Deal Wins Wal-Mart BFL on the Ohio River
Category: Tournament
Jul 1st, 2008 by OutdoorsFIRST
Modified Jul 1st, 2008 at 12:00 AM
TELL CITY, Ind. (June 30, 2008) – Boater Ryan Deal of Haubstadt of Ind., won the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League® Hoosier Division tournament on the Ohio River Saturday with a five-bass catch weighing 14 pounds, 6 ounces. The victory earned Deal $3,160 plus a $557 Ranger contingency bonus and placed him one step closer to qualifying for the Cherokee Lake Regional Championship in Morristown, Tenn., Oct. 16-18, where he could ultimately win a new 198VX Ranger boat and a Chevy truck.
Deal caught his limit by 10 a.m. fishing bushes and grass on the main lake. His key bait of the day was a NetBait Paca Craw.
Rounding out the top five boaters are Kevin Meunier of Lamar, Ind. (five bass, 10-08, $1,859); Jamoni Harper of Indianapolis, Ind. (five bass, 10-00, $1,238); James Berry of Indianapolis, Ind. (five bass, 9-09, $867); Brandon Barker f Magnet, Ind. (five bass, 9-02, $713) and Bill McDonald of Indianapolis, Ind. (five bass, 9-02, $713).
Deal took home the Boater Division Snickers Big Bass award, earning $485 for a 5-pound, 15-ounce bass he caught on a rocky point on the main lake.
Larry Kitchel of Monticello, Ind., earned $1, 777 as the co-angler winner Saturday thanks to five bass weighing 11 pounds, 3 ounces.
Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Al Hopkins of Indianapolis, Ind. (three bass, 6-08, $888); Rocky Martin of Richland, Ind. (five bass, 6-01, $592); Tim Burke of Petersburg, Ky. (five bass, 5-12, $385) and Greg Rexroth of Nineveh, Ind. (three bass, 5-12, $385).
Kitchel earned $227 as the co-angler Big Bass winner after catching a 3-pound, 11-ounce bass he caught on a worm.
The division’s fourth qualifying event will be held on the Ohio River in Evansville, Ind., July 26. A two-day Super Tournament, the division’s fifth and final event, will be held on the Ohio River in Tell City, 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 Cherokee 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.