Young wins Wal-Mart BFL event on Lake Shelbyville

Randy McDowell of Matton, Ill., earned $1,689 as the co-angler winner

FINDLAY, Ill. – Boater David Young of Mayfield, Ky., won the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League Illini Division tournament on Lake Shelbyville Saturday with a five-bass catch weighing 21 pounds, 12 ounces. The victory earned Young $2,870 plus a $506 Ranger bonus and placed him one step closer to qualifying for the Kentucky-Barkley Lake Regional Championship in Gilbertsville, Ky., Oct. 2-4, where he could ultimately win a new 198VX Ranger boat and a Chevy truck.

“It feels good to win a BFL because of the caliber of the competition,” said Young, who has notched five FLW Outdoors victories, including last month’s BFL Illini Division Ohio River event. “You’re fishing against all of the locals and the better fishermen who fish those trails.”

Young said he formed his plan of attack based on his experience on Kentucky Lake.

“When I got there, everybody said the fish were shallow and not deep, but I went with my instincts and caught them,” Young said.

Young said he caught 10 to 15 fish throughout the course of the day on a chartreuse and blue Lucky Craft crankbait that ran at a depth of 18 to 20 feet.

Rounding out the top five boaters are John Wright of Shelbyville, Ill. (five bass, 17-01, $1,689); Greg Coleman of Butler, Ill. (five bass, 15-15, $1,128); Juice Wright of Dieterich, Ill. (five bass, 14-03, $788) and Matt Carrol of Hillsboro, Ill. (five bass, 12-08, $675).

Floyd Carder of Litchfield, Ill., took home the Boater Division Snickers Big Bass award, earning $415 for a 5-pound, 6-ounce bass he caught on a green pumpkin creature bait.

Randy McDowell of Matton, Ill., earned $1,689 as the co-angler winner Saturday thanks to five bass weighing 14 pounds, 8 ounces that he caught on a white soft plastic frog.

Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Mario Rossi of Granite City, Ill. (five bass, 9-09, $844); James Mannon of Jackson, Mo. (three bass, 8-09, $564); Jeff Medlock of Pacific, Mo. (two bass, 7-09, $394) and Charles Dammerman of Mount Auburn, Ill. (three bass, 7-03, $338).

Jim Randle of Decatur, Ill., earned $207 as the co-angler Big Bass winner after catching a 4-pound, 13-ounce bass on a red shad plastic worm.

A two-day Super Tournament, the division’s fifth and final event, will be held on the Ohio River in Golconda, Ill., 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-Barkley 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, 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.