Miller wins BFL Regional on Potomac River

Russler co-angler winner

MARBURY, Md. – Steve Miller of Mechanicsville, Va., won the Walmart Bass Fishing League Potomac River Regional Championship Saturday with a three-day 15-bass catch weighing 48 pounds, 8 ounces. The victory earned Miller a Ranger 198VX boat with a choice of a 200 horsepower Evinrude or Yamaha motor and a Chevrolet 1500 Silverado.

The win also helped him qualify for the BFL All-American to be held in Davenport, Iowa, May 27-30, 2010, on the Mississippi River where he could ultimately win a top prize of $140,000 and a trip to the 2010 Forrest Wood Cup.

“This win is long overdue,” said Miller, who said he has fished BFL events for more than a decade. “I’ve been fishing a long time and been close, but this is my first win.

“I didn’t fish flawless by any means, but I ended up catching a good bag,” Miller added.

Miller said his win didn’t come easily. His trim malfunctioned on his motor on the second day of competition, seriously hampering his mobility.

“I limped around and ended up having some friends help me out,” Miller said. “Fortunately I got through it OK.”

Miller said he had five areas that were holding fish and he bounced back and forth among the areas. Miller said his understanding of wind and how it affects the Potomac helped clinch his win.

“If you don’t realize what the wind gives you or what the wind takes away, it can really affect you,” Miller said. “You’ll be fishing in muddy water.”

Miller, who works at Virginia’s Green Top Sporting Goods, said the sporting goods store and Berkley were indispensable sponsors who contributed to his win. Miller said he slow rolled a chartreuse-and-white spinnerbait through grass and pitched and swam a green-pumpkin Berkley Crazy Leg Chigger Craw through grass to catch his bass.

Rounding out the top five boaters are Kirk McMullen of Macedon, N.Y. (15 bass, 45-13, $3,000); Steve Wagner of New Kent, Va. (15 bass, 43-11, $1,500); Joshua Wagy of Dewitt, Va. (15 bass, 43-0, $1,200); and Dave Mease of Bethlehem, Pa. (15 bass, 40-15, $1,100).

Charlie Russler of Hedgesville, W.Va., won a Ranger 198VX boat with a choice of a 200 horsepower Evinrude or Yamaha motor as the co-angler winner Saturday thanks to 14 bass weighing 31 pounds, 15 ounces.

Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Scott Howard of Huddleston, Va. (15 bass, 29-10, $1,500); Jerry Pyles of Middletown, Md. (15 bass, 29-6, $750); Jason Tolliver of Bolt, W.Va. (15 bass, 29-3, $600); and Scott Goodson of Fredericksburg, Va. (14 bass, 28-9, $550).

The top 40 boaters and 40 co-anglers in BFL’s Empire, Piedmont, Northeast and Shenandoah divisions advanced to this no-entry-fee Potomac River Regional Championship. All seven of the BFL regional championships will each send six boaters and six co-anglers to the no-entry-fee Walmart BFL All-American presented by Chevy, which features a $1 million purse and a top award of $140,000 in the Boater Division and $70,000 in the Co-angler Division. Anglers who compete in all five regular-season events within a division but do not advance to a Regional Championship are eligible to compete in the Chevy Wild Card, which will also send six boaters and six co-anglers to the All-American for a total of 48 boaters and 48 co-anglers advancing through BFL competition.

The winning boater and winning co-angler at the All-American will advance to the no-entry-fee Forrest Wood Cup in Atlanta in 2010. This event is the most lucrative tournament in all of competitive bass fishing. In all, the BFL offers weekend anglers the opportunity to qualify for three no-entry-fee championships. Plus, the top 40 boaters and 40 co-anglers from each BFL division may move up to the Stren Series for 2010 while All-American champions have the option to advance directly to the Walmart FLW Tour.

In BFL competition, boaters supply the boat and compete from the front deck against other boaters. Co-anglers compete from the back deck against other co-anglers.

As the nation’s leading provider of affordable, close-to-home weekend tournaments, the BFL is widely credited with opening competitive bass fishing to the masses. It also serves as a steppingstone for anglers who wish to advance to the Stren Series and ultimately the FLW Tour – bass fishing’s most lucrative tournament circuit.

As the nation’s leading provider of affordable, close-to-home weekend tournaments, the BFL is widely credited with opening competitive bass fishing to the masses. It also serves as a steppingstone for anglers who wish to advance to the Stren Series and ultimately the FLW Tour – bass fishing’s most lucrative tournament circuit.

FLW Outdoors, named after Forrest L. Wood, the legendary founder of Ranger Boats, is the largest fishing tournament organization in the world. FLW Outdoors also has taken fishing mainstream with FLW Fantasy Fishing, offering the largest awards possible in the history of fantasy sports. Sign up for Player’s Advantage to get your edge and win.

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