Reitz Cranks Up Win on Mighty Miss

Baker takes co-angler title

PRAIRIE DU CHIEN, Wis. – Clayton Reitz of Morton, Ill., weighed a five-bass limit totaling 15 pounds, 4 ounces Saturday to win the fourth Walmart Bass Fishing League Great Lakes Division tournament of 2014 on the Mississippi River. For his victory, Reitz earned $4,244.

“I fished on Pool 10 and stayed fairly close to the ramp,” said Reitz. “I caught all smallmouth. I didn’t catch anything at my first five spots, but my next five spots all panned out to get me a limit. I caught nine or 10 keepers all day long.

“I caught one or two on a tube and the rest of my fish on a shad-colored Rapala DT 6,” explained Reitz. “Most of my fish came off of sand drops where baitfish were present or on rock banks.

“I knew I had about 15 pounds but I figured someone would have caught 16 pounds of largemouth on a frog and would beat me.

“I’ve fished the Mississippi for 20 years. This is my fourth BFL win, but my first win on the Mississippi,” Reitz finished. “It is very rewarding to get the win after putting so many days in on the river.”

Rounding out the top 10 pros:

2^nd:          Brian Fitzpatrick, La Crosse, Wis., five bass, 14-10, $2,122 + $300 Evinrude Bonus

3^rd:          Dan Thill, La Crosse, Wis., five bass, 14-4, $1,413

4^th:           Rick Bosshard, Hartland, Wis., five bass, 13-10, $990

5^th:           Brandon Gann, Sparta, Wis., five bass, 13-9, $849

6^th:           Tim Linenberg, Tomah, Wis., five bass, 13-5, $742

6^th:           Matthew Roberts, Pulaski, Iowa, five bass, 13-5, $742

8^th:           Chris Aswegan, Tiffin, Iowa, five bass, 13-2, $637

9^th:           Brett Rudy, Burlington, Iowa, five bass, 13-0, $566

10^th:        Kary Ray, Tiffin, Iowa, five bass, 12-9, $495

Complete results can be found by clicking here.

Baker wins co-angler title

Lance Baker of Huxley, Iowa, weighed in a five-bass limit totaling 11 pounds even Saturday to win $2,122 in the co-angler division.

Rounding out the top 10 co-anglers:

2^nd:          Michael Loftus, Glendale Heights, Ill., five bass, 10-10, $1,061

3^rd:          Matt Knox, Metamora, Ill., five bass, 10-8, $707

4^th:           Mike Winkler, Marinette, Wis., four bass, 9-14, $495

5^th:           Tyler Rocke, Peoria, Ill., five bass, 9-5, $424

6^th:           Tony Seiler, River Falls, Wis., five bass, 9-3, $389

7^th:           Dustin Drath, La Crosse, Wis., five bass, 9-2, $354

8^th:           Tony Kromke, La Crosse, Wis., three bass, 8-8, $318

9^th:           Ronald Syverson, Holmen, Wis., four bass, 7-13, $283

10^th:        John Branley, Lodi, Wis., four bass, 7-11, $248

Complete co-angler results can be found by clicking here.

The top 40 boaters and 40 co-anglers based on point standings will qualify for the Oct. 16-18 Regional Championship on Kentucky Lake in Gilbertsville, Ky. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard and a Chevy Silverado, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518C 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. Top winners in the BFL can move up to the Rayovac FLW Series or even the Walmart FLW Tour.

About FLW

FLW is the industry’s premier tournament-fishing organization, providing anglers of all skill levels the opportunity to compete for millions in prize money nationwide in 2014 over the course of 229 tournaments across five tournament circuits, four of which provide an avenue to the sport’s richest payday and most coveted championship trophy – the Forrest Wood Cup. FLW tournament fishing can be seen on the Emmy-nominated “FLW" television show and is broadcast to more than 564 million households worldwide, making it the most widely distributed weekly outdoors-sports television show in the world. For more information about FLW visit FLWOutdoors.com and look for FLW on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.