Wright outfishes field on Lake Shelbyville

FINDLAY, Ill. – Boater John Wright of Shelbyville, Ill., won Saturday’s Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League Illini Division tournament on Lake Shelbyville with a five-bass catch weighing 16 pounds, 7 ounces. The victory earned Wright $3,697 plus a $652 Ranger Boat contingency bonus and placed him one step closer to qualifying for the Mississippi River Regional Championship in Fort Madison, Iowa, Oct. 4-6, where he could ultimately win a new 519VX Ranger boat and a Chevy truck.

Wright fished a green jig on point drops 10 to 18 feet deep at the lower end of the lake to get his large catches.

Rounding out the top five boaters are Mike Barnes of Mackinaw, Ill. (five bass, 14-6, $2,175); Brad Peters of Taylorville, Ill. (five bass, 13-10, $1,451); Danny Livingston of Advance, Mo. (four bass, 13-1, $1,015); and Colby Schrumpf of Highland, Ill. (four bass, 12-0, $870).

Shane Haslett of Beecher City, Ill., took home the Boater Division Snickers Big Bass award, earning $615 for a 5-pound, 10-ounce bass.

Bill Higgins of Albers, Ill., earned $2,175 as the co-angler winner Saturday thanks to five bass weighing 15 pounds, 9 ounces.

Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Matt Micnheimer of Coffeen, Ill. (three bass, 13-5, $1,088); Chuck Teegardin of St. Louis (three bass, 12-10, $726); Scott Ham of Palestine, Ill. (four bass, 9-9, $507); and Michael Houle of Midlothian, Ill. (three bass, 9-5, $435).

Higgins earned $307 as the co-angler Big Bass winner after catching a 5-pound, 9-ounce bass.

The Illini Division’s next event will be July 14 on the Ohio River in Golconda, Ill., followed by a tournament Aug. 11 on Lake Shelbyville in Findlay, Ill. The division’s final event of the regular season will be a two-day Super Tournament held Sept. 8-9 on the Ohio River in Golconda, Ill.

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 Mississippi River 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.