Tulgestka takes BFL event on Burt-Mullet lakes

Boater Erhardt Tulgestka of Rogers City, Mich., earned $3,671 June 10 as winner of the BFL Michigan Division event on Burt-Mullet lakes. Angler: Erhardt Tulgestka.

June 10, 2006 • MLF • Archives

INDIAN RIVER, Mich. – Boater Erhardt Tulgestka of Rogers City, Mich., earned $3,671 Saturday as winner of the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League Michigan Division event on Burt-Mullet Lakes. The tournament was the first of five regular-season Michigan Division events and earned Tulgestka 200 points in the Boater Division.

Tulgestka’s winning catch of five bass weighed 24 pounds, 4 ounces. Tulgestka also took home an additional $1,000 for being the highest placing Ranger Cup participant.

Rounding out the top five boaters are Jeremy Tulgestka of Presque Isle, Mich. (five bass, 24 pounds, 3 ounces, $1,835); Donald Hewkin of Zion, Ill. (five bass, 22 pounds, 13 ounces, $1,224); Eric Bond of Ferndale, Mich. (five bass, 22 pounds, 5 ounces, $856) and Timothy Bala of Hope, Mich., and Larry Regina of South Bend, Ind., tied for fifth (five bass, 21 pounds, 7 ounces, $703).

Tulgestka, Hewkin and Steve Clapper of Lima, Ohio, tied for Boater Division big-bass award honors, earning each angler $157 for a 5-pound, 8-ounce bass.

Chris Cosbitt of Alpena, Mich., won the Co-angler Division to earn $1,835 thanks to five bass weighing 19 pounds, 15 ounces. He was targeting spawning fish, throwing a 4-inch Strike King Bleeding tube.

Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Mike Paul of Atlanta, Mich. (five bass, 19 pounds, $918); Rick Roberts of Macomb, Mich. (five bass, 17 pounds, 6 ounces, $612); Leo Reiter of Goshen, Ind. (five bass, 15 pounds, $428); and Steve Pennington of Delton, Mich. (five bass, 14 pounds, 14 ounces, $367).

Jerry Adamski of Chicago, Ill., earned $235 as the co-angler big-bass award winner with a 5-pound, 8-ounce bass.

The Michigan Division’s next event will be held June 24 on Lake St. Clair near Mt. Clemens, Mich., followed by an event on the Grand River near Grand Haven, Mich., July 29. The Michigan Division’s fourth event will be held on the Detroit River near Trenton, Mich., Aug. 26. The division will wrap up its regular season Sept. 9-10 with a two-day Super Tournament again on the Detroit River near Trenton.

Following the regular season, the Michigan 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 Michigan Division boaters and co-anglers based on year-end points standings will advance to the Fort Madison Regional near Fort Madison, Iowa, Oct. 5-7, where they will compete against Great Lakes, Illini and Ozark 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.

Named after the legendary founder of Ranger Boats, Forrest L. Wood, FLW Outdoors administers the Wal-Mart FLW Tour, Wal-Mart FLW Series, Stren Series, Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League, Wal-Mart Texas Tournament Trail presented by Abu Garcia, Stratos Owners’ Tournament Trail, Wal-Mart FLW Walleye Tour, Wal-Mart FLW Walleye League, Wal-Mart FLW Kingfish Tour, Wal-Mart FLW Kingfish Series, Wal-Mart FLW Redfish Series and Wal-Mart FLW Striper Series. These circuits offer combined purses exceeding $37.9 million through 249 events in 2006.

For more information about FLW Outdoors and its tournament programs, browse FLWOutdoors.com or call (270) 252-1000.

Wal-Mart and many of America’s largest and most respected companies support FLW Outdoors and its tournament trails. Wal-Mart signed on as an FLW Outdoors sponsor in 1997 and today is the world’s leading supporter of tournament fishing. For more information about Wal-Mart, visit Wal-Mart.com.