Beehler wins BFL Super Tournament on Beaver Lake

ROGERS, Ark. – J.R. Beehler of Bella Vista caught 10 bass weighing 16 pounds, 14 ounces to win $5,676 at the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League Arkie Division Super Tournament, held this weekend on Beaver Lake near Rogers. Beehler bested 86 Boater Division competitors and earned 300 points at the tournament, which was the fifth and final Arkie Division event of the regular season.

Beehler caught five bass Saturday weighing 7 pounds, 2 ounces and caught another five weighing 9 pounds, 12 ounces Sunday to win the event.

Rounding out the top five boaters are Mark Hensiek of England (eight bass, 16 pounds, 5 ounces); Jeremiah Kindy of Benton (10 bass, 15 pounds, 7 ounces); Doyle Cain of Royal (10 bass, 14 pounds, 2 ounces); and Rich Dalbey of Greenville, Texas (10 bass, 13 pounds, 7 ounces).

Cain earned a $500 bonus as the highest-finishing participant in the Ranger Cup incentive program. Mike Lemons of Conway and Brandon Rhoden of Sheridan tied for Boater Division big-bass award honors with a 3-pound, 2-ounce bass. Each earned $430 for their big bass.

Dewey Larson of Fayetteville led 81 Co-angler Division competitors on day two to claim $2,705 as the Super Tournament co-angler winner. He caught five bass Saturday weighing 4 pounds, 9 ounces and followed that up Sunday with four bass weighing 4 pounds, 15 ounces to earn the win with a two-day total of nine bass weighing 9 pounds, 8 ounces.

Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Shar Fisher of Pea Ridge (five bass, 8 pounds, 3 ounces); Ken Douthit of Maysville (four bass, 8 pounds, 1 ounce); Kevin Harp of Huntsville (seven bass, 7 pounds, 10 ounces); and Raymond Thomas Jr. of Hot Springs Village (five bass, 7 pounds, 6 ounces).

Pine Drewyor of Tulsa, Okla., took co-angler big-bass honors and $405 with a 3-pound, 6-ounce bass.

Bill Fletcher of Hot Springs is the Arkie Division’s Yamaha “Be the Best” points leader, winning $1,000 for the 1,020 points he earned during five regular-season tournaments. Scott Boatright of Sheridan is the Yamaha “Be the Best” points leader in the Co-angler Division. He earned $500 for his division-leading 1,034 points.

The top 30 boaters and top 30 co-anglers in the Arkie Division will advance to regional competition Oct. 21-25 on the Red River near Natchitoches, La., where they will go up against top competitors from the Bama, Cowboy and Gulf Coast divisions for a shot at qualifying for the BFL All-American, one of the most lucrative postseason tournaments in competitive angling.

The BFL comprises 24 divisions nationwide, each featuring five regular-season events that lead to one of six regionals. Four of the regular-season tournaments are one-day events, while the final event, a Super Tournament, is a two-day tournament that will award as much as $70,950 to participating anglers. Anglers who enter all five regular-season events in a division but do not advance to a regional may enter the Chevy Trucks Wild Card for a shot at qualifying for the All-American. The All-American field comprises 84 competitors – six boaters and six co-anglers from six regionals plus six boaters and six co-anglers from the Wild Card.

As the nation’s leading provider of affordable, close-to-home weekend tournaments, the BFL is widely credited with opening competitive bass fishing to the masses. It also serves as a steppingstone for anglers who wish to advance to the EverStart Series and ultimately the Wal-Mart FLW Tour – bass fishing’s most lucrative tournament series. Each year the top 30 boaters and co-anglers from each BFL division are eligible to advance to the EverStart Series, and the All-American champions are eligible for Wal-Mart FLW Tour competition. The top 15 pros and co-anglers from the Central, Eastern and Northern divisions of the EverStart Series (top 10 from the Western Division) are eligible to advance to the Wal-Mart FLW Tour. Former BFL anglers who have become fishing superstars on the Wal-Mart FLW Tour include Kellogg’s pro Clark Wendlandt, Chevy pro Tommy Biffle and four-time FLW Tour champion David Fritts.