Wilkinson pulls it off on Ohio River - Major League Fishing

Wilkinson pulls it off on Ohio River

Gates lands co-angler title
Image for Wilkinson pulls it off on Ohio River
Chris Wilkinson of Farmersburg, Ind., won the Sept. 7-8 Buckeye Division Super Tournament on the Ohio River with a two-day total weight of 16 pounds.For his efforts, Wilkinson earned a check for over $4,500. Angler: Chris Wilkinson.
September 8, 2013 • MLF • Archives

LAWRENCEBURG, Ind., – Chris Wilkinson of Farmersburg, Ind., weighed a two-day total of 10 bass for 16 pounds even Sunday to win the Walmart Bass Fishing League Buckeye Division Super Tournament on the Ohio River at Tanner’s Creek. For his victory, Wilkinson earned $4,540.

Chris Wilkinson continued a successful summer by averaging exactly 8 pounds a day in his BFL win. “I’ve always done well on the river,” said Wilkinson. “But, I’m super excited to win. This is the first time I’ve been able to pull it off.”

Wilkinson said he targeted lay-downs in the backs of creeks. “It seemed like the fish were on the ends of lay-downs that were next to deeper water. The water was dropping, and that positioned the fish on the down-current side.

“I was the only one to come in with about 8 pounds per day,” said Wilkinson. “Being consistent both days was definitely key.”

Despite Wilkinson’s steady weights, he said he nearly stumbled on day two.

“I didn’t have a fish until 11 a.m. on the second day. I was getting a little nervous,” said Wilkinson. “But I caught three of my best fish with about 30 minutes to go. After the first one I felt a lot better.”

Wilkinson said he caught his fish on a tube and a buzzbait from Hawgback Lures.

Rounding out the top 10 pros:

2nd: Larry Sisk, Evansville, Ind., nine bass, 15-15, $2,270

3rd: James Hailstones, Cincinnati, Ohio, 10 bass, 14-12, $1,515

4th: Brian Cambell, Oxford, Ohio, eight bass, 11-13, $1,059

5th: Robert Scaggs Jr., Waverly, Ohio, eight bass, 11-0, $908

6th: Keith Wheelock, Beaver Creek, Ohio, eight bass, 10-12, $832

7th: James Vitaro, Wooster, Ohio, seven bass, 10-08, $757

8th: Dave Lauer, McConnelsville, Ohio, seven bass, 10-4, $681

9th: Frank McClain, Scottsburg, Ind., six bass, 10-0, $605

10th: Henry Martin, Independence, Ky., seven bass, 9-11, $438

Complete results can be found here.

Gates wins co-angler title

Co-angler Eric Gates of Laurel, Ind., won the Sept. 7-8 Buckeye Division Super Tournament on the Ohio River with a two-day total weight 10 pounds, 10 ounces. Despite weighing only eight bass over two days, Gates still took home the top prize of over $2,200.Eric Gates of Laurel, lnd., weighed an eight-bass limit totaling 10 pounds, 10 ounces Sunday to win $1,135 in the co-angler division.

Rounding out the top 10 co-anglers:

2nd: Tom Csepe, Norton, Ohio, seven bass, 9-1, $1,135

3rd: Brody Campbell, Oxford, Ohio, eight bass, 8-12, $757

4th: Eddie Dean, Ashton, W. Va., six bass, 8-4, $530

5th: William Killilea, Chillicothe, Ohio, six bass, 7-11, $454

6th: Matt Huddle, Mount Orab, Ohio, seven bass, 7-10, $416

7th: Daniel Hurst, Troy, Ohio, four bass, 7-9, $378

8th: Roger Hahn, Fairfield, Ohio, five bass, 6-15, $341

9th: Ray Yocum, Dayton, Ohio, five bass, 6-7, $303

10th: Dennis Robinson, Oxford, Ohio, four bass, 5-12, $265

Complete co-angler results can be found here.

The top 40 boaters and 40 co-anglers based on point standings will qualify for the Oct. 3-5 Regional Championship on the Chesapeake Bay in Northeast, Md. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518 with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard and a Chevy Silverado, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518 with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard.

The BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 120 tournaments throughout the season, five in each division. The top 40 boaters and co-anglers from each division qualify for a regional tournament and compete to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the Walmart BFL All-American presented by Chevy. Top winners in the BFL can move up to the EverStart Series or even the Walmart FLW Tour.

About FLW

FLW is the industry’s premier tournament-fishing organization, providing anglers of all skill levels the opportunity to compete for millions in prize money nationwide in 2013 over the course of 220 tournaments across five tournament circuits, four of which provide an avenue to the sport’s richest payday and most coveted championship trophy – the Forrest Wood Cup. FLW tournament fishing can be seen on the Emmy-nominated “FLW” television show and is broadcast to more than 564 million households worldwide, making it the most widely distributed weekly outdoors-sports television show in the world. FLW is committed to providing a lifestyle experience that is the “Best in Fishing, On and Off the Water.” For more information about FLW visit FLWOutdoors.com and look for FLW on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and YouTube.