Neumaier wins Wal-Mart BFL event on Grand Lake

ST. MARYS, Ohio – Boater Jim Neumaier of Greenville, Ohio, won the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League Buckeye Division tournament on Grand Lake Saturday with a five-bass catch weighing 11 pounds, 4 ounces. The victory earned Neumaier $3,727 and placed him one step closer to qualifying for the Kentucky and Barkley Lakes Regional Championship in Gilbertsville, Ky., Oct. 2-4, where he could ultimately win a new 198VX Ranger boat and a Chevy truck.

Neumaier used a jig, spinnerbait and crankbait to catch his limit.

Rounding out the top five boaters are Jay Jeffries of Celina, Ohio (four bass, 10-9, $2,193); Jeff Rain of St. Marys, Ohio (five bass, 8-13, $1,463); Sean Sink of Huber Heights, Ohio (five bass, 8-8, $1,023) and Whitney Stephens of Piketon, Ohio (three bass, 8-6, $877).

Jeffries took home the Boater Division Snickers Big Bass award, earning $620 for a 5-pound, 4-ounce bass he caught flipping a Yamamoto Senko.

David Calebaugh of Parkersburg, W.Va., earned $2,193 as the co-angler winner Saturday thanks to three bass weighing 7 pounds, 4 ounces that he caught on a 3-inch pumpkin seed and chartreuse tube.

“I caught my fish in the canal,” Calebaugh said. “My boater was flipping a bank, so I decided to flip on the other side in about 3 to 4 feet of water, because the fish were off the bank a little bit. My partner didn’t have any tubes, so after I caught about three fish, I reached in my bag and threw him a handful, and he caught three keepers.”

Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Mike Geisler of Oxford, Ohio (four bass, 6-6, $1,096); Shawn Sprankel of Zanesville, Ohio (four bass, 5-10, $730); David Leggett of Beaver Creek, Ohio (four bass, 5-3, $512); Michael Cavey of Columbus, Ohio (four bass, 5-2, $420) and Steve Sorrell of Beavercreek, Ohio (three bass, 5-2; $420).

Don Wiggins of Cincinnati earned $310 as the co-angler Big Bass winner after catching a 4-pound bass he caught flipping a Gambler Ugly Otter.

Buckeye Division anglers will visit the Ohio River in Carrollton, Ky., Aug. 2 for their third regular-season event, followed by an event on the Ohio River in Maysville, Ky., Aug. 23. A two-day Super Tournament, the division’s fifth and final event, will be held on the Ohio River in Lawrenceburg, Ind., Sept. 20-21.

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 Kentucky and Barkley Lakes 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 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 Forrest Wood Cup. This event, featuring a top award of $1 million, is the sport’s biggest championship.

Tournament anglers aren’t the only ones winning big this season. With the introduction of FLW Fantasy Fishing, FLW Outdoors offers anyone the opportunity to enter for their chance to land the catch of a lifetime with the opportunity to win $7.3 million in cash and prizes. Players can become a virtual pro angler by signing up for Player’s Advantage, providing them with exclusive insider information that could guide them to a $100,000 victory at every Wal-Mart FLW Tour stop and the Forrest Wood Cup. Player’s Advantage will give them an edge over the competition and increase their shot for a $1 million cash grand prize that will be awarded to the FLW Fantasy Fishing cumulative points winner. Those who visit FantasyFishing.com today can sign up for Player’s Advantage and FLW Outdoors will include a $15 Wal-Mart gift card.

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.

FLW Outdoors, named after Forrest L. Wood, the legendary founder of Ranger Boats, is the largest fishing tournament organization in the world. In 2008 alone the organization is offering more than 90,000 anglers the chance to win over $40 million through 230 tournaments in 10 circuits targeting bass, walleye, redfish, kingfish and striped bass. FLW Outdoors is also taking fishing mainstream with the largest cash awards in the history of fantasy sports, $7.3 million.

For more information about FLW Outdoors and its tournaments, browse FLWOutdoors.com or call (270) 252-1000. For more information about FLW Fantasy Fishing and Player’s Advantage, visit FantasyFishing.com.

Total awards are based on a full field of 200 boats in every tournament.