Melton wins BFL Hoosier Division event on Lake Monroe
Cummins wins co-angler title
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – John Melton of Corydon, Ind., weighed a five-bass limit totaling 19 pounds, 1 ounce Saturday to win the Walmart Bass Fishing League Hoosier Division event on Lake Monroe. For his victory, Melton earned $5,632.
“The fish were biting on everything,” said Melton. “I caught my bigger fish in the morning, and the bite seemed to be a little better then, but they were definitely biting all day long. I was fishing out on the main lake. I was sitting in 15 to 20 feet of water, but the fish were up shallow, only about 1 to 5 feet deep. I caught around 20 fish throughout the day, with at least 14 keepers.
“It was raining and pretty cloudy all day,” Melton continued. “Thunderstorms were coming in and out, and there was a pretty good wind, too. I had most of my success with soft plastics. I was throwing green pumpkin- and watermelon-colored tubes and beavers. I also caught five to six keepers on spinnerbaits and crankbaits, too. I had been able to get a few good days of practice in before the tournament, so that allowed me to target the areas that I knew had fish.”
Rounding out the top 10 pros:
2nd: Frank McClain, Scottsburg, Ind., five bass, 18-14, $1,816
3rd: Dick Shaffer, Rockford, Ohio, five bass, 18-12, $1,210
4th: Mike Helton, Jeffersonville, Ind., five bass, 17-10, $847
5th: Tim Maupin, Lawrenceburg, Ind., five bass, 16-14, $726
6th: Charlie Crisp Jr., Catlettsburg, Ky., five bass, 15-10, $666
7th: Gary Colasessano, Indianapolis, Ind., five bass, 14-11, $605
8th: Robert Gilliland Sr., Bloomington, Ind., five bass, 13-15, $545
9th: George Brown, Camby, Ind., five bass, 13-10, $484
10th: Ryan Deal, Haubstadt, Ind., five bass, 12-7, $424
Complete results can be found here.
Cummins brings home co-angler title
Nick Cummins of Greendale, Ind., weighed a five-bass limit totaling 18 pounds, 6 ounces Saturday to win $1,816 in the co-angler division.
Rounding out the top 10 co-anglers:
2nd: Jim Mullanix, Anderson, Ind., four bass, 13-0, $908
3rd: Roger Crain, Louisville, Ky., three bass, 12-3, $606
4th: Rod Yoder, West Lafayette, Ind., four bass, 12-2, $424
5th: Rob Earickson, Camby, Ind., five bass, 11-12, $363
6th: Jim Krider, North Vernon, Ind., three bass, 11-11, $333
7th: Kenneth McBroom, Indianapolis, Ind., two bass, 9-4, $303
8th: Russ Reno, Freedom, Ind., two bass, 8-15, $272
9th: Dan Basham, Louisville, Ky., two bass, 8-13, $227
9th: Bill Hendricks, Indianapolis, Ind., three bass, 8-13, $227
Complete co-angler results can be found here.
The next BFL Hoosier Division tournament is scheduled for June 2 on Lake Patoka in Jasper, Ind. After the fifth Hoosier Division tournament is complete, the top 40 boaters and 40 co-anglers based on point standings will qualify for the Oct. 4-6 Regional Championship on Lake Cherokee in Morristown, Tenn. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518 with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard and a Chevy Silverado, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518 with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard.
The BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 120 tournaments throughout the season, five in each division. The top 40 boaters and co-anglers from each division qualify for a regional tournament and compete to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the Walmart BFL All-American presented by Chevy. The 2012 BFL All-American is being held May 17 – 19 on the Potomac River in National Harbor, Md. Top winners in the BFL can move up to the EverStart Series or even the Walmart FLW Tour.
About FLW
FLW is the industry’s premier tournament-fishing organization, providing unparalleled fishing resources and entertainment to our sponsors, fans and host communities. FLW is offering anglers of all skill levels the opportunity to compete for millions in prize money nationwide in 2012 over the course of 191 tournaments across five tournament circuits, each providing an avenue to the sport’s richest payday and most coveted championship trophy – the Forrest Wood Cup. FLW is committed to providing a lifestyle experience that is the “Best in Fishing, On and Off the Water,” through a variety of platforms including tournaments, outdoor expos and the world’s richest fantasy sports game – FLW Fantasy Fishing. For more information about FLW and FLW Fantasy Fishing, visit FLWOutdoors.com or FantasyFishing.com and look for FLW on Twitter and Facebook.