CANNELTON, Ind. – Larry Sisk of Evansville earned $4,238 Saturday as winner of the third regular-season Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League Hoosier Division event, held on the Ohio River near Cannelton. He caught five bass weighing 9 pounds, 13 ounces to claim the win and 200 points in the Boater Division.
On a rainy day, Sisk threw a spinnerbait to shallow, clear-water stumps up creeks to win the tournament by a mere 1 ounce.
Rounding out the top five boaters are Michael Trueblood of Hanover (five bass, 9 pounds, 12 ounces, $2,119); Todd Hensley of New Albany (five bass, 9 pounds, 10 ounces, $1,441); Marty Sisk of Evansville (four bass, 8 pounds, 3 ounces, $1,102); and Ladd Kitchel of Flora (five bass, 8 pounds, 1 ounce, $932).
Nick Davis of Yorktown landed a 4-pound, 11-ounce bass to win the Boater Division big-bass award and $805. Trueblood won $1,500 as the top Ranger Cup finisher.
Darrell Jackson of Indianapolis claimed $2,116 as winner of the Co-angler Division with a two-bass catch weighing 7 pounds, 6 ounces that he caught with a tube in weeds and lily pads. Jackson also landed the Co-angler Division big bass at 5 pounds, 3 ounces to win an additional $398.
Michael Winders of Clarksville caught four bass that weighed 6 pounds, 3 ounces to finish second and claim $1,058. Tied for third were Chris Fint of Frankfort, Ky. (one bass, 4 pounds, 9 ounces, $578); Matt McCoy of Indianapolis (four bass, 4 pounds, 9 ounces, $578); and David Paulin of Terre Haute (two bass, 4 pounds, 9 ounces, $578).
The Hoosier Division’s next stop will be Aug. 28 on Monroe Lake near Bloomington, and the regular season will come to a close Sept. 18-19 with a two-day Super Tournament on the Ohio River in Cannelton.
Following the regular season, the top 30 boaters and 30 co-anglers based on year-end points standings will advance to the Kentucky Lake regional near Gilbertsville, Ky., Oct. 12-16, where they will compete against anglers from the Choo Choo, Great Lakes and Michigan 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 Hoosier 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.