Berhorst best boater at BFL event on Lake Truman

CLINTON, Mo. – Boater Dennis Berhorst of Holts Summit, Mo., earned $4,686 Saturday as winner of the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League Ozark Division event on Lake Truman. The tournament was the fourth of five regular-season Ozark Division events and earned Berhorst 200 points in the Boater Division.

Berhorst’s winning catch of five bass weighed 16 pounds, 6 ounces. Berhorst also took home an additional $1000 for being the highest placing Ranger Cup participant.

Rounding out the top five boaters are Tommy Dillon of Manhattan, Kan. (five bass, 15 pounds, 3 ounces, $2,343); Roger Fitzpatrick of Eldon, Mo. (four bass, 11 pounds, 15 ounces, $1,562); Rick Johnston of Oronogo, Mo., (three bass, 11 pounds, 7 ounces, $1,093) and Kazuki Kitajima of Fayetteville, Ark. (three bass, 10 pounds, 3 ounces, $937).

Johnston also earned an additional $690 for winning the boater division big bass award with a 6-pound, 14-ounce bass.

Joe Waggoner of Carthage, Mo., won the Co-angler Division to earn $2,270 thanks to four bass weighing 11 pounds, 12 ounces.

Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Steve Nielsen of Lee’s Summit, Mo. (two bass, 7 pounds, 10 ounces, $1,135); Ross Roberts of Nixa, Mo. (two bass, 5 pounds, 13 ounces, $757); Chris Bunk of Columbia, Mo. tied with Charles Baker of Rayville, Mo. (two bass, 5 pounds, 11 ounces, $492).

Tim Schraeder of Springfield, Mo., earned $330 as the co-angler big-bass award winner with a 5-pound bass.

The Ozark Division will wrap up its regular season Sept. 16-17 with a two-day Super Tournament, the divisions fifth and final event, on Lake of the Ozarks near Osage Beach, Mo.

Following the regular season, the 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 Ozark 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 Michigan 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 browse 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.

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.