For additional information, please contact:
Dave Washburn, Communications Director, (270) 252-1607
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SHERLEY WINS WAL-MART BASS FISHING LEAGUE HOOSIER DIVISION TOURNAMENT
MADISON, Ind. (July 29, 2002) – Mike Sherley of Louisville, Ky., topped
146 Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League competitors Saturday on the Ohio River
with four bass weighing 8 pounds, 2 ounces. The catch earned him $3,993
and 200 points in the Boater Division.
Sherley caught his bass on a 1/4-ounce Accent buzzbait. The catch
topped second-place boater Larry Sisk of Evansville, Ind., by 1 pound, 7
ounces. Sisk finished the one-day tournament with a four-bass catch
weighing 6 pounds, 11 ounces worth $1,997. Sherley also received a
$1,000 bonus from Ranger Boats as the highest-finishing participant in
the Ranger Cup incentive program.
Steve Floyd of Sabina, Ohio (three bass, 5 pounds, 14 ounces, $1,198);
Todd Hensley of New Albany, Ind. (one bass, 5 pounds, 11 ounces, $958);
and Merrill Bruce of Versailles, Ind., (two bass, 5 pounds, 6 ounces,
$878) rounded out the top five boaters. Hensley earned boater big-bass
honors and $730 with his 5-pound, 11-ounce bass.
Charlie Baldwin of Bunker Hill, Ind., claimed first place and $1,997
in the 146-competitor Co-angler Division with two bass weighing 5
pounds, 4 ounces. He surpassed second-place co-angler Michael Scully of
Louisville, Ky., by 5 ounces thanks to a 4-inch purple worm. Scully
finished with a three-bass catch weighing 4 pounds, 15 ounces worth
$998. Baldwin also earned big-bass honors and $365 in his division with
a 3-pound, 13-ounce bass.
Kenny Gossom of Bedford, Ky. (two bass, 4 pounds, 11 ounces, $599);
Andy Heinkelein of Cincinnati (three bass, 3 pounds, 4 ounces, $479);
and Daniel Fromme of Jasper, Ind., (two bass, 2 pounds, 15 ounces, $439)
rounded out the top five co-anglers.
The Hoosier Division’s final regular-season event, a two-day Super
Tournament, will be held Sept. 7-8 on the Ohio River. The boater with
the most points after the Super Tournament will be declared the Yamaha
“Be the Best” Points Leader and awarded $1,000. The co-angler amassing
the most points by the end of the season will receive $500.
The top 30 Hoosier Division boaters and co-anglers will advance to
regional competition presented by Yamaha Oct. 15-19 on Kentucky Lake
near Gilbertsville, Ky., where they will go up against top competitors
from the Great Lakes, Illini and Michigan divisions for a shot at
qualifying for the Wal-Mart BFL All-American – one of the most lucrative
post-season tournaments in competitive angling.
2002 BFL awards could reach $7 million based on full fields.
Sponsors of the 2002 Wal-Mart BFL are Wal-Mart, ALPO Pet Foods, BC
Powder, BFGoodrich Tires, Castrol, Chevy Trucks, Conseco, Energizer,
EverStart Batteries, Evinrude, Faded Glory, Frito-Lay, FujiFilm, Garmin,
Kellogg’s, Land O’Lakes, Minn Kota, Newell Rubbermaid, Pepsi, Poulan,
Ranger Boats, Shop-Vac, Snickers, Stanley Works, Stren, US Bank, Weed
Eater and Yamaha Outboards.