Reed wins Wal-Mart BFL Super Tournament on Detroit River

TRENTON, Mich. – Boater Chet Reed of Muskegon, Mich., won the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League Michigan Division Super Tournament on the Detroit River with a two-day catch of 10 bass weighing 44 pounds, 2 ounces. The victory earned Reed $4,468 plus a $788 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.

Reed caught his bass throwing a spinnerbait in shallow water.

Rounding out the top five boaters are Mark Modrak of Chesterfield, Mich. (10 bass, 39-1, $2,628); Mark Dowd of Livonia, Mich. (10 bass, 38-10, $1,752); Randy Ramsey of Battle Creek, Mich. (10 bass, 38-6, $1,227); and Keith Mullen of Oregon, Ohio (10 bass, 37-12, $1,051).

Lawrence Leonardi of Clinton Township, Mich., took home the Boater Division Snickers Big Bass award, earning $660 for a 5-pound, 6-ounce bass that he caught fishing a Berkley Gulp Minnow.

David Quiggle of Osceola, Ind., earned $2,441 as the co-angler winner thanks to 10 bass weighing 34 pounds that he caught while fishing a crankbait in 12 to 30 feet of water on Lake Erie.

Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Michael Penn of East Tawas, Mich. (10 bass, 32-10, $1,220); Homer Stephens of Noblesville, Ind. (nine bass, 28-15, $814); Eric Penn of East Tawas, Mich. (10 bass, 28-12, $570); and Douglas Lepper of Union City, Mich. (10 bass, 28-4, $488).

Andrew Smith of Harrison Township, Mich., earned $300 as the co-angler Big Bass winner after catching a 6-pound, 9-ounce bass that he caught on a tube.

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.