Plaisance wins Wal-Mart BFL event on Bayou Segnette

WESTWEGO, La. – Boater Dwayne Plaisance of Harvey earned $3,961 Saturday as winner of the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League Louisiana Division event on Bayou Segnette. The tournament was the second of five regular-season Louisiana Division events and featured 147 boaters vying for the win, which earned Plaisance 200 points in the Boater Division.

Plaisance’s winning catch of five bass weighed 20 pounds, 12 ounces. He caught them flipping hyacinths and canes with a chartreuse and black jig with a pork trailer.

Finishing second was Howard Beetz of Houma with five bass weighing 20 pounds, 11 ounces that earned him $1,981. David Cavell of Prairieville claimed $1,347 as the third-place finisher thanks to five bass weighing 18 pounds, 14 ounces. In fourth was Roy Laborde of Reserve with five bass weighing 18 pounds, 1 ounce worth $1,030, and finishing fifth and earning $871 was Art Defraites III of Houma with five bass weighing 17 pounds, 6 ounces.

Randall Brown of Lafayette earned a $500 bonus from Ranger Boats as the highest-finishing participant in the Ranger Cup incentive program. Beetz took Boater Division big-bass award honors, earning $735 for a 6-pound, 7-ounce bass. He caught his big bass on a 1/2-ounce chartreuse and white spinnerbait.

Jimmy Ford of Purvis, Miss., bested 143 Co-angler Division competitors to earn $1,953 as the co-angler winner, thanks to five bass weighing 20 pounds that he caught on a 3/8-ounce spinnerbait in the hydrilla in 4 to 6 feet of water. He also earned $358 as the co-angler big-bass award winner with a 6-pound, 7-ounce bass.

Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Steve Anderson of Sugar Land, Texas (five bass, 17 pounds, 15 ounces, $976); Lawrence Welch III of Amelia (five bass, 15 pounds, 11 ounces, $664); Michael Felder of Denham Springs (five bass, 15 pounds, 2 ounces, $508); and Kevin Ricks of Marrero (five bass, 14 pounds, 5 ounces, $430).

The Louisiana Division’s next event will be held May 15 on Bayou Black near Gibson, followed by an event on the Red River in Natchitoches June 12. The Louisiana Division will wrap up its regular season Oct. 2-3 with a two-day Super Tournament on the Atchafalaya Basin near Morgan City.

Following the regular season, the Louisiana 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 Louisiana Division boaters and co-anglers based on year-end points standings will advance to the Toledo Bend regional near Many Oct. 12-16, where they will compete against Arkie, Okie 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.