Sypeck takes top honors on Oneida Lake

BREWERTON, N.Y. – Boater Stanley Sypeck Jr. of Weston, Pa., won the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League Empire Division tournament on Oneida Lake Saturday with a five-bass catch weighing 17 pounds, 1 ounce. The victory earned Sypeck $3,763 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.

Sypeck caught his fish on the west end of the lake near grass with a Yamamoto Senko.

Rounding out the top five boaters are Alex Kolody of Webster, N.Y. (five bass, 15-13, $2,214); Jamie Hartman of Poland, N.Y. (five bass, 15-12, $1,478); Derek Bigford of Cicero, N.Y. (five bass, 15-9, $1,033); and Dean Pacella of Quakertown, Pa. (five bass, 15-8, $886).

Sypeck took home the Boater Division Snickers Big Bass award, earning $635 for a 5-pound, 4-ounce bass.

Michael Peek of Lake Katrine, N.Y., earned $2,214 as the co-angler winner Saturday thanks to five bass weighing 15 pounds, 4 ounces that he caught while fishing tubes and jigs on rocks near shallow areas.

Rounding out the top five co-anglers are David Dziob of Meriden, Conn. (five bass, 14-2, $1,107); Jason Shipton of Muncy, Pa. (five bass, 14-1, $738); Terry Olmstead of Lock Haven, Pa. (five bass, 13-12, $517); and Douglas See of Montoursville, Pa. (five bass, 13-6, $443).

Jason Huntley of West Winfield, N.Y., earned $317 as the co-angler Big Bass winner after catching a 5-pound, 12-ounce bass.

The Empire Division’s next event will be Aug. 11 on 1000 Islands in Clayton, N.Y, followed by a tournament Aug. 25 on Seneca Lake in Geneva, N.Y. The division’s final event of the regular season will be a two-day Super Tournament held Sept. 22-23 on Lake Champlain in Plattsburgh, 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.