Hartzman bests boaters on Potomac River

MARBURY, Md. – Boater Chuck Hartzman of Rockville, Md., won the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League Northeast Division tournament on the Potomac River Saturday with a five-bass catch weighing 18 pounds, 11 ounces. The victory earned Hartzman $4,105 and placed him one step closer to qualifying for the Potomac River Regional Championship in Marbury, Md., Oct. 11-13, where he could ultimately win a new 519VX Ranger boat and a Chevy truck.

Hartzman caught his bass on a Berkley PowerBait.

Rounding out the top five boaters are Lloyd Phillips III of Rockville, Md. (five bass, 18-11, $2,415); Richard Haber Jr. of Severn, Md. (five bass, 16-3, $1,609); Dennis Shipley of Elmer, N.J. (five bass, 16-2, $1,127) and Bill Naron of Huntingtown, Md. (five bass, 15-14, $966).

Anthony Shanz of Fairfield, Pa., took home the Boater Division Snickers Big Bass award, earning $720 for a 5-pound, 11-ounce bass.

Rickey Mummert Jr. of Hanover, Pa., earned $2,415 as the co-angler winner Saturday thanks to five bass weighing 14 pounds, 12 ounces.

Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Jamie Hughes of Rimersburg, Pa. (five bass, 14-6, $1,207); Jimmy Councilman of Greensboro, Md. (five bass, 12-12, $806); Anthony Coniglario of Brooklyn, N.Y. (five bass, 11-13, $496); of Milton Goff, Knoxville, Md. (five bass, 11-13, $496) and Daniel Krup of New York, N.Y. (four bass, 11-13, $496).

Ronald Smith of Browns Mills, N.J., earned $180 as the co-angler Big Bass winner after catching a 4-pound, 11-ounce bass.

The Northeast Division’s next event will be July 7 on the Potomac River in Marbury followed by a tournament July 28 on Chesapeake Bay in Elkton, Md. The division’s fourth event will be held Aug. 18 on Chesapeake Bay in Kingsville, Md., and the final event of the regular season will be a two-day Super Tournament held on the Hudson River Catskills, N.Y.

Following the end of regular-season competition, the top 40 boaters and 40 co-anglers based on year-end points standings in the division will advance to the no-entry-fee Potomac River Regional Championship where they will compete against top qualifiers from three other BFL divisions. At the Regional Championship boaters will fish for a new Ranger boat and Chevy truck and co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger boat. The top six boaters and top six co-anglers at the Regional Championship will also advance to the 2008 All-American presented by Chevy. With a total purse of $1 million, a potential $140,000 cash prize going to the winning boater and as much as $70,000 going to the winning co-angler, the All-American is one of the most prestigious and lucrative events in bass fishing. The winning boater and winning co-angler at the All-American also advance to the no-entry-fee $2 million 2008 Forrest Wood Cup. This event, featuring a top award of $1 million, is the sport’s biggest championship.

The $8.8 million Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League features 28 divisions nationwide. In BFL competition, boaters and co-anglers are randomly paired. Boaters supply the boat and fish from the front deck against other boaters while co-anglers compete 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, Ranger Owners Tournament Championship Series, 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 will offer combined purses of nearly $43 million through 241 events in 2007.

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 Walmart.com.

For more information about FLW Outdoors and its tournaments, browse FLWOutdoors.com or call (270) 252-1000.