Coates wins Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League Super Tournament on Lake Erie

SANDUSKY, Ohio – Boater Bryan Coates of Amherst, Ohio, earned 300 points and $4,732 Sunday as the winner of the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League Buckeye Division Super Tournament on Lake Erie. He also earned a $1,500 Ranger Cup and Powered by Yamaha bonus for a total of $6,232 in winnings.

Coates’ two-day winning catch of 10 bass weighed 42 pounds, 14 ounces.

Rounding out the top five boaters are David Hayward of Sylvania, Ohio (10 bass, 41 pounds, 6 ounces, $2,366); Dick Parker of Amherst, Ohio (10 bass, 37 pounds, 14 ounces, $1,577); Jared Rhode of Port Clinton, Ohio (10 bass, 37 pounds, 13 ounces, $1,104); and William Redmond of Sciotoville, Ohio (nine bass, 36 pounds, 12 ounces, $946).

Kevin Spears of New Boston, Ohio, and Parker tied for the Boater Division Snickers Big Bass award with a 5-pound, 6-ounce bass that earned them $277 each.

Jeff Rain of Saint Marys, Ohio, earned $2,238 as the co-angler winner thanks to 10 bass weighing 41 pounds, 5 ounces.

Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Jeff Hahn of Alliance, Ohio (10 bass, 38 pounds, 11 ounces, $1,119); Daniel Shuga of Botkins, Ohio (10 bass, 36 pounds, 8 ounces, $748); Ray Yocum of Dayton, Ohio (nine bass, 33 pounds, 9 ounces, $522); and Shawn Leonard of Columbus, Ohio (nine bass, 27 pounds, 14 ounces, $448).

Steve Furr of Lima, Ohio, earned $262 as the co-angler Snickers Big Bass winner with a 5-pound, 7-ounce bass.

The top 40 Buckeye Division boaters and 40 co-anglers, based on year-end points standings, will now advance to the no-entry-fee Kentucky Lake Regional Championship near Gilbertsville, Ky., Oct. 19-21, where they will compete against Bama, Hoosier and Mountain division anglers for a new Ranger boat, as well as a Chevy truck in the Boater Division, plus six slots in the no-entry-fee 2007 Wal-Mart BFL All-American presented by Chevy. With a total purse of $1 million and a potential $140,000 cash 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 Boater Division points champion who advances the farthest at the All-American will earn $10,000 as the Yamaha “Be the Best” points champion. The co-angler points champion who advances the farthest will earn $5,000 as the Yamaha “Be the Best” points champion in the Co-angler Division.

For complete Buckeye Division standings, visit FLWOutdoors.com.

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 or to enter a tournament, call (270) 252-1000 or visit FLWOutdoors.com.

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.