Sifers wins Lake Monroe BFL event

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Boater Division competitor Jeramiah Sifers of Sellersburg earned $3,878 Saturday as winner of the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League Hoosier Division event on Lake Monroe near Bloomington. The tournament was the fourth of five regular-season Hoosier Division events. The regular season will wrap up Sept. 18-19 with a two-day Super Tournament on the Ohio River near Cannelton.

Sifers used a soft plastic in 12 feet of water to catch his tournament-winning stringer of three bass that weighed 12 pounds, 4 ounces. He also earned a $1,000 bonus from Ranger Boats as the highest-finishing participant in the Ranger Cup incentive program, and he earned another $1,000 from Garmin for using only Garmin electronics during the event.

Rounding out the top three boaters are Mike Quinlin of Mooresville (five bass, 10 pounds, 4 ounces, $1,939) and Bill Embry of Bloomington (five bass, 10 pounds, 2 ounces, $1,319). Tied for fourth were Aaron Sisk of Evansville and Steve Sendelweck of Ramsey. Both anglers caught three bass that weighed 9 pounds, 13 ounces to earn $930 each.

Roy Gentry of Cincinnati earned Boater Division big-bass award honors and $710 for a 5-pound, 7-ounce bass he caught flipping a Berkley Power Bait.

Robert (Bob) Wells of Aurora won the Co-angler Division with a two-bass catch weighing 6 pounds, 7 ounces. He caught his tournament-winning bass on a Brush Hog and earned $1,939 for the win.

Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Barry Ward of Louisville, Ky. (two bass, 6 pounds, $970); Barry Gunter of Trafalgar (three bass, 5 pounds, 2 ounces, $659); Kent Lee of Loveland, Ohio (one bass, 5 pounds, 1 ounce, $504); and Matt Linton of South Bend (two bass, 5 pounds, $427).

Lee claimed co-angler big-bass honors and $355 with his 5-pound, 1-ounce bass. He caught his big bass on a Senko.

Following the regular season, the top 30 Hoosier Division boaters and co-anglers based on year-end points standings will advance to the Kentucky Lake regional presented by Yamaha near Gilbertsville, Ky., Oct. 12-16. They will compete against qualifying anglers from the Choo Choo, Great Lakes and Michigan divisions for one of six slots in the 2005 All-American, one of competitive bass fishing’s most prestigious events. The winning boater at the All-American will take home $100,000 cash, and the winning co-angler will earn $50,000 cash.

Every angler who receives weight credit in a tournament earns points, with 200 points awarded to the winner, 199 for second, 198 for third, and so on, except for Super Tournaments, which award 300 points to the winner, 299 for second, 298 for third, and so on. These points determine angler standings. The Hoosier Division boater who amasses the most points at the end of the regular season will earn $1,000 as the Yamaha “Be the Best” points leader, and the co-angler earning the most points will earn $500 as the Yamaha “Be the Best” points leader in the Co-angler Division.

Anglers who compete in all five regular-season events within a division but do not advance to regional competition are eligible to fish the Chevy Trucks Wild Card for an All-American berth. Six nationwide regionals plus the Wild Card will each send six boaters and six co-anglers to the All-American for a total field of 84 competitors.

The $6.3 million Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League features 24 divisions nationwide. In BFL competition, boaters and co-anglers are randomly paired, with boaters supplying the boat and fishing against other boaters and co-anglers fishing from the back deck against other co-anglers. For more information or to enter a tournament, call (270) 252-1000 or browse this Web site.

Wal-Mart and many of America’s most respected companies support FLW Outdoors and its six tournament trails. Wal-Mart has been the title sponsor of FLW Outdoors since 1997. For a complete list of FLW Outdoors sponsors and for more information about the premier products and services they offer, please visit FLWOutdoors.com’s sponsor page.