MAYSVILLE, Ky. – Chris Martinkovic of Hamilton, Ohio, weighed a five-bass limit totaling 11 pounds, 2 ounces Saturday to win the Walmart Bass Fishing League Buckeye Division event on the Ohio River at Maysville. For his victory, Martinkovic earned $5,205.
“I made a 50-mile run,” said Martinkovic, “When I got up to go in the morning, I figured I was either going to come in with nothing or win it.
“I caught a 4-pound, 2-ounce smallmouth first and my second fish was a 3-pound, 8-ounce smallmouth. So, I had over seven pounds with my first two fish. I knew that all I needed to do after that was fill out my limit. I left my area at 11 a.m. and fished around the ramp so I could make sure that I wasn’t late.”
Martinkovic said that he was fishing current breaks with a Blueback Herring-colored War Eagle spinnerbait.
Rounding out the top 10 pros:
2nd: Michael Smith, Pickerington, Ohio, five bass, 10-10 $1,603
3rd: Ronnie Smith, Walton, Ky., five bass, 9-1, $1,068 + $300 Evinrude Bonus
4th: Ron Hiles, Piketon, Ohio, five bass, 8-14, $748
5th: Michael Powell Jr., Cincinnati, Ohio, five bass, 8-10, $614
5th: Keith Wheelock, Beaver Creek, Ohio, five bass, 8-10, $614
7th: Chris Combess, Cleves, Ohio, five bass, 8-9, $534
8th: Dan Roberts, Cincinnati, Ohio, five bass, 7-3, $481
9th: Brian Campbell, Oxford, Ohio, five bass, 7-1, $427
10th: Ken Garbe, Loveland, Ohio, five bass, 6-15, $374
Complete results can be found here.
Cole wins co-angler title
Jason Cole of Cambridge, Ohio, weighed four bass totaling 7 pounds, 9 ounces Saturday to win $1,561 in the co-angler division.
Rounding out the top 10 co-anglers:
2nd: Brandon Knapmeyer, Florence, Ky., five bass, 7-0, $781
3rd: Mark Miller, Baltic, Ohio, five bass, 6-13, $521
4th: James Wilcox, Cincinnati, Ohio, five bass, 5-15, $364
5th: Melvin McNeal, Circleville, Ohio, five bass, 5-12, $312
6th: Eddie Dean, Ashton, W. Va., five bass, 5-7, $286
7th: Daniel Shuga, Botkins, Ohio, five bass, 4-15, $260
8th: Billy French, Hamilton, Ohio, three bass, 4-12, $234
9th: Chad Rader, McComb, Ohio, one bass, 4-8, $208
10th: Dylan Skaggs, Columbus, Ohio, three bass, 4-6, $182
Complete co-angler results can be found here.
The next BFL Buckeye Division tournament is scheduled for August 24 on the Ohio River at Tanner’s Creek in Lawrenceburg, Ind. After the last divisional tournament is complete, the top 40 boaters and 40 co-anglers based on point standings will qualify for the Oct. 3-5 Regional Championship on the Chesapeake Bay in North East, Md. 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 anglers of all skill levels the opportunity to compete for millions in prize money nationwide in 2013 over the course of 220 tournaments across five tournament circuits, four of which provide an avenue to the sport’s richest payday and most coveted championship trophy – the Forrest Wood Cup. FLW tournament fishing can be seen on the Emmy-nominated “FLW” television show and is broadcast to more than 564 million households worldwide, making it the most widely distributed weekly outdoors-sports television show in the world. FLW is committed to providing a lifestyle experience that is the “Best in Fishing, On and Off the Water.” For more information about FLW visit FLWOutdoors.com and look for FLW on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and YouTube.
As a proud sponsor of FLW, Walmart offers one of the most comprehensive selections of fishing tackle and equipment in the industry. To find great deals on Walmart’s entire collection of rods, reels, baits and electronics, click here.