Sherley shines at Wal-Mart BFL Hoosier Division tournament - Major League Fishing

Sherley shines at Wal-Mart BFL Hoosier Division tournament

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Mike Sherley of Louisville, Ky., topped 146 Wal-Mart BFL competitors July 27 on the Ohio River with four bass weighing 8 pounds, 2 ounces.
July 27, 2002 • MLF • Archives

MADISON, Ind. – Mike Sherley of Louisville, Ky., topped 146 Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League competitors Saturday on the Ohio River with four bass weighing 8 pounds, 2 ounces. The catch earned him $3,993 and 200 points in the Boater Division.

Sherley caught his bass on a 1/4-ounce Accent buzzbait. The catch topped second-place boater Larry Sisk of Evansville, Ind., by 1 pound, 7 ounces. Sisk finished the one-day tournament with a four-bass catch weighing 6 pounds, 11 ounces worth $1,997. Sherley also received a $1,000 bonus from Ranger Boats as the highest-finishing participant in the Ranger Cup incentive program.

Steve Floyd of Sabina, Ohio (three bass, 5 pounds, 14 ounces, $1,198); Todd Hensley of New Albany, Ind. (one bass, 5 pounds, 11 ounces, $958); and Merrill Bruce of Versailles, Ind., (two bass, 5 pounds, 6 ounces, $878) rounded out the top five boaters. Hensley earned boater big-bass honors and $730 with his 5-pound, 11-ounce bass.

Charlie Baldwin of Bunker Hill, Ind., claimed first place and $1,997 July 27 in the 146-competitor Co-angler Division of the Wal-Mart BFL tourney on the Ohio River.Charlie Baldwin of Bunker Hill, Ind., claimed first place and $1,997 in the 146-competitor Co-angler Division with two bass weighing 5 pounds, 4 ounces. He surpassed second-place co-angler Michael Scully of Louisville, Ky., by 5 ounces thanks to a 4-inch purple worm. Scully finished with a three-bass catch weighing 4 pounds, 15 ounces worth $998. Baldwin also earned big-bass honors and $365 in his division with a 3-pound, 13-ounce bass.

Kenny Gossom of Bedford, Ky. (two bass, 4 pounds, 11 ounces, $599); Andy Heinkelein of Cincinnati (three bass, 3 pounds, 4 ounces, $479); and Daniel Fromme of Jasper, Ind., (two bass, 2 pounds, 15 ounces, $439) rounded out the top five co-anglers.

The Hoosier Division’s final regular-season event, a two-day Super Tournament, will be held Sept. 7-8 on the Ohio River. The boater with the most points after the Super Tournament will be declared the Yamaha “Be-the-Best” points leader and awarded $1,000. The co-angler amassing the most points by the end of the season will receive $500.

The top 30 Hoosier Division boaters and co-anglers will advance to regional competition presented by Yamaha Oct. 15-19 on Kentucky Lake near Gilbertsville, Ky., where they will go up against top competitors from the Great Lakes, Illini and Michigan divisions for a shot at qualifying for the Wal-Mart BFL All-American – one of the most lucrative post-season tournaments in competitive angling.

2002 BFL awards could reach $7 million based on full fields.

Sponsors of the 2002 Wal-Mart BFL are Wal-Mart, ALPO Pet Foods, BC Powder, BFGoodrich Tires, Castrol, Chevy Trucks, Conseco, Energizer, EverStart Batteries, Evinrude, Faded Glory, Frito-Lay, FujiFilm, GARMIN, Kellogg’s, Land O’Lakes, Minn Kota, Newell Rubbermaid, Pepsi, Poulan, Ranger Boats, Shop-Vac, Snickers, Stanley Works, Stren, US Bank, Weed Eater and Yamaha Outboards.