Dillon wins Wal-Mart BFL event on Ohio River

TELL CITY, Ind. – Boater Terry Dillon of Plainfield, Ind., won the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League Hoosier Division tournament on the Ohio River Saturday with a four-bass catch weighing 8 pounds, 10 ounces. The victory earned Dillon $3,727 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.

Dillon caught his bass flipping a spinnerbait into shallow cover near Deer Creek to win the event.

Rounding out the top five boaters are TJ Edwards of Saint Paul, Ind. (three bass, 7-2, $2,193); Aaron Sisk of Evansville, Ind. (three bass, 6-13, $1,463); Stu Moyer of Indianapolis (three bass, 6-12, $1,023); and Larry Sisk of Evansville, Ind. (four bass, 6-0, $877).

Dillon took home the Boater Division Snickers Big Bass award, earning $620 for a 4-pound, 9-ounce bass.

George Osha of Steger, Ill., earned $2,193 as the co-angler winner Saturday thanks to one bass weighing 4 pounds, 12 ounces that he caught while fishing a black and blue Terminator jig creek mouths and channel cuts.

Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Eric Doss of Indianapolis (two bass, 4-10, $1,096); Brian Sanders of Orleans, Ind. (three bass, 3-5, $730); John Braun of Cannelton, Ind. (one bass, 3-2, $512); Jim Hippensteel of Rochester, Ind. (one bass, 2-14, $420); and Michael Vertesch of Indianapolis (two bass, 2-14, $420).

Osha earned $310 as the co-angler Big Bass winner after catching a 4-pound, 12-ounce bass.

The Hoosier Division’s final event of the regular season will be a two-day Super Tournament held Sept. 8-9 on Patoka Lake in Jasper, Ind.

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.