Jones wins Wal-Mart BFL event on Ohio River

LAWRENCEBURG, Ind. – Boater George Jones of Cincinnati won the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League Buckeye Division tournament on the Ohio River Saturday with a four-bass catch weighing 7 pounds, 3 ounces. The victory earned Jones $3,801 and placed him one step closer to qualifying for the Kentucky Lake Regional Championship in Gilbertsville, Ky., Oct. 18-20, where he could ultimately win a new 519VX Ranger boat and a Chevy truck.

Jones fished a pumpkin jig in 1 to 4 feet of water on Tanners Creek to catch his bass.

Rounding out the top five boaters are David Spivey of Hamilton, Ohio (five bass, 7-2, $2,236); Gary Hoffman of Stoutsville, Ohio (five bass, 6-12, $1,492); Craig Lowe of Loveland, Ohio (four bass, 6-7, $1,043); and Dave Fishbaugh of Sidney, Ohio (four bass, 6-5, $894).

Fishbaugh took home the Boater Division Snickers Big Bass award, earning $650 for a 3-pound, 4-ounce bass.

Lawni Ziegler of Loudonville, Ohio, earned $2,236 as the co-angler winner Saturday thanks to five bass weighing 7 pounds, 4 ounces that he caught while flipping a worm and spinnerbait.

Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Ken Garbe of Loveland, Ohio (one bass, 6-1, $931); Ray Yocum of Dayton, Ohio (three bass, 6-1, $931); Brandon Good of Fort Jennings, Ohio (two bass, 5-0, $522); and Aaron Stahley of Milford, Ohio (two bass, 4-7, $447).

Garbe earned $325 as the co-angler Big Bass winner after catching a 6-pound, 1-ounce bass.

The Buckeye Division’s next event will be July 21 on the Ohio River in Maysville, Ky., followed by a tournament Aug. 11 on Sandusky Bay in Sandusky, Ohio. The final event of the regular season will be a two-day Super Tournament held Sept. 22-23 on Sandusky Bay.

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 Kentucky Lake 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.