Hensiek wins Wal-Mart BFL event on Lake Dardanelle

RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – Boater Mark Hensiek of England, Ark., won the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League Arkie Division tournament on Lake Dardanelle Saturday with a five-bass catch weighing 18 pounds, 13 ounces. The victory earned Hensiek $4,417 and placed him one step closer to qualifying for the Wright Patman Lake Regional Championship in Texarkana, Texas, Oct. 25-27, where he could ultimately win a new 519VX Ranger boat and a Chevy truck.

Hensiek caught his five-bass limit flipping a jig in and around grass between Piney and Cabin Creek.

Rounding out the top five boaters are Brandon Lee of Ratcliff, Ark. (five bass, 17-8, $2,598); Greg Ault of Hot Springs, Ark. (five bass, 16-15, $1,473); David Davis of Paron, Ark. (five bass, 16-15, $1,473) and Joey Fisher of Casa, Ark. (five bass, 16-5, $1,039).

Ladd Shannon of Atkins, Ark., took home the Boater Division Snickers Big Bass award, earning $810 for a 5-pound, 10-ounce bass.

Kenny Laxson of Lexa, Ark., earned $2,566 as the co-angler winner Saturday thanks to five bass weighing 17 pounds, 2 ounces that he caught while fishing a Berkley Power Worm in 8 to 10 feet of water.

Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Phillip Austin of Greenbrier, Ark. (five bass, 15-2, $1,283); Nicholas Wade of Lowell, Ark. (five bass, 15-0, $855); Clinton Patton of Bonnerdale, Ark. (five bass, 14-5, $556) and Edwin Whitted of Dover, Ark. (five bass, 14-5, $556).

Richard Tomlin of Dardanelle earned $400 as the co-angler Big Bass winner after catching a 6-pound, 11-ounce bass.

The final event of the regular season will be a two-day Super Tournament held Oct. 6-7 on Lake Hamilton in Hot Springs, Ark.

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 Wright Patman Lake 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.