June 2013 - Black Sports The Magazine

Mark Daniels, Jr.
champion boater, Daniels. “We just started to work some things
out, put some things together.”
Wright caught all his fish Alabama Riggin’ a 5inch, white, curlytailed
grub. “I seemed to get bit better than my other two boaters
just following them in for the second pass on things. They were
great fishermen, but I think maybe the fish were keying in on the
white. I don’t know, but I got the fish to prove it.”
Both the national champion boater and co-angler fished the third
practice day and day one together, it would seem they were on to
something big. “I give a lot of credit to Mark, a lot of credit,”
Wright said. “If nothing else, what it did is get my head right. I
was struggling in practice and it’s tough to go into a big
tournament like this struggling. It put my head in a position where
I said, Okay, things can work. I’m going to catch fish. I just had to
go out and execute.”
Both national champion anglers earn coveted spots in the 2013
Forrest Wood Cup and the 2013 BFL All-American, in addition to,
cash and prizes. Daniels, the national champion boater, will
also receive the $100,000 Living the Dream package. He will
literally “live his dream” fishing as an FLW Tour Pro for a year
with use of a wrapped Ranger Boat and Chevrolet truck, as well
as travel expenses, sponsor merchandise, and prizes.
TBF’s sponsors at Ranger Boats once again went above and
beyond this week with their Ranger Cup program. The program
awarded the top Ranger Cup qualified boater, Mark Daniels Jr.,
a new Ranger Z518 boat and trailer, as well as, the top Ranger
Cup qualified co-angler, Robert Rikard from Lexington, S.C.,
$5,000 cash.
The Cabela’s Angler Cash program also proved its value
awarding the highest qualified boater, Ben Otto from Pulaski,
Wisconsin, $1,000 in Cabela’s Angler Cash and the highest
qualified co-angler, Greg Gizzi from Widefield, Colorado, $1,000
in Cabela’s Angler Cash.
BSTM June 2013 33