McDowell victor on Rend Lake

David nets co-angler win

BENTON, Ill. – Boater Dan McDowell of Mattoon, Ill., won the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League Illini Division tournament on Rend Lake Saturday with a five-bass catch weighing 13 pounds, 10 ounces. The victory earned McDowell $4,205 and placed him one step closer to qualifying for the Mississippi River Regional Championship in Fort Madison, Iowa, Oct. 4-6, where he could ultimately win a new 519VX Ranger boat and a Chevy truck.

McDowell caught his bass throwing a jig in shallow water near weeds and brush.

Rounding out the top five boaters are Greg Hirsch of Saint Jacob, Ill. (five bass, 12-11, $2,474); Wayne Shaw of Urbana, Ill. (four bass, 10-5, $1,649); Jerad Perkins of Carterville, Ill. (five bass, 10-2, $1,155); and Bob Milanec of Champaign, Ill. (four bass, 9-15, $990).

Mike Barnes of Mackinaw, Ill., took home the Boater Division Snickers Big Bass award, earning $755 for a 5-pound, 1-ounce bass.

Ross David Davis of Saint Elmo, Ill., earned $2,474 as the co-angler winner Saturday thanks to five bass weighing 11 pounds, 9 ounces that he caught while flipping a jig in and around submerged bushes.

Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Robert Turney of Clinton, Ill. (three bass, 8-11, $1,237); Mario Rossi of Granite City, Ill. (four bass, 8-5, $824); Jim Funsch of Springfield, Ill. (three bass, 7-9, $577); and Brett Wysock of Wilmington, Ill. (three bass, 6-14, $495).

Rick Beck of Hopkinsville, Ky., earned $377 as the co-angler Big Bass winner after catching a 5-pound, 9-ounce bass.

The Illini Division’s next event will be June 23 on Lake Shelbyville in Findlay, Ill., followed by a tournament July 14 on the Ohio River in Golconda, Ill. The division’s fourth event will be held Aug. 11 on Lake Shelbyville in Findlay and the final event of the regular season will be a two-day Super Tournament held Sept 8-9 on the Ohio River in Golconda.

Following the end of regular-season competition, the top 40 boaters and 40 co-anglers based on year-end points standings in the division will advance to the no-entry-fee Mississippi River Regional Championship where they will compete against top qualifiers from three other BFL divisions. At the Regional Championship boaters will fish for a new Ranger boat and Chevy truck and co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger boat. The top six boaters and top six co-anglers at the Regional Championship will also advance to the 2008 All-American presented by Chevy. With a total purse of $1 million, a potential $140,000 cash prize going to the winning boater and as much as $70,000 going to the winning co-angler, the All-American is one of the most prestigious and lucrative events in bass fishing. The winning boater and winning co-angler at the All-American also advance to the no-entry-fee $2 million 2008 Forrest Wood Cup. This event, featuring a top award of $1 million, is the sport’s biggest championship.

The $8.8 million Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League features 28 divisions nationwide. In BFL competition, boaters and co-anglers are randomly paired. Boaters supply the boat and fish from the front deck against other boaters while co-anglers compete from the back deck against other co-anglers.

Named after the legendary founder of Ranger Boats, Forrest L. Wood, FLW Outdoors administers the Wal-Mart FLW Tour, Wal-Mart FLW Series, Stren Series, Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League, Wal-Mart Texas Tournament Trail presented by Abu Garcia, Ranger Owners Tournament Championship Series, Wal-Mart FLW Walleye Tour, Wal-Mart FLW Walleye League, Wal-Mart FLW Kingfish Tour, Wal-Mart FLW Kingfish Series, Wal-Mart FLW Redfish Series and Wal-Mart FLW Striper Series. These circuits will offer combined purses of nearly $43 million through 241 events in 2007.

Wal-Mart and many of America’s largest and most respected companies support FLW Outdoors and its tournament trails. Wal-Mart signed on as an FLW Outdoors sponsor in 1997 and today is the world’s leading supporter of tournament fishing. For more information about Wal-Mart, visit Walmart.com.

For more information about FLW Outdoors and its tournaments, browse FLWOutdoors.com or call (270) 252-1000.