McCartney, O’Keefe tie on the Mighty Miss

Rabelhofer nets co-angler title

Mark McCartney of Davis Junction, Illinois, and Nick O’Keefe of La Crosse, Wisconsin, each weighed three bass totaling 11 pounds even, Saturday to win the third FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Great Lakes Division tournament of 2016 on the Mississippi River presented by Navionics. For his win, McCartney earned $5,540 after bonuses, and O’Keefe took home $3,540.

O’Keefe says he locked to Pool No. 7 and built his limit focusing on flowing grass in light current.

“I caught a lot of 2½-pounders throughout the day,” says O’Keefe, who earned his first win in FLW competition. “Around 11:30 a.m. I caught my three limit-fish in three casts using a pearl blue-colored Lethal Weapon IV Swim Jig. I found the right spot at the right time. I guess it was my lucky day.”

McCartney on the other hand, concentrated on lily pads in Pool No. 8.

“I hit mid-river areas and caught 10 keepers throughout the day,” says McCartney, who earned his second career win with FLW. “My limit came in on a black Spro Dean Rojas Poppin’ Frog and a custom white, yellow and violet-colored swim jig rigged with a 5-inch white pearl-colored V&M Thunder Shad swimbait. I rotated between them depending on how thick the cover was.”

The top 10 boaters:

1^st:          Nick O’Keefe, La Crosse, Wis., three bass, 11-0, $3,540

1^st:          Mark McCartney, Davis Junction, Ill., three bass, 11-0, $3,540 + $2,000 Ranger Cup Bonus

3^rd:          Jimmy Johnson, Holmen, Wis., three bass, 10-11, $1,574

4^th:          William Schultz, Viroqua, Wis., three bass, 10-10, $1,022

4^th:          Clayton Reitz, Morton, Ill., three bass, 10-10, $1,022

6^th:          Kevin Ruh, Onalaska, Wis., three bass, 10-8, $865

7^th:          Wayne Meetz, Neenah, Wis., three bass, 10-6, $1,782

8^th:          Bob Matthies, Cicero, Ill., three bass, 10-4, $908

9^th:          Yamamoto Baits pro Tom Monsoor, La Crosse, Wis., three bass, 10-3, $629

10^th:        Jerry Schumacher, New London, Wis., three bass, 10-0, $523

10^th:        Fernando Lobato, Sparta, Wis., three bass, 10-0, $523

Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com. 

Meetz caught a bass weighing 4 pounds, 14 ounces – the biggest of the tournament in the pro division – and earned the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $695.

Rabelhofer wins co-angler title

Kyle Rabelhofer of Silver Lake, Wisconsin, weighed in three bass totaling 11 pounds, 2 ounces, Saturday to win the co-angler division and earn $2,460.

The top 10 co-anglers:

1^st:          Kyle Rabelhofer, Silver Lake, Wis., three bass, 11-2, $2,460

2^nd:         Jeremy Thayer, Grimes, Iowa, three bass, 10-8, $1,527

3^rd:          Steven Lopez, Sparta, Wis., three bass, 10-2, $837

4^th:          Terry Vance, Dunlap, Ill., three bass, 10-1, $511

4^th:          Ronald Syverson, Holmen, Wis., three bass, 10-1, $511

6^th:          Aaron Sonsalla, Arcadia, Wis., three bass, 10-0, $433

7^th:          John Pliwko, Plover, Wis., three bass, 9-12, $373

7^th:          K.C. Schaible, Machesney Park, Ill., three bass, 9-12, $373

9^th:          Colby Wolff, Shawano, Wis., three bass, 9-11, $315

10^th:        Ed Remian, Schiller Park, Ill., three bass, 9-7, $275

Thayer caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the co-angler division, a fish weighing 4 pounds, 13 ounces, and earned the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $347.

The top 50 boaters and 50 co-anglers based on point standings will qualify for the Oct. 13-15 Regional Championship on Kentucky Lake in Gilbertsville, Kentucky. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard and $20,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard.