Young earns BFL win on Ohio River

GOLCONDA, Ill. – Boater David Young of Mayfield, Ky., won the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League Illini Division tournament on the Ohio River Saturday with a five-bass catch weighing 17 pounds. The victory earned Young $3,329 plus a $587 Ranger contingency bonus and placed him one step closer to qualifying for the Kentucky Lake Regional Championship in Benton, Ky., Oct. 2-4, where he could ultimately win a new 198VX Ranger boat and a Chevy truck.

“It feels good to win,” said Young, who has won more than $209,000 in FLW Outdoors events. “I am trying to make the regional on my home lake and to win a tournament in a division you don’t normally fish is pretty neat.”

Young threw a variety of baits to catch his limit with his two key baits being a June-bug worm and a Zoom Brush Hog. His key area was on the Tennessee River near Kentucky Dam. He traveled 65 miles one-way from Golconda Marina to land his limit.

“It was one of those deals where I pulled up on a spot and threw a little bit of everything,” Young said. “I knew the fish were biting so I tried a number of baits.”

Rounding out the top five boaters are Brien Vaughn of Kinmundy, Ill. (five bass, 16-7, $1,958); Michael Black of Toledo, Ill. (four bass, 12-15, $1,307); Toby Corn of West Frankfort, Ill. (five bass, 12-6, $914); and Bobby McMullin of Pevely, Mo. (five bass, 11-15, $783).

Corn took home the Boater Division Snickers Big Bass award, earning $520 for a 4-pound, 10-ounce bass he caught fishing flats near Lusk Creek on a Lunker Lure buzzbait.

Timothy Lane of Momence, Ill., earned $1,958 as the co-angler winner Saturday thanks to five bass weighing 14 pounds, 9 ounces that he caught fishing in 4 to 8 feet of water on a crankbait.

Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Michael Luce of Paducah, Ky. (five bass, 11-14, $979); Aaron Arning of Walnut Hill, Ill. (five bass, 10-15, $653); Bradley Smith of Saint Jacob, Ill. (five bass, 10-10, $457); and Rick McGuire of Warrenton, Mo. (five bass, 10-6, $392).

Ted Phillips of Channahon, Ill., earned $260 as the co-angler Big Bass winner after catching a 4-pound, 12-ounce bass he caught near Lusk Creek fishing slow on a blue-flake lure.

The division’s fourth qualifying event will be held on Shelbyville Lake in Findlay, Ill., July 19. A two-day Super Tournament, the division’s fifth and final event, will be held on the Ohio River in Golconda, Sept. 6-7.

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 Kentucky Lake 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 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 Forrest Wood Cup. This event, featuring a top award of $1 million, is the sport’s biggest championship.

Tournament anglers aren’t the only ones winning big this season. With the introduction of FLW Fantasy Fishing, FLW Outdoors offers anyone the opportunity to enter for their chance to land the catch of a lifetime with the opportunity to win $7.3 million in cash and prizes. Players can become a virtual pro angler by signing up for Player’s Advantage, providing them with exclusive insider information that could guide them to a $100,000 victory at every Wal-Mart FLW Tour stop and the Forrest Wood Cup. Player’s Advantage will give them an edge over the competition and increase their shot for a $1 million cash grand prize that will be awarded to the FLW Fantasy Fishing cumulative points winner. Those who visit FantasyFishing.com today can sign up for Player’s Advantage and FLW Outdoors will include a $15 Wal-Mart gift card.

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.

FLW Outdoors, named after Forrest L. Wood, the legendary founder of Ranger Boats, is the largest fishing tournament organization in the world. In 2008 alone the organization is offering more than 90,000 anglers the chance to win over $40 million through 230 tournaments in 10 circuits targeting bass, walleye, redfish, kingfish and striped bass. FLW Outdoors is also taking fishing mainstream with the largest cash awards in the history of fantasy sports, $7.3 million.

For more information about FLW Outdoors and its tournaments, browse FLWOutdoors.com or call (270) 252-1000. For more information about FLW Fantasy Fishing and Player’s Advantage, visit FantasyFishing.com.

Total awards are based on a full field of 200 boats in every tournament.