Rhode catches 22 for victory on Detroit River
Witt takes co-angler title
TRENTON, Mich. – Jared Rhode of Port Clinton, Ohio, weighed a five-bass limit totaling 22 pounds even Saturday to win the Walmart Bass Fishing League Michigan Division event on the Detroit River. For his victory, Rhode earned $5,071.
“I had to fish more shallow than I typically do,” said Rhode. “I like to fish deep water, but a recent algae bloom had the water real dingy. I made a 50-mile run in to Lake Erie and fished the islands near the Ohio and Canada border.”
Rhode said that he targeted seven or eight different isolated rock piles that he was familiar with and rotated through them throughout the day.
“I’m a school teacher, and I fish Lake Erie every day in the summer,” Rhode continued. “I decided to run further than any one else and go all the way to the border and fish because I knew that it wouldn’t be as pressured, and I had some areas up there that I had checked in practice. It was beautiful weather out there. It was flat calm, and I could have taken a canoe there.”
Rhode estimated that he caught around 40 keepers throughout the day, and they all came by drop-shotting two different Berkley Baits – a Gulp Minnow and a Gulp Goby.
“It was an excellent day,” Rhode went on to say. “My Lowrance electronics were the key for me. I was watching the fish bite on the screen.”
Rounding out the top 10 pros:
2nd: Gary Greenwood, Irwin, Pa., five bass, 21-15, $1,535
3rd: Wayne Macklin, Fowlerville, Mich., five bass, 21-5, $870
3rd: David Reault, Livonia, Mich., five bass, 21-5, $870
5th: Jeff Vizachero, Grosse Ile, Mich., five bass, 20-14, $614
6th: Craig Kopczyk, Ortonville, Mich., five bass, 20-10, $563
7th: Michael Sitko, Farmington Hills, Mich., five bass, 19-13, $512 + $300 Evinrude Bonus
8th: Brian Metry, Grosse Pointe, Mich., five bass, 19-9, $461
9th: Michael Elkins, Parchment, Mich., five bass, 18-13, $409
10th: William Cisler, Delton, Mich., five bass, 18-11, $358
Complete results can be found here.
Witt whacks 21 for co-angler title
Jon Witt of Kalamazoo, Mich., weighed a five-bass limit totaling 21 pounds, 4 ounces Saturday to win $1,535 in the co-angler division.
Rounding out the top 10 co-anglers:
2nd: Joseph Nega, Chicago, Ill., five bass, 19-4, $768
3rd: Jim Gares, Defiance, Ohio, five bass, 19-0, $513
4th: Hyman Johnson, Ypsilanti, Mich., five bass, 18-0, $358
5th: Chad Gittus, Mount Pleasant, Mich., five bass, 17-14, $307
6th: Erik Novotny, Schererville, Ind., five bass, 17-9, $281
7th: Danny Sprague, Hastings, Mich., five bass, 17-5, $256
8th: Brian Somrek, Calvert City, Ky., five bass, 17-4, $230
9th: Justin Spence, Sturgis, Mich., five bass, 17-2, $205
10th: Larry Thomas, Lambertville, Mich., five bass, 16-10, $179
Complete co-angler results can be found here.
The final BFL Michigan Division tournament of 2013 is scheduled for Sept. 14-15 on the Detroit River in Trenton, Mich. After that 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.