CANNELTON, Ind. – Frank McClain of Scottsburg, Ind., weighed a five-bass limit totaling 8 pounds, 10 ounces Saturday to win the Walmart Bass Fishing League Hoosier Division event on the Ohio River at Rocky Point. For his victory, McClain earned $5,021.
“This was a really tough tournament,” said McClain. “Luckily, I’d had a pretty good practice coming in. I made a 20 mile run up-river, and really worked 6 spots that I had found during practice that I knew were holding fish.”
McClain credits a white Hogback spinnerbait and a black Hogback buzzbait with producing most of his bites on the tough river.
“All of my fish came off of lay-downs in the creeks in 2 to 4 feet of water,” McClain said. “It had to be in the wind too. If it was calm, they wouldn’t bite. They were a lot more aggressive during practice. I shook off 20-keeper bites in practice, but on tournament day I only had eight bites. I would have to make 15 to 20 casts before they would bite it. It was really a reaction bite pattern out there. The key for me was that practice time though. I knew exactly where the fish were.”
Rounding out the top 10 pros:
2nd: Allen Boyd, Salem, Ind., five bass, 8-1, $1,511
3rd: Larry Sisk, Evansville, Ind., five bass, 7-9, $1,007
4th: Raymond Clift, Indianapolis, Ind., five bass, 7-7, $705
5th: Chris Wilkinson, Farmersburg, Ind., five bass, 7-1, $604
6th: Bill Brunner, Cleves, Ohio, five bass, 6-13, $554
7th: Tim Maupin, Lawrenceburg, Ind., five bass, 5-15, $504
8th: Brad Moser, New Albany, Ind., four bass, 5-9, $453
9th: Ryan Deal, Haubstadt, Ind., four bass, 5-7, $403
10th: Mike Quinlan, Mooresville, Ind., three bass, 4-15, $352
Complete results can be found here.
Kincaid wins co-angler crown
Gary Kincaid of Martinsville, Ind., weighed in four bass totaling 7 pounds, 3 ounces Saturday to win $1,511 in the co-angler division.
Rounding out the top 10 co-anglers:
2nd: Brandon Houston, Burlington, Ky., five bass, 5-5, $755
3rd: Michael Leistner, Bloomington, Ind., three bass, 4-14, $504
4th: Robert Spurgeon, Jasonville, Ind., two bass, 3-6, $352
5th: Justin Clift, Indianapolis, Ind., three bass, 3-1, $302
6th: Jim Krider, North Vernon, Ind., two bass, 2-7, $277
7th: Nick Cummins, Greendale, Ind., one bass, 2-6, $252
8th: Rod Yoder, West Lafayette, Ind., two bass, 2-5, $227
9th: Mark Dehart, Brownstown, Ind., two bass, 2-2, $188
9th: Jason Thornton, Corydon, Ind.., two bass, 2-2, $188
Complete co-angler results can be found here.
The next BFL Hoosier Division tournament is scheduled for Sept. 8-9 on the Ohio River at Tanners Creek in Lawrenceburg, Ind. After that 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 Seminole 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. 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.
