Rhode wins Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League event on Lake Erie

SANDUSKY, Ohio – Boater Jared Rhode of Port Clinton, Ohio, earned $3,679 Saturday as winner of the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League Buckeye Division event on Lake Erie. The tournament was the third of five regular-season Buckeye Division events and earned Rhode 200 points in the Boater Division.

Rhode’s winning catch of five bass weighed 19 pounds, 14 ounces. He was throwing a drop-shot rig to catch his bass.

Rounding out the top five boaters are John Marchbanks of Toledo, Ohio and John Viox of Hebron, Ky., tied for second (five bass, 18 pounds, 7 ounces, $1,532); Mike Trombly of Perrysburg, Ohio (five bass, 18 pounds, 5 ounces, $859); and George Boston of Marysville, Ohio (five bass, 17 pounds, 7 ounces, $736).

Viox also took home an additional $480 for winning the Boater Division big bass award with a 5-pound, 4-ounce bass and $500 for being the highest placing Ranger Cup participant.

Daryl Stykes of Ripley, Ohio, won the Co-angler Division to earn $1,820 thanks to five bass weighing 19 pounds. He was throwing a drop-shot rigged green Goby to catch his bass.

Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Rick Moore of Hamilton, Ohio (five bass, 17 pounds, 15 ounces, $910); Jeff Bierman of Maineville, Ohio (five bass, 17 pounds, 10 ounces, $607); Darrell Carroll of Independence, Ky. (five bass, 17 pounds, 3 ounces, $425); and Roy Lester of Hamilton, Ohio. (five bass, 17 pounds, 2 ounces, $364).

Carroll earned and additional $237 for being the co-angler big-bass award winner with a 5-pound, 7-ounce bass he caught on a Zoom Fluke.

The Buckeye Division’s next event will take place on the Ohio River near Lawrenceburg, Ind., Aug. 19. The Buckeye Division will wrap up its regular season Sept. 16-17 with a two-day Super Tournament, the divisions fifth and final event, on Lake Erie near Sandusky, Ohio.

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 Buckeye Division boaters and co-anglers based on year-end points standings will advance to the Kentucky lake Regional near Gilbertsville, Ky., Oct. 19-21, where they will compete against Bama, Hoosier and Mountain 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.