Feldermann takes top honors on Mississippi River - Major League Fishing

Feldermann takes top honors on Mississippi River

Damberg best co-angler
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Boater Mike Feldermann of Galena, Ill., won the Aug. 8 BFL Great Lakes Division tournament on the Mississippi River to earn $3,756. Angler: Mike Feldermann.
August 8, 2009 • MLF • Archives

WABASHA, Wis. – Mike Feldermann of Galena, Ill., won the Walmart Bass Fishing League Great Lakes Division tournament on the Mississippi River Saturday with a five-bass catch weighing 16 pounds, 13 ounces. The victory earned Feldermann $3,756 and placed him one step closer to qualifying for the Mississippi River Regional Championship in Fort Madison, Iowa, Oct. 1-3, where he could ultimately win a new Ranger boat and a Chevy truck.

Feldermann said he caught his limit flipping a rat and frog near the dam.

Rounding out the top five boaters are Brian Fitzpatrick of La Crosse, Wis. (five bass, 15-15, $1,878); Kyle Von Ruden of La Crosse, Wis. (five bass, 15-1, $1,253); Jim Maloney of Roscoe, Ill. (five bass, 14-12, $876); and Scott Mrozinski of Sullivan, Wis. (five bass, 14-3, $751).

Jeff Krisher of Madison, Wis., took home the Boater Division Big Bass award, earning $490 for a 5-pound bass he caught.

Arden Damberg of Wheatland, Iowa, earned $1,878 as the co-angler winner Saturday thanks to five Arden Damberg of Wheatland, Iowa, earned $1,878 as the co-angler winner of the Aug. 8 BFL Great Lakes Division event.bass weighing 14 pounds, 6 ounces that he caught.

Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Brad Wessling of Prairie Du Chien, Wis. (five bass, 13-0, $939); K.C. Schaible of Machesney Park, Ill. (five bass, 12-13, $627); Darrin Sharp of Waunakee, Wis. (five bass, 12-4, $438); and Michael Gray of Stoddard, Wis. (five bass, 11-14, $376).

Robby Tufte of Winona, Minn., earned $245 as the co-angler Big Bass winner after catching a 4-pound, 14-ounce bass.

The next Great Lakes Division event, a two-day Super Tournament, will be held on the Mississippi River in LaCrosse, Wis., Sept. 12-13.

The top 40 boaters and 40 co-anglers in each of the BFL’s 28 divisions at the end of the season advance to a no-entry-fee Regional Championship where boaters fish for a new Ranger boat and a Chevy truck and co-anglers fish for a new Ranger boat. Seven regional championships will each send six boaters and six co-anglers to the no-entry-fee Walmart BFL All-American presented by Chevy, which features a $1 million purse and a top award of $140,000 in the Boater Division and $70,000 in the Co-angler Division. Anglers who compete in all five regular-season events within a division but do not advance to a Regional Championship are eligible to compete in the Chevy Wild Card, which will also send six boaters and six co-anglers to the All-American for a total of 48 boaters and 48 co-anglers advancing through BFL competition.

The winning boater and winning co-angler at the All-American will advance to the no-entry-fee 2010 Forrest Wood Cup in Atlanta in 2010. This event, featuring a top award of $1 million, is the most lucrative tournament in all of competitive bass fishing. In all, the BFL offers weekend anglers the opportunity to qualify for three no-entry-fee championships with total cash awards exceeding $3.5 million. Plus, the top 40 boaters and 40 co-anglers from each BFL division may move up to the Stren Series for 2010 while All-American champions have the option to advance directly to the Walmart FLW Tour.

In BFL competition, boaters supply the boat and compete from the front deck against other boaters. Co-anglers compete from the back deck against other co-anglers.

As the nation’s leading provider of affordable, close-to-home weekend tournaments, the BFL is widely credited with opening competitive bass fishing to the masses. It also serves as a steppingstone for anglers who wish to advance to the Stren Series and ultimately the FLW Tour – bass fishing’s most lucrative tournament circuit.

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

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