Mundinger tops Boater Division on Lake Kissimmee

LAKE WALES, Fla. – Boater Cliff Mundinger Jr. of Tallahassee, Fla., won the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League Gator Division tournament on Lake Kissimmee Saturday with a five-bass catch weighing 16 pounds, 11 ounces. The victory earned Name $3,823 and placed him one step closer to qualifying for the Lake Murray Regional Championship in Columbia, S.C., Oct. 23-25, where he could ultimately win a new 198VX Ranger boat and a Chevy truck.

Nearly missing the chance to fish in the tournament at all, there’s no doubt Mundinger really earned this one after fighting the wind, losing three nice fish, maintenance problems and rescuing a boat.

“So many things happened today, that I can’t believe I won,” Mundinger said. “The wind was extremely strong all day that I could barely stand up, I lost some good keepers, I helped someone that was stranded on the lake and to top it all off my oil light came on shortly after we locked back through to Kissimmee. It was an extremely difficult day.”

Mundinger caught his fish flipping grass on Lake Toho using a Zoom Speed Worm and ChatterBait.

“Even though it was a hard day, I was just happy to make it to the tournament,” Mundinger added. “I pulled out of the tournaments for the 2008 season because my father was diagnosed with terminal cancer. We had hospice come in and help out so I was able to make the tournament. Fishing is what makes me truly happy and all my dad wanted was for me to win this tournament.”

Rounding out the top five boaters are Joseph Kremer of Osteen, Fla. (five bass, 15-6, $2,249); Benjamin Harris of Lakeland, Fla. (five bass, 15-2, $1,498); John Cox of Debary, Fla. (five bass, 14-14, $1,050) and Don Fousek of Saint Cloud, Fla. (five bass, 14-12, $900).

Cox took home the Boater Division Snickers Big Bass award, earning $645 for an 8-pound bass he caught on a spinnerbait.

Robert Crosnoe of Inverness, Fla., earned $2,249 as the co-angler winner Saturday thanks to five bass weighing 12 pounds, 8 ounces that he caught fishing around hydrilla with a Senko.

Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Kenneth Bivins of Orlando, Fla. (five bass, 12-0, $1,125); Kevin Guynn of Ocala, Fla. (five bass, 10-14, $752); Jackie Barber of Cocoa, Fla. (five bass, 9-9, $525) and Joe Edwards Jr. of Kissimmee, Fla. (five bass, 9-3, $450).

Arthur Divi of Tampa, Fla., earned $322 as the co-angler Big Bass winner after catching a 5-pound, 13-ounce bass he caught on a Rat-L-Trap.

Gator Division anglers will visit Harris Chain of Lakes in Tavares, Fla., April 5 for their fourth regular-season event. A two-day Super Tournament, the division’s fifth and final event, will be held on St. John’s River in Palatka, Fla., Sept. 20-21.

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 Lake Murray 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 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 Forrest Wood Cup. This event, featuring a top award of $1 million, is the sport’s biggest championship.

Tournament anglers aren’t the only ones winning big this season. With the introduction of FLW Fantasy Fishing, FLW Outdoors will be awarding the largest fantasy sports payout in history. Players can become a virtual pro angler by signing up for Player’s Advantage, providing them with exclusive insider information that could guide them to a $100,000 victory at every Wal-Mart FLW Tour stop and the Forrest Wood Cup. Player’s Advantage will give them an edge over the competition and increase their shot for a $1 million cash grand prize that will be awarded to the FLW Fantasy Fishing cumulative points winner. Those who visit FantasyFishing.com today can sign up for Player’s Advantage and FLW Outdoors will include a $15 Wal-Mart gift card.

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.

FLW Outdoors, named after Forrest L. Wood, the legendary founder of Ranger Boats, is the largest fishing tournament organization in the world. In 2008 alone the organization is offering more than 90,000 anglers the chance to win over $40 million through 230 tournaments in 10 circuits targeting bass, walleye, redfish, kingfish and striped bass. FLW Outdoors is also taking fishing mainstream with the largest cash awards in the history of fantasy sports, $7.3 million.

For more information about FLW Outdoors and its tournaments, browse FLWOutdoors.com or call (270) 252-1000. For more information about FLW Fantasy Fishing and Player’s Advantage, visit FantasyFishing.com.

Total awards are based on a full field of 200 boats in every tournament.