000 Mercury Bonus

2nd:         Jeremy Utley, Florence, Ala., five bass, 19-3, $2,598

3rd:          Jeff McLain, Columbus, Miss., five bass, 17-13, $1,733

4th:          Brandon Perkins, Counce, Tenn., four bass, 16-10, $1,213

5th:          Blake Daugherty, Batesville, Miss., five bass, 16-0, $1,039

6th:          Shannon Denson., Brandon, Miss., five bass, 15-14, $953

7th:          Kevin Daigle, Brandon, Miss., five bass, 15-13, $866

8th:          Heath Gilmore, Meridian, Miss., five bass, 15-12, $780

9th:          Darrell Moon, Corinth, Miss., five bass, 15-7, $693

10th:        Michael Savell, Brandon, Miss., five bass, 15-5, $606

Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Perkins caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the pro division, a fish weighing 7 pounds, 12 ounces and earned the day’s Big Bass award of $810.

Charles Conn of Pearl, Mississippi, weighed in a five-bass limit totaling 16 pounds, 5 ounces Saturday to win $2,566 in the co-angler division.

The top 10 co-anglers were:

1st:          Charles Conn, Pearl, Miss., five bass, 16-5, $2,566

2nd:         Kenneth Underwood, Columbus, Miss., five bass, 14-15, $1,283

3rd:          Douglas Vierling, Gulfport, Miss., five bass, 13-6, $855

4th:          Jason Mitchell, Hamilton, Miss., five bass, 13-3, $599

5th:          Joe Cornelius, Corinth, Miss., five bass, 12-6, $513

6th:          Steve Holcombe, Cuba, Ala., five bass, 11-13, $471

7th:          Alford Cherry, Monroe, La., five bass, 11-9, $428

8th:          Jeremy Kelley, Covington, La., five bass, 11-7, $385

9th:          Benny Brown, Corinth, Miss., five bass, 11-2, $342

10th:        John Swords, Collierville, Tenn., five bass, 10-15, $299

Scott Brown of Lucedale, Mississippi, caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the co-angler division and earned the day’s Big Bass award of $400.

The top 50 boaters and 50 co-anglers based on point standings will qualify for the Oct. 22-24 Regional Championship on Neely Henry Lake in Gadsden, Alabama. 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.

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