HEDRICK WINS WALMART BASS FISHING LEAGUE EVENT ON OHIO RIVER

0A
LAWRENCEBURG, Ind. (Sept. 22, 2008) – Boater Ernie Hedrick of North Bend, Ohio, won the Walmart Bass Fishing League Buckeye Division Super Tournament on the Ohio River with a two-day catch of 10 bass weighing 18 pounds, 1 ounce. The victory earned Hedrick $4,417.
Hedrick said he caught his limits of fish on a white and chartreuse spinnerbait fishing wood on flats.

Rounding out the top five boaters are Gary Dees of Hamilton, Ohio. (10 bass, 15-04, $2,598); Clyde McNaron of Middletown, Ohio (seven bass, 12-14, $1,733); Sean Wieda of Florence, Ky. (nine bass, 12-01, $1,213) and **** Shaffer of Rockford, Ohio (eight bass, 10-10, $1,039).
Michael Moore of Uhrichsville, Ohio, took home the Boater Division Snickers Big Bass award, earning $652 for a 3-pound, 3-ounce bass that he caught on a Texas-rigged watermelon tube in 11 feet of water.

Edwin Bush of Springboro, Ohio., earned $2,539 as the co-angler winner thanks to eight bass weighing 10 pounds, 10 ounces that he caught on a shaky-head worm and a soft plastic crawfish.

Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Kevin Horn of Columbus, Ohio (seven bass, 10-09, $1,269); Josh Leonard of North Vernon, Ind. (nine bass, 10-00, $846); Clint Bissonett of Beaver Creek, Ohio (seven bass, 7-07, $592) and George Ginter of Sidney, Ohio (five bass, 7-07, $508).

Kenny Dials of Oak Harbor, Ohio, earned $319 as the co-angler Big Bass winner after catching a 3-pound, 2-ounce bass that he caught throwing a white spinnerbait.

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/Barkley Lake Regional Championship in Gilbertsville, Ky, Oct. 2-4, where they will compete against top qualifiers from three other BFL divisions. At the Regional Championship boaters will fish for a new 198VX 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 2009 All-American presented by=2 0Chevy. 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 2009 Forrest Wood Cup. This event, featuring a top award of $1 million, is the sport’s biggest championship.

The $8.8 million Walmart 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.

Tournament anglers aren’t the only ones winning big this season. With the introduction of FLW Fantasy Fishing™, FLW Outdoors® offered 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 could become a virtual pro angler by signing up for Player’s Advantage, which provided them with exclusive insider information that could have guided them to a $100,000 victory at every Walmart FLW Tour® stop and the Forrest Wood Cup. Player’s Advantage gave them an edge over the competition and increased their shot for the $1 million cash grand prize awarded to the FLW Fantasy Fishing cumulative points winner. Visit FantasyFishing.com today to find out more information and to register for next season.

FLW Outdoors, named after Forrest L. Wood, the legendary found
er 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. FLW Outdoors is also taking fishing mainstream with the largest cash awards in the history of fantasy sports, $7.3 million.


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