Rathke rises to top of field at BFL Super Tournament on Detroit River - Major League Fishing

Rathke rises to top of field at BFL Super Tournament on Detroit River

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Boater Kevin Rathke of Albion, Ind., earned $4,554 Sept. 11 as winner of the Wal-Mart BFL Michigan Division Super Tournament event on the Detroit River. Angler: Kevin Rathke.
September 11, 2005 • MLF • Archives

TRENTON, Mich. – Boater Kevin Rathke of Albion, Ind., earned $4,554 Saturday as winner of the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League Michigan Division Super Tournament event on the Detroit River. The tournament earned Rathke 300 points in the Boater Division.

Rathke’s winning catch of 10 bass weighed 38 pounds, 1 ounce.

Finishing second was Frank Novock of Rockwood with 10 bass weighing 38 pounds that earned him $2,223. Mark Dowd of Westland claimed $1,084 as the third-place finisher thanks to 10 bass weighing 32 pounds, 14 ounces. In fourth was Cecil Cole of Durand with eight bass weighing 32 pounds, 8 ounces worth $976, and finishing fifth and earning $867 was David Hasty of Toledo, Ohio, with 10 bass weighing 32 pounds, 7 ounces.

Dowd took Boater Division big-bass award honors, earning $720 for a 5-pound bass.

Steven Cowell of Ottawa Lake earned $2,277 as the co-angler winner, thanks to 10 bass weighing 35 pounds, 3 ounces.

Rounding out the top five co-anglers are James Richardson Sr. of Harrison, Ohio (eight bass, 27 pounds, 8 ounces, $1,111); Philip Borsa of Redford (seven bass, 26 pounds, 12 ounces, $542); Travis Edgar of North Webster, Ind. (eight bass, 25 pounds, 14 ounces, $488); and Farrell Swindell of Fort Wayne, Ind. (eight bass, 24 pounds, 12 ounces, $434).

Duane Mayhew of Warsaw, Ind., earned $360 as the co-angler big-bass award winner with a 4-pound, 14-ounce bass.

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

The top 40 Michigan Division boaters and co-anglers based on year-end points standings will advance to the Ohio River Regional near Paducah, Ky., Oct. 11-15 where they will compete against Arkie, Hoosier and Great Lakes division anglers for one of six slots in the 2006 All-American. With a total purse of $1 million and a potential $140,000 cash prize going to the winning boater and $70,000 going to the winning co-angler, the All-American is one of the most prestigious and lucrative events in bass fishing.

The $8.4 million Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League features 28 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 FLWOutdoors.com.

Named after the legendary founder of Ranger Boats, Forrest L. Wood, FLW Outdoors administers the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League and seven other national tournament circuits offering a combined $30 million in awards through 214 events in 2005. The 27-year-old organization is the purveyor of America’s largest and most prestigious fishing tournaments, including the Wal-Mart FLW Tour, EverStart Series, Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League, Wal-Mart Texas Tournament Trail, Wal-Mart FLW Walleye Tour, Wal-Mart FLW Walleye League, Wal-Mart FLW Kingfish Tour and Wal-Mart FLW Redfish Series.

Wal-Mart and many of America’s largest and most respected companies support FLW Outdoors and its tournament trails. Wal-Mart signed on as title sponsor of the FLW Tour in 1997 and today is the title sponsor of all FLW Outdoors events. For more information on Wal-Mart, visit Wal-Mart.com.