WOODHAVEN, Mich. – Mike Trombly of Perrysburg, Ohio, topped 58 competitors on the Detroit River this weekend with five bass weighing 21 pounds, 14 ounces to win $4,595 and 400 points on the boater side of the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League (BFL) Michigan Division season finale.
After qualifying for the final round of the two-day Super Tournament in fifth place with an opening day catch of five bass weighing 19 pounds, 2 ounces, Trombly out fished runner up David Hayward of Sylvania, Ohio, by 1 ounce to take the win.
Hayward qualified for the final round in eighth place with five bass weighing 17 pounds, 11 ounces and finished up with a final round catch of 21 pounds, 13 ounces to win $2,298. He also received a $500 bonus from Ranger Boats as the highest finishing participant in the Ranger Cup incentive program.
Donald Hewkin of Zion, Ill., took third place and collected $1,149 with 17 pounds, 2 ounces. Allen Huhra of Joliet, Ill., placed fourth and earned $996 with 16 pounds, 8 ounces, while David Reault of Livonia, Mich., placed fifth and earned $919 with 14 pounds, 7 ounces.
Huhra won the boater Big Bass Award and collected $580 with a 4-pound, 14-ounce bass that he caught on opening day.
First place in the Co-Angler Division and $2,298 went to Bob Snyder of Marion, Ind., who topped 58 competitors with a final round catch of five bass weighing 19 pounds, 4 ounces. Second place in the division and $1,149 went to Homer Stephens of Noblesville, Ind., with 14 pounds, 14 ounces, while Peter Merckx of Westland, Mich., took third place and $574 with 12 pounds, 13 ounces.
Joe Lindsay of Monroe, Mich., and Orlando Villarreal of Hudsonville, Mich., tied for the co-angler Big Bass Award with a 4-pound, 7-ounce bass that he man caught on opening day. Lindsay and Villarreal received $145 each.
Steve Clapper of Lima, Ohio, landed the Divisional Points Championship and $1,000 with 1,152 points won during five regular season tournaments. Floyd Siegel of Coldwater, Mich., landed the Co-Angler Points Championship and $500 with 1,103 points.
The top 30 boaters and top 30 co-anglers in the Michigan Division will advance to regional competition Oct. 9-13 on Chautauqua Lake near Jamestown, N.Y., where they will go up against top competitors from the Northeast, Buckeye and Piedmont divisions for a shot at qualifying for the BFL All-American, which features an estimated purse of $345,000 and ranks as one of the most lucrative post-season tournaments in competitive angling. The top two boaters and co-anglers may also qualify for the Ranger M1 tournament in Mobile, Ala., Feb. 27-March 2, 2002, where they can win up to $1 million in the world’s richest freshwater tournament.
Awards for the 2001 BFL season could reach $5.7 million based on full fields at each tournament.
Sponsors of the 2001 Wal-Mart BFL are ALPO Pet Foods, BC Powder, BFGoodrich Tires, Black & Decker, Chevy Trucks, CITGO, Coleman, Conseco, Energizer, EverStart Batteries, Frito-Lay, FujiFilm, Garmin, Kellogg’s, Land O’Lakes, Mercury Marine, Minn Kota, Pepsi, Poulan, Pure Fishing, Ranger Boats, Snickers Cruncher Bar, Stren, Shop-Vac, Timex, US Bank, Visa, Weed Eater, Wrangler and Yamaha Outboards. ACDelco is an associate sponsor of the Wal-Mart BFL.