Schoenrock wins Mississippi Division event on Pickwick Lake

PICKWICK DAM, Tenn. – Shan Schoenrock of Carrollton, Ala., earned $3,662 Saturday as winner of the third regular-season Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League Mississippi Division event, held on Pickwick Lake near Pickwick Dam. He caught five bass weighing 15 pounds, 15 ounces to claim the win and 200 points in the Boater Division.

Schoenrock has put together an incredible season so far in the Mississippi Division to currently rank No. 1 in the points standings. In the season’s three events, Schoenrock has finished fifth, third and now first. This is his third season to fish the Mississippi Division. He caught his tournament-winning bass Saturday on a jig in 3 to 20 feet of water. He also earned a $1,000 bonus from Ranger Boats as the highest-finishing participant in the Ranger Cup incentive program.

Finishing second was Roger Stegall of Iuka, Miss., with five bass that weighed 13 pounds, 6 ounces worth $1,831. In third was Brian Parker of Corinth, Miss., with a five-bass catch weighing 12 pounds, 15 ounces that earned him, $1,245. Tied for fourth were Todd Rasberry of Lawrenceburg (four bass) and Bobby Padgett of Columbus, Ga. (five bass). Both anglers caught 12 pounds, 14 ounces worth of bass to earn $879 each.

Zack Bull of Memphis earned Boater Division big-bass honors and $650 with a 7-pound bass he caught on a jig.

Jay Rogers of Oakland claimed $1,806 as winner of the Co-angler Division with a three-bass catch weighing 9 pounds that he caught on a Carolina-rigged Brush Hog and a crankbait.

Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Brad Petty of Columbus, Miss. (two bass, 7 pounds, 12 ounces, $903); Sammy Mitchell of Russellville, Ala. (five bass, 7 pounds, 2 ounces, $614); Will Terrell of Bartlett (two bass, 6 pounds, 1 ounce, $470); and Alan Cantrell of Winfield, Ala. (two bass, 4 pounds, 8 ounces, $397).

Petty claimed $315 as the big-bass winner in the Co-angler Division with a 4-pound, 15-ounce bass.

The Mississippi Division’s next stop will be Aug. 7 on Lake Ferguson in Greenville, Miss., and the regular season will come to a close Sept. 18-29 with a two-day Super Tournament on Ross Barnett Reservoir in Ridgeland, Miss.

Following the regular season, the top 30 boaters and 30 co-anglers based on year-end points standings will advance to the Lake Seminole regional near Bainbridge, Ga., Oct. 5-9, where they will compete against anglers from the Bama, Gator and Piedmont divisions for one of six slots in the 2005 All-American. With a $100,000 cash prize going to the winning boater and $50,000 to the winning co-angler, the All-American is one of the most prestigious and lucrative events in competitive bass fishing.

Every angler who receives weight credit in a tournament earns points, with 200 points going to the winner, 199 for second, 198 for third, and so on except for Super Tournaments, which award 300 points to the winner, 299 for second, 298 for third, and so on. These points determine angler standings. The Mississippi Division boater who amasses the most points at the end of the regular season will earn $1,000 as the Yamaha “Be the Best” points leader, and the co-angler earning the most points will earn $500 as the Yamaha “Be the Best” points leader in the Co-angler Division.

The $6.3 million Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League features 24 divisions nationwide. In BFL competition, boaters and co-anglers are randomly paired, with boaters supplying the boat and fishing against other boaters and co-anglers fishing from the back deck against other co-anglers. For more information or to enter a tournament, call (270) 252-1000 or browse this Web site.

Wal-Mart and many of America’s most respected companies support FLW Outdoors and its six tournament trails. Wal-Mart has been the title sponsor of FLW Outdoors since 1997. For a complete list of FLW Outdoors sponsors and for more information about the premier products and services they offer, please visit FLWOutdoors.com’s sponsor page.