Arthur wins Wal-Mart BFL event on the Mississippi River

Boater Stuart Arthur of Milwaukee, Wis., earned $4,037 as winner of the BFL Great Lakes Division event on the Mississippi River. Angler: Stuart Arthur.

July 15, 2006 • MLF • Archives

PRAIRIE DU CHEIN, Wis. – Boater Stuart Arthur of Milwaukee, Wis., earned $4,037 Saturday as winner of the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League Great Lakes Division event on the Mississippi River. The tournament was the third of five regular-season Great Lakes Division events and earned Arthur 200 points in the Boater Division.

Arthur’s winning catch of five bass weighed 15 pounds, 9 ounces. He was throwing a topwater frog over submerged grass and weeds to catch his bass.

Rounding out the top five boaters are Dennis Rhead of Elmwood, Wis. (five bass, 15 pounds, 7 ounces, $2,019); Bill Frisk of Holmen, Wis. (five bass, 15 pounds, 1 ounces, $1,345); Bill Duffy of Deforest, Wis., (five bass, 14 pounds, 7 ounces, $942) and Bob Bungard of Muskego, Wis. (five bass, 14 pounds, 6 ounces, $807).

Duffy also took home an additional $545 for winning the Boater Division big bass award with a 4-pound, 6-ounce bass he caught on a jig.

Frisk also took home an additional $500 for being the highest placing Ranger Cup participant.

Jeff Turner of Plainfield, Ill., won the Co-angler Division to earn $2,019 thanks to five bass weighing 13 pounds, 3 ounces that he caught on a tube and topwater frogs over submerged weeds.

Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Mark Fialkowski of Sandwich, Ill. (five bass, 12 pounds, 5 ounces, $1,009); Ron Check of Prairie Du Chein, Wis. (five bass, 12 pounds, 2 ounces, $675); Chad Maves of Elmwood, Wis. (five bass, 12 pounds, 1 ounce, $471); and Patrick Campbell of Cedar Falls, Iowa (five bass, 12 pounds, $404).

Maves also earned $272 as the co-angler big-bass award winner with a 3-pound, 15-ounce bass.

The Great Lakes Division’s next event will take place on the Mississippi River near Clinton, Iowa, Aug. 19 followed by their two-day Super Tournament, the divisions fifth and final event, on the Mississippi River near LaCrosse, Wis.

Following the regular season, the Great Lakes 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 Great Lakes 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 Michigan, 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. 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 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, 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.