Riddle reigns at Lake Patoka

JASPER, Ind. – Boater Richie Riddle of Columbus, Ind., earned $5,519 Saturday as winner of the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League Hoosier Division event on Lake Patoka. The tournament was the first of five regular-season Hoosier Division events and featured 177 boaters vying for the win, which earned Riddle 200 points in the Boater Division.

Riddle’s winning catch of four bass weighed 15 pounds, 5 ounces. He threw a Booyah jig in shallow coves to catch his bass.

Rounding out the top five boaters are Gary Edwards of Milton, Ky. (three bass, 11 pounds, 11 ounces, $2,760); Michael Abplanalp of Cleves, Ohio (three bass, 10 pounds, 10 ounces, $1,837); Dusty Clifton of South Whitley, Ind. (two bass, 10 pounds, $1,288) and Jim Turner of Clarksville, Ind. (two bass, 9 pounds, 10 ounces, $1,104).

Jim Turner also took Boater Division big-bass award honors, earning $885 for a 7-pound, 5-ounce bass.

Terry Knies of Sellersburg, Ind., bested 177 Co-angler Division competitors to earn $2,760 as the co-angler winner, thanks to three bass weighing 12 pounds, 8 ounces that he caught while fishing the south part of the lake flipping jigs around shallow banks.

Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Mike Chaudion of Cicero, Ind. (one bass, 7 pounds, 3 ounces, $1,380); Rob Campbell of Martinsville, Ind. and Dave Sandage of Cannelton, Ind., tied for third (two bass, 6 pounds, 7 ounces, $781) and John Royal of Odon, Ind. (two bass, 6 pounds, 3 ounces, $552).

Mike Chaudion also earned $442 as the co-angler big-bass award winner.

The Hoosier Division’s next event will be held June 3 on the Ohio River near Tell City, Ind., followed by another event on the Ohio River July 15. The fourth event will be held Aug. 26 on Lake Monroe and the Hoosier Division will wrap up its regular season Sept. 23-24 with a two-day Super Tournament again on Lake Monroe near Bloomington, Ind.

Following the regular season, the Hoosier Division boater with the most points who advances farthest in the Wal-Mart BFL All-American will earn $10,000 as the Yamaha “Be the Best” points champion. The co-angler points champion who advances farthest will earn $5,000 as the Yamaha “Be the Best” points champion 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 40 Hoosier Division boaters and co-anglers based on year-end points standings will advance to the Kentucky Lake Regional Championship near Gilbertsville, Ky., Oct. 19-21 where they will compete against Buckeye, Bama and Mountain division anglers for one of six slots in the 2007 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 $8.8 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 visit FLWOutdoors.com.

Named after the legendary founder of Ranger Boats, Forrest L. Wood, FLW Outdoors administers the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League, as well as the Wal-Mart FLW Tour, Wal-Mart FLW Series, Stren Series, Wal-Mart Texas Tournament Trail, Stratos Owners’ Tournament Trail, Wal-Mart FLW Walleye Tour, Wal-Mart FLW Walleye League, Wal-Mart FLW Kingfish Tour, Wal-Mart FLW Kingfish Series and Wal-Mart FLW Redfish Series. These circuits offer combined purses exceeding $36.9 million through 241 events in 2006.

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.