Wessels wins Wal-Mart BFL event on 1000 Islands

CLAYTON, N.Y. – Boater Aaron Wessels of Watervliet, N.Y., won the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League Empire Division tournament on 1000 Islands Saturday with a five-bass catch weighing 20 pounds, 11 ounces. The victory earned Wessels $3,630 and placed him one step closer to qualifying for the Potomac River Regional Championship in Marbury, Md., Oct. 11-13, where he could ultimately win a new 519VX Ranger boat and a Chevy truck.

Wessels caught his bass using black and blue jigs near rock piles to catch his limit.

Rounding out the top five boaters are Dennis Sikorski of Taftville, Conn. (five bass, 19-7, $2,136); Tom Belinda of Hollidaysburg, Pa. (five bass, 19-4, $1,424); John Hahn of Johnson City, N.Y. (five bass, 18-10, $997); and Thomas Stange Jr. of Middlefield, Conn. (five bass, 18-8, $854).

Dean Meckes of Clayton, N.Y., took home the Boater Division Snickers Big Bass award, earning $595 for a 5-pound, 4-ounce bass.

Jason Shipton of Muncy, Pa., earned $2,100 as the co-angler winner Saturday thanks to five bass weighing 17 pounds, 1 ounce that he caught while fishing a green pumpkin Senko Worm in grass.

Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Thomas Prowant of Lewisburg, Pa. (five bass, 16-15, $1,050); Mark Rose of Fombell, Pa. (five bass, 16-10, $701); Olexiy Luchnikov of Brooklyn, N.Y. (five bass, 16-4, $490) and Rex Magargle of Turbotville, Pa. (five bass, 16-3, $420).

Magargle earned $292 as the co-angler Big Bass winner after catching a 5-pound, 9-ounce bass.

The division’s fourth event will be held Aug. 25 on Seneca Lake in Geneva, N.Y., and the final event of the regular season will be a two-day Super Tournament held Sept. 22-23 on Lake Champlain in Plattsburgh, N.Y.

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 Potomac 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.