McClain, Quinlin tie for win in BFL tourney on Patoka Lake

Indiana boaters Frank McClain (right) of Scottsburg and Mike Quinlin of Mooresville tied for the win in the Bass Fishing League Hoosier Division event on Patoka Lake. Anglers: Frank McClain, Mike Quinlin.

May 14, 2005 • MLF • Archives

JASPER, Ind. – Boaters Frank McClain of Scottsburg and Mike Quinlin of Mooresville tied for the win in the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League Hoosier Division event on Patoka Lake. Each angler caught five bass weighing 16 pounds, 14 ounces and earned $3,530. The tournament was the second of five regular-season Hoosier Division events and featured 160 boaters vying for the win, which earned McClain and Quinlin 200 points each in the Boater Division.

Both anglers fished shallow grass in the main lake to catch their bass. McClain’s fish fell to a spinnerbait, while Quinlin caught his bass on a shad spook.

Todd Hensley of New Albany claimed $1,542 as the third-place finisher thanks to five bass weighing 15 pounds, 15 ounces. In fourth was Scott Bateman of Washington with five bass weighing 15 pounds, 9 ounces worth $1,198, and finishing fifth and earning $984 was Ryan Deal of Haubstadt with five bass weighing 14 pounds, 12 ounces.

Phil Hunt of Connersville took Boater Division big-bass award honors, earning $800 for a 5-pound, 10-ounce bass. He caught his big bass on a green-pumpkin craw worm.

Jeff McCarnan of Henderson, Ky., earned $2,040 as the co-angler winner, thanks to five bass weighing 14 pounds, 12 ounces that he caught on a tube.

Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Matt McCoy of Indianapolis (five bass, 12 pounds, 2 ounces, $1,020); Ken Meacham of Cincinnati, Ohio (four bass, 10 pounds, 12 ounces, $670); Matt Linton of Kingston, Tenn. (four bass, 10 pounds, 1 ounce, $519); and Jeremy Madison of New Castle (five bass, 9 pounds, 15 ounces, $427).

Meacham earned $328 as the co-angler big-bass award winner with a 5-pound, 2-ounce bass he caught on a black and silver spook.

The Hoosier Division’s next event will be held June 18 on Lake Monroe near Bloomington, followed by an event on the Ohio River near Cannelton July 23. The Hoosier Division will wrap up its regular season Sept. 17-18 with a two-day Super Tournament on the Ohio River near Lawrenceburg.

Following the regular season, the Hoosier Division boater with the most points will earn $1,000 as the Yamaha “Be the Best” points champion. The co-angler amassing the most points will earn $500 as the Yamaha “Be the Best” points champion in the Co-angler Division.

Every angler who receives weight credit in a tournament earns points, with 200 points going 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. The top 40 Hoosier Division boaters and co-anglers based on year-end points standings will advance to the Ohio River Regional near Paducah, Ky., Oct. 11-15 where they will compete against Arkie, Great Lakes, and Michigan division anglers for one of six slots in the 2006 All-American. With a total purse of $1 million and a potential $140,000 cash prize going to the winning boater and $70,000 going to the winning co-angler, the All-American is one of the most prestigious and lucrative events in bass fishing.

The $8.4 million Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League features 28 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.

Named after the legendary founder of Ranger Boats, Forrest L. Wood, FLW Outdoors administers the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League and seven other national tournament circuits offering a combined $30 million in awards through 214 events in 2005. The 27-year-old organization is the purveyor of America’s largest and most prestigious fishing tournaments, including the Wal-Mart FLW Tour, EverStart Series, Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League, Wal-Mart Texas Tournament Trail, Wal-Mart FLW Walleye Tour, Wal-Mart FLW Walleye League, Wal-Mart FLW Kingfish Tour and Wal-Mart FLW Redfish Series.

Wal-Mart and many of America’s largest and most respected companies support FLW Outdoors and its tournament trails. Wal-Mart signed on as title sponsor of the FLW Tour in 1997 and today is the title sponsor of all FLW Outdoors events. For more information on Wal-Mart, visit Wal-Mart.com.