McManaway runs away with BFL event on Ohio River - Major League Fishing

McManaway runs away with BFL event on Ohio River

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Boater Aaron McManaway of Altamont, Ill., earned $4,163 June 10 as winner of the BFL Illini Division event on the Ohio River. Angler: Aaron McManaway.
June 10, 2006 • MLF • Archives

GOLCONDA, Ill. – Boater Aaron McManaway of Altamont, Ill., earned $4,163 Saturday as winner of the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League Illini Division event on the Ohio River. The tournament was the third of five regular-season Illini Division events and earned McManaway 200 points in the Boater Division.

McManaway’s winning catch of five bass weighed 15 pounds, 11 ounces. He was throwing a JD Lures Finesse Worm to catch his bass.

McManaway also earned an additional $1,000 for being the highest placing Ranger Cup participant.

Rounding out the top five boaters are Troy Rogers of Evansville, Ind. (five bass, 11 pounds, 7 ounces, $2,082); Jimmy Null of Bethalto, Ill. (five bass, 10 pounds, 11 ounces, $1,387); Bobby McMullin of Pevely, Mo. (five bass, 10 pounds, 9 ounces, $971) and Larry Sisk of Evansville, Ind. (five bass, 10 pounds, 1 ounce, $833).

Rogers took home an additional $580 for winning the Boater Division big-bass award honors with a 4-pound, 9-ounce bass. He caught his big bass on a Bagley’s Killer B.

Donald Freundt of Cedar Lake, Ind., won the Co-angler Division to earn $2,082 thanks to five bass weighing 10 pounds, 5 ounces that he caught on a Texas-rigged Red Shad Senko.

Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Steven Warfield of Brimfield, Ill. (four bass, 8 pounds, 11 ounces, $1,041); Daniel Kahrhoff Jr. of Breese, Ill. (five bass, 8 pounds, 4 ounces, $692); Bill Brown of Taylorville, Ill. tied with Dany Chay of Hanover Park, Ill. (five bass, 7 pounds, 14 ounces, $451).

Renee Hensley of Edwardsburg, Mich., earned $290 as the co-angler big-bass award winner with a 4-pound, 3-ounce bass that was caught on a 7-inch Berkley Power Shad.

The Illini Division’s next event will be held July 22 on Lake Shelbyville near Findlay, Ill. The Division will wrap up its regular season Sept 9-10 with a two-day Super Tournament on the Ohio River near Golconda, Ill.

Following the regular season, the Illini Division boater with the most points who advances farthest in the Wal-Mart BFL All-American will earn $10,000 as the Yamaha “Be the Best” points champion. The co-angler points champion who advances farthest will earn $5,000 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 Illini Division boaters and co-anglers based on year-end points standings will advance to the Fort Madison Regional near Fort Madison, Iowa, Oct. 5-7, where they will compete against Great Lakes, Michigan, and Ozark anglers for one of six slots in the 2007 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 $8.8 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.

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, Stratos Owners’ Tournament Trail, 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 offer combined purses exceeding $37.9 million through 249 events in 2006.

For more information about FLW Outdoors and its tournament programs, browse FLWOutdoors.com or call (270) 252-1000.

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 Wal-Mart.com.