Kirk earns top BFL honors on Lake Shelbyville

FINDLAY, Ill. – Boater Scott Kirk of Sesser, Ill., won the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League Illini Division tournament on Lake Shelbyville Saturday with a five-bass catch weighing 13 pounds, 4 ounces. The victory earned Kirk $3,329 plus a $587 Ranger contingency bonus and placed him one step closer to qualifying for the Mississippi River Regional Championship in Fort Madison, Iowa, Oct. 4-6, where he could ultimately win a new 519VX Ranger boat and a Chevy truck.

Kirk caught his bass fishing shallow using a green and blue tube to catch his limit.

Rounding out the top five boaters are Jason Thomas of Mount Vernon, Ill. (four bass, 12-6, $1,958); Danny Livingston of Advance, Mo. (three bass, 11-0, $1,307); Donnie Dill of Effingham, Ill. (two bass, 10-8, $914); and Troy Rogers of Evansville, Ind. (four bass, 10-6, $783).

Dill took home the Boater Division Snickers Big Bass award, earning $520 for a 5-pound, 9-ounce bass.

Sheldon Ayers of Anna, Ill., earned $1,878 as the co-angler winner Saturday thanks to two bass weighing 10 pounds that he caught while fishing the middle of the lake using a shaky head.

Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Dale Renth of Albers, Ill. (two bass, 7-11, $939); Matt Micnheimer of Coffeen, Ill. (three bass, 7-6, $627); Dustin Biggs of Westfield, Ill. (two bass, 6-15, $438); and Jacob Zeigler of Herrin, Ill. (three bass, 6-10, $376).

Renth earned $245 as the co-angler Big Bass winner after catching a 6-pound, 1-ounce bass.

The final event of the regular season will be a two-day Super Tournament held Sept. 8-9 on the Ohio River in Golconda, Ill.

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 Mississippi 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.