Hoosier Division tournament won by Shaffer
LAWERENCEBURG, Ind. – Dick Shaffer of Celina, Ohio, topped 194 Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League competitors Saturday on the Ohio River with five bass weighing 8 pounds, 12 ounces. The catch earned him $4,885 and 200 points in the Boater Division.
Shaffer’s catch topped second-place boater Wes Thomas of Hanover by 1 ounce. Thomas finished the one-day tournament with a five-bass catch weighing 8 pounds, 11 ounces worth $2,443. Thomas also earned a $500 bonus from Ranger for being the highest-finishing participant in the Ranger Cup incentive program.
Sean Wieda of Cincinnati (two bass, 7 pounds, 8 ounces, $1,661); Gary Byard of Versailles (five bass, 7 pounds, 7 ounces, $1,270); and Robert Welty of Galien, Mich., (five bass, 7 pounds, 6 ounces, $1,075) rounded out the top five boaters.
Wieda earned big-bass honors and $970 in his division with a 5-pound, 10-ounce bass.
Stephen Redman of Pendleton, Ky., topped 194 Co-angler Division competitors with a five-bass catch weighing 6 pounds, 11 ounces. Redman earned $2,443 for the win. Redman surpassed second-place co-angler Andy Heinkelein of Cincinnati by 1 ounce. Heinkelein finished with a four-bass catch weighing 6 pounds, 10 ounces worth $1,221.
Third place went to Norman Ford of Crothersville with a four-bass catch weighing 6 pounds, earning him $830. Tied for fourth place were Shaun Richardson of Indianapolis and Greg Scythes of Ironton, Ohio (four bass, 5 pounds, 14 ounces). Both earned $586 for their catch.
Tom Eason Jr. of New Albany earned big-bass honors and $485 in his division with a 2-pound, 13-ounce bass.
The Wal-Mart BFL will visit the Ohio River June 21 for the second of five Hoosier Division events. The boater with the most points after the division’s season finale, a two-day Super Tournament Sept. 20-21 on Patoka Lake, 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 Oct. 14-18 on Old Hickory Lake near Gallatin, Tenn., where they will go up against top competitors from the Bulldog, Carolina and Illini divisions for a shot at qualifying for the Wal-Mart BFL All-American – one of the most lucrative postseason tournaments in competitive angling.
As much as $6 million will be awarded in the 2003 Wal-Mart BFL.
For more information or to enter a tournament, call (270) 252-1000 or browse this Web site.
Editor’s Note: Ranger Cup award winners are pending verification by Ranger Boats and thus are unofficial at this time.