Tyner wins Wal-Mart BFL event on Grand Lake

GROVE, Okla. – Boater Mike Tyner of Stillwater earned $4,206 Saturday as winner of the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League Okie Division event on Grand Lake. The tournament was the second of five regular-season Okie Division events and featured 158 boaters vying for the win, which earned Tyner 200 points in the Boater Division.

Tyner’s winning catch of five bass weighed 19 pounds, and he caught them on a white spinnerbait with a Zoom trailer. He also earned a $1,000 bonus from Ranger Boats as the highest-finishing participant in the Ranger Cup incentive program.

Tied for second were Ron Shaw of Moore (five bass) and Andy Carroll of Fort Smith, Ark. (four bass). Both anglers earned $1,766 for their catch of 17 pounds, 3 ounces. Chris Chancellor of Claremore finished fourth with a five-bass catch weighing 15 pounds, 8 ounces worth $1,093, and in fifth was Jason Christie of Park Hill with five bass weighing 14 pounds, 12 ounces that earned him $925.

Bob Cruse of Broken Arrow took Boater Division big-bass award honors, earning $790 for a 6-pound, 15-ounce bass. He caught his big bass on a crankbait.

Bob Barker of Stillwater bested 158 Co-angler Division competitors to earn $2,103 as the co-angler winner, thanks to two bass weighing 11 pounds, 9 ounces that he caught on a crankbait. He and Brett Spurlock of Inola tied for co-angler big-bass honors. Each earned $197 for a 7-pound, 5-ounce bass.

Tied for second in the Co-angler Division were Jerry Christian of Sallisaw (three bass) and Wade Garcia of Alma, Ark. (five bass). Both anglers caught 10 pounds, 6 ounces worth of bass that earned each of them $883. In fourth was Don Linder of Ponca City with three bass weighing 9 pounds, 14 ounces worth $547, and finishing fifth and earning $463 was Terry Swart Jr. of Morrison with four bass weighing 9 pounds, 8 ounces.

The Okie Division’s next event will be held May 1 on Fort Gibson Lake near Wagoner, followed by an event on Keystone Lake in Mannford June 19. The Okie Division will wrap up its regular season Oct. 2-3 with a two-day Super Tournament on Grand Lake near Grove.

Following the regular season, the Okie Division boater with the most points will earn $1,000 as the Yamaha “Be the Best” points leader. The co-angler amassing the most points will earn $500 as the Yamaha “Be the Best” points leader in the Co-angler Division.

Every angler who receives weight credit in a tournament earns points, with 200 points going to the winner, 199 for second, 198 for third, and so on except for Super Tournaments, which award 300 points to the winner, 299 for second, 298 for third, and so on. The top 30 Okie Division boaters and co-anglers based on year-end points standings will advance to the Toledo Bend regional near Many, La., Oct. 12-16, where they will compete against Arkie, Louisiana and Ozark division anglers for one of six slots in the 2005 All-American. With a $100,000 cash prize going to the winning boater and $50,000 going to the winning co-angler, the All-American is one of the most prestigious and lucrative events in bass fishing.

The $6.3 million Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League features 24 divisions nationwide. In BFL competition, boaters and co-anglers are randomly paired, with boaters supplying the boat and fishing against other boaters and co-anglers fishing from the back deck against other co-anglers. For more information or to enter a tournament, call (270) 252-1000 or browse this Web site.

Wal-Mart and many of America’s most respected companies support FLW Outdoors and its six tournament trails. Wal-Mart has been the title sponsor of FLW Outdoors since 1997. For a complete list of FLW Outdoors sponsors and for more information about the premier products and services they offer, please visit FLWOutdoors.com’s sponsor page.