Sultan Wins Walmart Bass Fishing League Mississippi Division on Lake Ferguson
OutdoorHub 06.19.12
Jonathan Sultan of Grenada, Miss., weighed a five-bass limit totaling 20 pounds, 11 ounces Saturday to win the Walmart Bass Fishing League Mississippi Division event on Lake Ferguson. For his victory, Sultan earned $3,766.
“My day started out very good,” said Sultan. “I caught all of my fish that I weighed in very early. I had a solid limit by 7 a.m. I thought it was crucial that I caught my fish early, as I knew everybody on the lake was going to be grouped up. The water level is very low so anglers can’t make the run up the river or to another lake. Everyone was fishing Ferguson.
“I had around 20 keepers on the day,” Sultan continued. “I was throwing a Carolina Rig with a watermelon-colored Zoom Brush Hog and a Strike King sexy shad-colored crankbait. I just alternated between the two and I caught fish using both of them. I’m pretty familiar with Ferguson – I live about two hours away from it and fish it a few times a month. I didn’t practice much for this event though, as the water level was dropping so fast that I knew it was going to be completely different on tournament day. I really have to credit my Lowrance electronics for helping me in this event. It allowed me to pinpoint some key fish and that ended up getting me the win.”
Rounding out the top 10 pros were:
2nd: David Lee, Canton, Miss., five bass, 20-5, $1,883
3rd: Tim McDaniel, Grenada, Miss., five bass, 20-2, $1,256
4th: Roger Stegall, Iuka, Miss., five bass, 19-15, $879
5th: Newton Ford, Lena, Miss., five bass, 19-10, $753
6th: Philip Atkins, Columbus, Miss., five bass, 19-5, $690
7th: Lynn Miller, Hernando, Miss., five bass, 19-2, $628
8th: Brandon Bolton, West Point, Miss., five bass, 17-6, $565
9th: Jim Phillips, Greenwood, Miss., five bass, 16-3, $502
10th: Jason Cordell, Pelahatchie, Miss., five bass, 16-1, $439
Complete results can be found at FLWOutdoors.com.
Norman Bolotte of Kenner, La., weighed a five-bass limit totaling 18 pounds, 9 ounces Saturday to win $1,883 in the co-angler division.
Rounding out the top 10 co-anglers were:
2nd: Alton Lackie, Germantown, Tenn., five bass, 18-6, $942
3rd: Eddie Gibson, Greenville, Miss., five bass, 17-1, $627
4th: Michael Babin, Hineston, La., five bass, 16-3, $439
5th: Matt Wooten, West Point, Miss., five bass, 15-1, $377
6th: Adam Horn, Madison, Miss., five bass, 15-0, $345
7th: Corey Craggs, Horn Lake, Miss., five bass, 14-10, $314
8th: Rick Morgan, Benton, Miss., five bass, 14-6, $282
9th: Lance Jackson, Starkville, Miss., five bass, 14-5, $251
10th: Will Terrell, Memphis, Tenn., five bass, 13-10, $220
The final BFL Mississippi Division tournament is scheduled for Sept. 29-30 on Pickwick Lake in Iuka, Miss. After that tournament is complete, the top 40 boaters and 40 co-anglers based on point standings will qualify for the Oct. 18-20 Regional Championship on the Red River in Natchitoches, La. 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. Top winners in the BFL can move up to the EverStart Series or even the Walmart FLW Tour.
