Farren first at BFL event on Chesapeake Bay - Major League Fishing

Farren first at BFL event on Chesapeake Bay

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Boater Ron Farren of Hughesville, Md., earned $3,514 June 24 as winner of the BFL Northeast Division event on Chesapeake Bay. Angler: Ron Farren.
June 24, 2006 • MLF • Archives

ELKTON, Md. – Boater Ron Farren of Hughesville, Md., earned $3,514 Saturday as winner of the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League Norhteast Division event on Chesapeake Bay. The tournament was the second of five regular-season Northeast Division events and earned Farren 200 points in the Boater Division.

Farren’s winning catch of five bass weighed 17 pounds, 10 ounces. He was throwing a Senko in 1 to 4 feet of water to catch his bass. Farren also earned an additional $1,000 for being the highest placing Ranger Cup participant.

Rounding out the top five boaters are Bill Gallagher of Southampton, Pa. (five bass, 17 pounds, 8 ounces, $1,757); Richard Witushynsky of Gettysburg, Pa. (five bass, 16 pounds, 7 ounces, $1,172); Mark Knapp of Central City, Pa., (five bass, 16 pounds, $820); and Darrel Gesford of Hummelstown, Pa. (five bass, 15 pounds, 1 ounce, $703).

Gallagher and Witushynsky tied for Boater Division big-bass award honors, earning them each $225 for a 5-pound, 4-ounce bass.

Fred George of Marysville, Pa., won the Co-angler Division to earn $1,753 thanks to five bass weighing 15 pounds, 13 ounces that he caught on a jig. George also earned an additional $220 for winning the Co-angler Division big bass award with a 4-pound, 15-ounce bass he also caught on a jig.

Rounding out the top five co-anglers are James Canning of Meriden, Conn. (five bass, 13 pounds, 2 ounces, $876); Darren Campbell of Pequea, Pa. (five bass, 12 pounds, 10 ounces, $585); Mendel Crunkleton of Chambersburg, Pa. (four bass, 12 pounds, 2 ounces, $409); and Ronald Smith of Browns Mill, N.J. (five bass, 11 pounds, 14 ounces, $351).

The Northeast Division’s next event will be held July 22 on the Hudson River near Catskill, N.Y., followed by an event on Chesapeake Bay near Elkton, Md., Aug 19. The Northeast Division will wrap up its regular season Sept. 9-10 with a two-day Super Tournament on the Potomac River near LaPlata, Md.

Following the regular season, the Northeast 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 Northeast Division boaters and co-anglers based on year-end points standings will advance to the Smith Mountain Regional near Moneta, Va., Oct. 19-21, where they will compete against Empire, North Carolina and Piedmont 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.