Great Lakes Division tournament taken by Samo

Boater Curtis Samo of Creston, Ill., topped 141 BFL competitors May 17 on the Mississippi River with five bass weighing 14 pounds, 14 ounces. Angler: Curtis Samo.

May 17, 2003 • MLF • Archives

CLINTON, Iowa – Curtis Samo of Creston, Ill., topped 141 Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League competitors Saturday on the Mississippi River with five bass weighing 14 pounds, 14 ounces. The catch earned him $3,851 and 200 points in the Boater Division.

Samo’s catch topped second-place boater Richie Eaves of Nauvoo, Ill., by 14 ounces. Eaves finished the one-day tournament with a five-bass catch weighing 14 pounds worth $1,926.

Terry Fitzpatrick of Waukon (five bass, 13 pounds, 6 ounces, $1,309); Robert Bungard Jr. of Muskego, Wis. (five bass, 13 pounds, 4 ounces, $1,001); and Rick Miller of Blue Grass (five bass, 13 pounds, 3 ounces, $847) rounded out the top five boaters.

Fitzpatrick also earned $705 as the big-bass winner, thanks to a 4-pound, 13-ounce bass. Pat Buenzli of Prairie du Chien, Wis., earned a $500 bonus from Ranger Boats for being the highest-finishing participant in the Ranger Cup incentive program.

Charles Miller of Bristol, Wis., topped 141 Co-angler Division competitors with a five-bass catch weighing 14 pounds, 6 ounces that earned him $1,926. He surpassed second-place co-angler Richard Herold of Cedar Rapids by 1 pound, 3 ounces. Herold finished with a five-bass catch weighing 13 pounds, 3 ounces worth $963.

T.R. Krier of Indianola (five bass, 10 pounds, 8 ounces, $655); Ron Check of Prairie du Chien, Wis. (five bass, 9 pounds, 5 ounces, $501); and David Allen of Trevor, Wis. (four bass, 9 pounds, 4 ounces, $424) rounded out the top five boaters.

Casey Hewes of Milwaukee, Wis., earned big-bass honors and $353 in his division with a 4-pound, 7-ounce bass.

The Wal-Mart BFL will visit the Mississippi River at La Crosse June 21 for the second of five Great Lakes Division events. The boater with the most points after the division’s season finale, a two-day Super Tournament Sept. 6-7 on the Mississippi River, 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 Great Lakes Division boaters and co-anglers will advance to regional competition Oct. 14-18 on Beaver Lake near Rogers Ark., where they will go up against top competitors from the LBL, Okie and Ozark 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.