Welch outfishes field on Prairie du Chien

PRAIRIE DU CHIEN, Wis. – Boater Tom Welch of Fall River, Wis., won the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League Great Lakes Division tournament on Prairie du Chien Saturday with a five-bass catch weighing 15 pounds, 11 ounces. The victory earned Welch $3,793 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.

Welch caught his bass using a buzzbait in and around grass to catch his limit.

Rounding out the top five boaters are Chet Hawkins of La Crosse, Wis. (five bass, 15-3, $2,232); Gary Schild of Mundelein, Ill. (five bass, 15-0, $1,489); Mike Van Houten of Ankeny, Iowa (five bass, 14-15, $1,041); Timothy Domaille of Rochester, Minn. (five bass, 14-5, $855); and Curtis Samo of Rochelle, Ill. (five bass, 14-5, $855).

Jeff Morton of Fox River Grove, Ill., took home the Boater Division Snickers Big Bass award, earning $640 for a 5-pound, 9-ounce bass.

Steve Knight of Ankeny, Iowa, earned $2,193 as the co-angler winner Saturday thanks to five bass weighing 13 pounds that he caught while fishing a topwater frog near grass.

Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Jason Swanson of Cedar Falls, Iowa (five bass, 12-13, $1,096); Kevin Candahl of West Salem, Wis. (five bass, 12-2, $621); Jason Steger of Stanley, Wis. (five bass, 12-2, $621); and Jereimiah Hatfield of Cashton, Wis. (five bass, 12-1, $439).

Brian Brecka of Alma, Wis., earned $310 as the co-angler Big Bass winner after catching a 3-pound, 14-ounce bass.

The final event of the regular season will be a two-day Super Tournament held Sept. 8-9 on the Mississippi River in La Crosse, Wis.

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.