Shimota Wins FLW Walleye League on Bemidji
Category: Tournament
Jul 23rd, 2007 by OutdoorsFIRST
Modified Jul 23rd, 2007 at 12:00 AM
Boater Bill Shimota of Lonsdale, Minn., caught five walleyes that weighed 17 pounds, 7 ounces and earned $5,390 plus a $500 contingency bonus Saturday as winner of the Wal-Mart FLW Walleye League Minnesota Division event on Lake Bemidji. The victory placed Shimota one step closer to qualifying for the Walleye League Finals on the Mississippi River in Moline, Ill., Sept. 13-15. Shimota’s co-angler, Jake Hoskins of Milaca, Minn., earned $2,695 plus a $250 contingency bonus for the win.Rounding out the top five are boater Steve Bissett of Brainerd, Minn., who earned $2,695, and co-angler Glenn Keller of Annandale, Minn., who earned $1,348 (five walleyes, 17 pounds, 4 ounces); Chad Benson of Bemidji, Minn., who earned $2,310, and co-angler Terry Barrette of River Falls, Wis., who earned $1,155 (five walleyes, 16 pounds, 14 ounces); Chuck Emery of Walker, Minn., who earned $1,925, and co-angler William Wieczorek of Little Falls, Minn., who earned $963 (five walleyes, 16 pounds, 4 ounces) and Andrew Renner of Spicer, Minn., who earned $1,540 plus $200 contingency bonus, and co-angler Jason Sullivan of Chippewa Falls, Wis., who earned $770 (five walleyes, 15 pounds, 10 ounces).Three FLW Walleye League divisions – Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin – each feature three one-day events during the regular season. Every angler who receives weight credit earns points, with 100 points awarded to the winner, 99 for second, 98 for third, and so on. These points determine angler standings.The top 35 boaters and 35 co-anglers from each FLW Walleye League division advance to the $116,900 Wal-Mart FLW Walleye League Finals, set for Sept. 13-15 on the Mississippi River in Moline, Ill. Anglers finishing in the top 10 in each division also receive priority entry into the Wal-Mart FLW Walleye Tour for 2008, and the points champions from each division will also advance to the 2007 Wal-Mart FLW Tour Championship in Cleveland, Ohio, Sept. 27-30.The Wal-Mart FLW Walleye League was created to provide the grassroots walleye angler a chance to compete in professionally administered close-to-home tournaments with lucrative cash awards.Named after the legendary founder of Ranger Boats, Forrest L. Wood, FLW Outdoors administers the Wal-Mart FLW Tour, Wal-Mart FLW Series, Stren Series, Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League, Wal-Mart Texas Tournament Trail presented by Abu Garcia, Ranger Owners Tournament Championship Series, Wal-Mart FLW Walleye Tour, Wal-Mart FLW Walleye League, Wal-Mart FLW Kingfish Tour, Wal-Mart FLW Kingfish Series, Wal-Mart FLW Redfish Series and Wal-Mart FLW Striper Series. These circuits offer combined purses of nearly $43 million through 241 events in 2007.Wal-Mart and many of America’s largest and most-respected companies support FLW Outdoors and its tournament trails. Wal-Mart signed on as an FLW Outdoors sponsor in 1997 and today is the world’s leading supporter of tournament fishing.