Hartman wins Wal-Mart BFL event on Seneca Lake

GENEVA, N.Y. – Boater Jamie Hartman of Poland, N.Y., won the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League Empire Division tournament on Seneca Lake Saturday with a five-bass catch weighing 12 pounds, 7 ounces. The victory earned Hartman $3,053 plus a $538 Ranger contingency bonus 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.

Hartman caught his bass throwing a crankbait near weedlines to catch his limit.

Rounding out the top five boaters are William McKelvey of Belfast, N.Y. (five bass, 12-2, $1,796); Michael Trickler of Waterloo, N.Y. (five bass, 11-1, $1,201); Thomas Lavictoire of West Rutland, Vt. (five bass, 9-15, $838); and George Hutchinson of Mullica Hill, N.J. (five bass, 9-5, $718).

Jeffrey Kirkland of Dryden, N.Y., took home the Boater Division Snickers Big Bass award, earning $460 for a 4-pound, 2-ounce bass.

Thomas Prowant of Lewisburg, Pa., earned $1,796 as the co-angler winner Saturday thanks to five bass weighing 9 pounds, 9 ounces that he caught while fishing a Lucky Craft Pointer near weedlines.

Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Terrry Bixler of Turbotville, Pa. (four bass, 8-0, $898); Larry Lafaver of Watertown, N.Y. (four bass, 7-13, $598); John Buries of Montoursville, Pa. (five bass, 7-7, $419); and Tim Stackus of Waterloo, N.Y. (five bass, 6-11, $359).

Charles Mackintosh of Victor, N.Y., earned $230 as the co-angler Big Bass winner after catching a 4-pound, 9-ounce bass.

The final event of the regular season will be a two-day Super Tournament held Sept. 22-23 on Lake Champlain in Plattsburgh.

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.