Fitzpatrick, Nelson tie in BFL tourney on Truman Lake - Major League Fishing

Fitzpatrick, Nelson tie in BFL tourney on Truman Lake

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Boaters Roger Fitzpatrick (right) of Eldon, Mo., and Scott Nelson of Lake Ozark, Mo., tied in the June 13 BFL Ozark Division tournament on Truman Lake five-bass catches weighing 18 pounds, 3 ounces. The victory earned Fitzpatrick and Nelson $3,095 each. Anglers: Roger Fitzpatrick, Scott Nelson.
June 13, 2009 • MLF • Archives

CLINTON, Mo. – Roger Fitzpatrick of Eldon, Mo., and Scott Nelson of Lake Ozark, Mo., tied in the Walmart Bass Fishing League Ozark Division tournament on Truman Lake Saturday with five-bass catches weighing 18 pounds, 3 ounces. The victory earned Fitzpatrick and Nelson $3,095 each and placed them one step closer to qualifying for the DeGray Lake Regional Championship in Arkadelphia, Ark., Oct. 22-24, where he could ultimately win a new Ranger boat and a Chevy truck.

Fitzpatrick said he caught two keepers on an Omega Pro-Mega 5/8-ounce jig and three keepers on a Chompers 10-inch worm.

Rounding out the top five boaters are Jim Eakin of Plato, Mo. (five bass, 16-15, $1,377); Ron Barnes of Bentonville, Ark. (five bass, 16-0, $963); and Casey Scanlon of Lenexa, Kan. (five bass, 15-15, $825).

Jeffrey Rehmer of Gravois Mills, Mo., took home the Boater Division Big Bass award, earning $575 for a 5-pound, 3-ounce bass he caught.

Dan Ashby of Independence, Mo., earned $2,019 as the co-angler winner Saturday thanks to five bass weighing 13 pounds, 6 ounces that he caught on a shaky head jig.

Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Blase Frick of Saint Louis, Mo., and Dennis Spell of Desloge, Mo. (five bass, 13-2, $842); Walter Hammond of Lees Summit, Mo. (five bass, 12-10, $471) and Chris McQuarry of Springfield, Mo. (five bass, 12-1, $404).

Dustin Back of Galena, Mo., and Jeffrey Risinger of Bridgeton, Mo., tie as the co-angler Big Bass winners, each earning $136 after catching a 4-pound, 5-ounce bass.

The final regular-season Ozark Division tournament, a two-day Super Tournament, will be held on Lake of the Ozarks in Osage Beach, Mo., Sept. 26-27.

The top 40 boaters and 40 co-anglers in each of the BFL’s 28 divisions at the end of the season advance to a no-entry-fee Regional Championship where boaters fish for a new Ranger boat and a Chevy truck and co-anglers fish for a new Ranger boat. Seven regional championships will each send six boaters and six co-anglers to the no-entry-fee Walmart BFL All-American presented by Chevy, which features a $1 million purse and a top award of $140,000 in the Boater Division and $70,000 in the Co-angler Division. Anglers who compete in all five regular-season events within a division but do not advance to a Regional Championship are eligible to compete in the Chevy Wild Card, which will also send six boaters and six co-anglers to the All-American for a total of 48 boaters and 48 co-anglers advancing through BFL competition.

The winning boater and winning co-angler at the All-American will advance to the no-entry-fee 2010 Forrest Wood Cup in Atlanta in 2010. This event, featuring a top award of $1 million, is the most lucrative tournament in all of competitive bass fishing. In all, the BFL offers weekend anglers the opportunity to qualify for three no-entry-fee championships with total cash awards exceeding $3.5 million. Plus, the top 40 boaters and 40 co-anglers from each BFL division may move up to the Stren Series for 2010 while All-American champions have the option to advance directly to the Walmart FLW Tour.

In BFL competition, boaters supply the boat and compete from the front deck against other boaters. Co-anglers compete from the back deck against other co-anglers.

As the nation’s leading provider of affordable, close-to-home weekend tournaments, the BFL is widely credited with opening competitive bass fishing to the masses. It also serves as a steppingstone for anglers who wish to advance to the Stren Series and ultimately the FLW Tour – bass fishing’s most lucrative tournament circuit.

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

FLW Outdoors, named after Forrest L. Wood, the legendary founder of Ranger Boats, is the largest fishing tournament organization in the world. FLW Outdoors also is taking fishing mainstream with FLW Fantasy Fishing, offering the largest awards possible in the history of fantasy sports, $10 million in cash and prizes. Sign up for Player’s Advantage for only $10 to get your edge and win.

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