Hinesley wins season opener on Ohio River

LAWRENCEBURG, Ind. – The 2004 Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League Hoosier Division season kicked off Saturday on the Ohio River near Lawrenceburg, and Ronnie Hinesley of Sulphur Springs claimed the win thanks to a four-bass catch weighing 8 pounds, 6 ounces. He bested 202 Boater Division competitors to earn $5,000 and 200 points.

Hinesley caught his tournament-winning bass flipping a Stanley jig in the shallow creeks. He earned a $1,000 bonus from Ranger Boats as the highest-finishing participant in the Ranger Cup incentive program, and he also earned $1,000 from Bombardier for using an Evinrude Direct Injection outboard.

Rounding out the top five boaters are Bill Bauer of Carmel (five bass, 7 pounds, 6 ounces, $2,500); Steve Neal of Aurora (four bass, 7 pounds, 4 ounces, $1,700); Sean Wieda of Cincinnati (five bass, 7 pounds, $1,300); and Craig Mills of Hamilton, Ohio (four bass, 6 pounds, 11 ounces, $1,100).

Arthur Brown of Rising Sun claimed Boater Division big-bass honors and $1,000 thanks to a 5-pound, 10-ounce bass that he caught on a blue/black Stanley jig.

Matt Linton of South Bend earned $2,493 as the Co-angler Division winner thanks to a four-bass catch that weighed 5 pounds, 12 ounces. He edged past 198 Co-angler Division competitors thanks to a tube he was flipping slow and shallow.

Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Rod Yoder of West Lafayette (three bass, 4 pounds, 4 ounces, $1,247); Mark Nies of Cannelton (two bass, 4 pounds, $848); Joel Carey of Louisville, Ky. (one bass, 3 pounds, 7 ounces, $648); and Brian Jackson of Mason, Ohio (one bass, 3 pounds, 5 ounces, $548).

Carey earned $495 as the Co-angler Division big-bass winner with his 3-pound, 7-ounce bass.

The Hoosier Division’s next stop will be May 22 on Patoka Lake in Birdseye. Each BFL division features four one-day events followed by a two-day Super Tournament to round out the regular season. The top 30 Hoosier Division boaters and co-anglers based on year-end points standings will advance to the Kentucky Lake regional presented by Yamaha near Gilbertsville, Ky., Oct. 12-16, where they will compete against Choo Choo, Great Lakes and Michigan division anglers for a slot in the 2005 All-American. The winning boater at the All-American receives $100,000 cash, making it one of the most lucrative and prestigious championship events in bass fishing.

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. These points determine angler standings. The Hoosier Division boater who amasses the most points at the end of the regular season will earn $1,000 as the Yamaha “Be the Best” points leader, and the co-angler earning the most points will earn $500 as the Yamaha “Be the Best” points leader in the Co-angler Division.

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.