Ash wins Wal-Mart BFL event on Chesapeake Bay

KINGSVILLE, Md. – Boater Rick Ash of Pottstown, Pa., won the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League Northeast Division tournament on Chesapeake Bay Saturday with a five-bass catch weighing 15 pounds, 15 ounces. The victory earned Ash $3,094 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.

Ash caught his bass flipping a black and blue jig to get his limit.

Rounding out the top five boaters are Howard Mahan of Oxford, Pa. (five bass, 13-13, $1,820); Bryan Schmitt of Baltimore, Md. (five bass, 13-12, $1,214); Mark Schafer of Williamsburg, N.J. (five bass, 11-11, $850); and Cornell Creciun of Quakertown, Pa. (five bass, 11-9, $728).

David Butenewicz of Monroeville, N.J., took home the Boater Division Snickers Big Bass award, earning $475 for a 4-pound, 13-ounce bass that he caught on a green worm.

Jeff Davis of Marlton Lakes, N.J., earned $1,820 as the co-angler winner Saturday thanks to five bass weighing 9 pounds, 10 ounces that he caught flipping a spinnerbait in and around grass.

Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Robert Wolf of Ambler, Pa. (five bass, 9-6, $910); John Cook of Horsham, Pa. (three bass, 8-2, $607); Matthew Yuengling of Hartsville, Pa. (four bass, 7-1, $425); and Gregory Smith of North Wales, Pa. (four bass, 7-0, $364).

Frank Rivera of Stroudsburg, Pa., earned $237 as the co-angler Big Bass winner after catching a 4-pound, 15-ounce bass that he caught on a black worm.

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