Baranowski bests Super Tournament field on Hudson River

CATSKILL, N.Y. – Boater Brian Baranowski of Manchester, Conn., won the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League Northeast Division Super Tournament on the Hudson River with a two-day catch of nine bass weighing 26 pounds, 7 ounces. The victory earned Baranowski $4,305 plus a $759 Ranger contingency bonus and placed him one step closer to qualifying for the Potomac River Regional Championship in Marbury, Md., Oct. 11-13, where he could ultimately win a new 519VX Ranger boat and a Chevy truck.

Baranowski caught his bass flipping a black and blue jig near Hyde Park to catch his limit.

Rounding out the top five boaters are Joseph Thompson of Ridley Park, Pa. (seven bass, 22-14, $2,532); Mark Schafer of Williamstown, N.J. (five bass, 15-0, $1,687); Joseph Law of Catskill, N.Y. (four bass, 12-6, $1,182); and George Acord Jr. of Lancaster, Pa. (six bass, 12-6, $1,013).

Law took home the Boater Division Snickers Big Bass award, earning $622 for a 5-pound, 2-ounce bass.

Dennis Deahl of Owings Mills, Md., earned $2,532 as the co-angler winner thanks to two bass weighing 8 pounds, 11 ounces that he caught while fishing a Southern Lure Co. Scum Frog in and around water chestnuts.

Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Bob Hornyak of Mechanicsburg, Pa. (three bass, 8-4, $1,266); David Wickenheiser of Edgewood, Md. (two bass, 7-12, $846); Mark Knapp of Central City, Pa. (two bass, 7-7, $591); and Charles Ringle of Fairfield, N.J. (three bass, 6-2, $506).

Deahl also earned $311 as the co-angler Big Bass winner after catching a 5-pound, 4-ounce bass.

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 Potomac River 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 2008 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 2008 Forrest Wood Cup. This event, featuring a top award of $1 million, is the sport’s biggest championship.

The $8.8 million Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League features 28 divisions nationwide. In BFL competition, boaters and co-anglers are randomly paired. Boaters supply the boat and fish from the front deck against other boaters while co-anglers compete from the back deck against other co-anglers.

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 will 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. For more information about Wal-Mart, visit Walmart.com.

For more information about FLW Outdoors and its tournaments, browse FLWOutdoors.com or call (270) 252-1000.