Ellison wins big on Arkansas River
Benson wins co-angler title
MUSKOGEE, Okla. – Blake Ellison of Inola, Okla., weighed a five-bass limit totaling 17 pounds, 8 ounces Saturday to win the Walmart Bass Fishing League Okie Division event on the Arkansas River. For his victory, Ellison earned $3,553.
“It feels pretty good,” said Ellison, who now has three tournament wins in BFL competition. “It was a really hot day out there. I decided to make the hour and a half run up to the Afton pool and it paid off. I had my limit by 11 a.m. We ran to two or three different spots up there, and then came back and finished the day closer to takeoff. Everything I weighed in came before 11 a.m., though.”
“We were fishing shallow in 1 to 5 feet of water,” Ellison continued. “I was targeting the stumps, laydowns and brush in the river. I caught eight keepers, and the bite was pretty steady throughout the day.
“I think that my choice of baits is what got me the victory,” Ellison went on to say. “I make my own soft plastics that are called Inferno Baits. I was throwing a black and blue craw, and it was the difference. There were other boats around me fishing the same spots, but I was the only one getting bit. I definitely believe that it was the bait.”
Rounding out the top 10 pros:
2nd: Larry Flanary, Greenwood, Ark., five bass, 12-13, $1,777
3rd: Mario Riojas, Blanchard, Okla., five bass, 12-9, $1,185
4th: Earl Clinton, Stilwell, Okla., five bass, 12-0, $829
5th: Kevin Ledoux, Choctaw, Okla., five bass, 11-14, $711
6th: Al Monks, Panama, Okla., five bass, 11-9, $651
7th: Kevin Lindesmith, Waurika, Okla., five bass, 11-2, $592
8th: Mark Tyler, Vian, Okla., five bass, 11-0, $533
9th: Brian Fletcher, Muskogee, Okla., five bass, 10-12, $444
9th: Kyle Cortiana, Tulsa, Okla., five bass, 10-12, $444
Complete results can be found here.
Benson claims co-angler title
Don Benson of Eufaula, Okla., weighed a five-bass limit totaling 11 pounds, 4 ounces Saturday to win $1,777 in the co-angler division.
Rounding out the top 10 co-anglers:
2nd: Bill Gift, Alix, Ark., five bass, 10-10, $888
3rd: Landon Dixon, Hinton, Okla., five bass, 10-6, $592
4th: Darin Comstock, Denison, Texas, five bass, 9-6, $415
5th: Nick Milligan, Muskogee, Okla., four bass, 8-6, $355
6th: Tyler Keefner, Roland, Okla., four bass, 7-3, $326
7th: Cody Keener, Edmond, Okla., four bass, 7-2, $296
8th: Charles Weindel, Barling, Ark., three bass, 7-0, $267
9th: Matt Ellis, Muskogee, Okla., two bass, 6-8, $222
9th: Jonathan Shockey, Fort Smith, Ark., three bass, 6-8, $222
Complete co-angler results can be found here.
The final BFL Okie Division tournament is scheduled for Sept. 15-16 on Grand Lake in Grove, Okla. After that fifth Okie Division tournament is complete, the top 40 boaters and 40 co-anglers based on point standings will qualify for the Oct. 18-20 Regional Championship on the Red River in Natchitoches, La. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518 with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard and a Chevy Silverado, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518 with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard.
The BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 120 tournaments throughout the season, five in each division. The top 40 boaters and co-anglers from each division qualify for a regional tournament and compete to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the Walmart BFL All-American presented by Chevy. Top winners in the BFL can move up to the EverStart Series or even the Walmart FLW Tour.
About FLW
FLW is the industry’s premier tournament-fishing organization, providing unparalleled fishing resources and entertainment to our sponsors, fans and host communities. FLW is offering anglers of all skill levels the opportunity to compete for millions in prize money nationwide in 2012 over the course of 191 tournaments across five tournament circuits, each providing an avenue to the sport’s richest payday and most coveted championship trophy – the Forrest Wood Cup. FLW is committed to providing a lifestyle experience that is the “Best in Fishing, On and Off the Water,” through a variety of platforms including tournaments, outdoor expos and the world’s richest fantasy sports game – FLW Fantasy Fishing. For more information about FLW and FLW Fantasy Fishing, visit FLWOutdoors.com or FantasyFishing.com and look for FLW on Twitter and Facebook.