Purdue University wins National Guard FLW College Fishing event on Lake of the Ozarks

Duo nets $10,000 in scholarships, berth in National Guard FLW College Fishing Regional Championship

The top-five teams from the FLW Central Division College Fishing event at Lake of the Ozarks acknowledge the crowd shortly after final weigh-in.

March 20, 2010 • MLF • Abu Garcia College Fishing

OSAGE BEACH, Mo. – The Purdue University team of Chris Bookout of West Lafayette, Ind., and Michael Ruhana of Greenwood, Ind., won the National Guard FLW College Fishing Central Division tournament on Lake of the Ozarks Saturday with three bass weighing 12 pounds, 13 ounces. The victory earned the team $10,000 to be split evenly between the school and the school’s bass-fishing club.

“We started off and had about a 25-minute run toward Lick Branch (Cove) and started off at the mouth fishing the main entrance,” said Ruhana, a sophomore selling and sales management major. “We were fishing a jerkbait and a jig. I caught a short (fish) on a jig.”

Ruhana said after a time of no production the team moved and changed techniques and targeted rock where secondary points and transition areas merged.

“The first one we came to we caught our first keeper,” Ruhana said. “Then we caught a couple more shorts. Then we moved to the next one and I finally convinced my teammate to tie on the same jerkbait I was using. We moved down to a stretch of rock, and three casts after he tied the jerkbait I was using on, he caught a 5-pounder.”

“It feels pretty good to win,” said Bookout, a senior mechanical engineering technology major. “This is the first tournament I’ve won. It’s a pretty big deal to me.”

Bookout said the team’s win was a surprise, especially with only three fish.

“After we landed the second 5-pounder, we thought we had a pretty good chance to qualify,” Bookout said. “We didn’t know if it would hold out for the win, though.”

Rounding out the top five teams are Missouri State University – Joe McBride of Olathe, Ks., and Brad Dunaway of Springfield, Mo. (four bass, 10-10, $5,000); College of the Ozarks – Greg Jarman of Point Lookout, Mo., and Robert Loyd of Fair Grove, Mo., (two bass, 6-4, $4,000); UW-Whitewater – Jordan Truttschel of Kiel, Wis., and Tyler Netzer of Lake Mills, Wis. (two bass, 5-11, $3,000); Eastern Kentucky – Kyle Raymer of Brandenburg, Ky., and Jonas Ertel of London, Ky. (two bass, 5-2, $2,000).

FLW Outdoors announced the College Fishing trail in May 2008. Full-time students enrolled in four year colleges or universities are eligible to participate in the events. Schools can send two-person teams to each of the four qualifying events in their division, with each event limited to a maximum of 40 teams. Each team has the opportunity to win $10,000 for first through $2,000 for fifth place. Prize money is split evenly between the winning team’s club and the school they represent. The tournaments are free to enter, boats and drivers are provided by FLW and all collegiate teams receive a travel allowance. The top five teams in each qualifying event advance to one of five televised three-day National Guard FLW College Fishing Regional Championships.

The top five teams from each regional championship will advance to the National Guard FLW College Fishing National Championship.

The National Guard FLW College Fishing National Championship is a three-day televised event hosting the top five teams from each regional, 25 total teams. Teams will be provided shirts and wrapped Ranger boats towed by Chevy trucks for this competition.

The winning team will be declared the National Guard FLW Collegiate National Champion and will qualify for the 2011 Forrest Wood Cup. The winners will also receive use of a wrapped boat and Chevy truck for cup competition.

About FLW Outdoors

FLW Outdoors, named after Forrest L. Wood, the legendary founder of Ranger Boats, is the largest fishing tournament organization in the world offering anglers worldwide the opportunity to compete for millions over the course of 189â€ tournaments in 2010. FLW Outdoors has also taken fishing mainstream with FLW Fantasy Fishing awarding the largest prizes in the history of fantasy sports. FLW Outdoors memberships are available featuring numerous benefits including Player’s Advantage. For more information about FLW Outdoors and its tournaments, call (270) 252-1000. For more information about FLW Fantasy Fishing, visit FantasyFishing.com.