Cecil Wins Wal-Mart Texas Tournament Trail Event on Richland Chambers Reservoir

April 03, 2005 CORSICANA, Texas – Pro Russell Cecil of Waxahachie caught a two-day total of 10 bass weighing 35 pounds, 1 ounce to win $50,000 in cash and prizes, including a Ranger 519 VX powered by a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Yamaha outboard, Minn Kota trolling motor, Garmin electronics and EverStart batteries, at the Wal-Mart Texas Tournament Trail event on Richland Chambers Reservoir. A field of 196 pros and 196 co-anglers competed in the event, which featured a $169,300 purse.

Cecil took advantage of bright skies and warm sunny conditions and flipped shallow cover with a Lake Fork Tackle Craw Tube. He fished the Richland Arm of the reservoir both days. This is Cecil’s first win on the Texas Tournament Trail.

Rounding out the top five pros are Thomas Ferro of Willis (10 bass, 34 pounds, 2 ounces, $8,000); David Hogge of Nolanville (nine bass, 32 pounds, 7 ounces, $6,000 plus $4,000 bonus); Kellogg’s pro Clark Wendlandt of Cedar Park (10 bass, 31 pounds, 1 ounce, $4,300 plus $3,000 bonus); and Michel Brewton of Nacogdoches (nine bass, 28 pounds, 14 ounces, $3,200 plus $2,500 bonus).

Bonuses are awarded to registered Ranger boat owners. Pros must also fish out the eligible Ranger boat during the tournament to qualify for contingency awards. Cecil’s winnings also included a $5,000 bonus as the highest-finishing participant in the Ranger Cup incentive program.

Charles Dellard of Burleson caught a two-day total of six bass weighing 22 pounds, 5 ounces to win the Co-angler Division and $34,000 in cash and prizes including a fully rigged Ranger 519 VX. Dellard caught a day-one limit weighing an amazing 20 pounds, 3 ounces on a Carolina-rigged Zoom Lizard. He also threw a Wave Worm Tiki-Stick and spinnerbait and fished near the dam to secure the win.

Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Rick Parker of Kaufman (seven bass, 20 pounds, $3,000 plus $1,650 bonus); Alan Gregston of San Angelo (seven bass, 19 pounds, 9 ounces, $2,000 plus $1,200 bonus); Robert Ballard of Del Rio (two bass, 17 pounds, 13 ounces, $1,000 plus $1,000 bonus); and Danny Joiner of Irving (four bass, 16 pounds, 7 ounces, $800).

Two of the largest bass in the tournament were caught by Ballard who only caught two bass in two days. Ballard’s two bass, however, weighed 8 pounds, 9 ounces and 9 pounds, 4 ounces respectively.
The next TTT event will be held April 30-May 1 on Lake Texoma near Denison. The top 50 pros and co-anglers based on year-end points standings will advance to the $195,000 Wal-Mart Texas Tournament Trail Championship Oct. 15-16 on Lake Conroe near Conroe. The winning pro at the championship can earn as much as $71,000 in cash and prizes, including a Ranger boat.

Named after the legendary founder of Ranger Boats, Forrest L. Wood, FLW Outdoors administers the Wal-Mart Texas Tournament Trail 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.

For more information on FLW Outdoors and its tournament programs, visit FLWOutdoors.com or call (270) 252-1000.

Wal-Mart and many of America’s largest and most respected companies support FLW Outdoors and its tournament trails. Wal-Mart signed on as 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 about Fujifilm products, call (800) 800-FUJI or visit the Fujifilm U.S.A. Web site at Fujifilm.com.

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