07-02-2009, 11:10 AM
Lawrenceburg, Indiana - Ladd Kitchel of Flora, Ind.., won the Walmart Bass Fishing League® Hoosier Division tournament on Tanners Creek Saturday with a five-bass catch weighing 10 pounds, 1 ounce. The victory earned Kitchel $3,592 and placed him one step closer to qualifying for the Kentucky/Barkley Lake Regional Championship in Gilbertsville, Ky., Oct. 15-17, where he could ultimately win a new Ranger boat and a Chevy truck.
"They let me know when I weighed in my fish that I was leading and I was extremely excited," said Kitchel, after winning his first BFL tournament. "It feels good to get that first win under my belt."
Kitchel located his fish on a practice day. He fished shallow water 1 to 3 feet deep focusing on wood. "I caught three fish first thing in the morning on a buzzbait, which actually ended up being my three best fish. I had a 3 ½ -pounder on my third cast. That's the way you start up a tournament, with a money fish. I caught my last two fish on a Stanley ¼-ounce white chartreuse spinnerbait.
Rounding out the top five boaters are Ronnie Smith of Walton, Ky. (five bass, 8-9, $1,796); Scott Bateman of Washington, Ind. (five bass, 8-4, $1,201); Sean Wieda of Florence, Ky. (five bass, 8-1, $838) and Luke Foli of Granger, Ind. (five bass, 7-15, $718).
Scott Bateman took home the Boater Division Big Bass award, earning $460 for a 4-pound, 4-ounce bass he caught.
John Thomas of New Palestine, Ind., earned $1,796 as the co-angler winner Saturday thanks to five bass weighing 6 pounds, 12 ounces that he caught.
Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Larry Kitchel of Monticello, Ind. (four bass, 6-8, $898); Roger Neef of Martinsville, Ind. (three bass, 5-1, $598); Jim Krider of North Vernon, Ind. (three bass, 5-0, $419); and David Reaves of Cleves, Ohio (two bass, 4-12, $359).
Josh Patterson earned $230 as the co-angler Big Bass winner after catching a 4-pound, 4-ounce bass.
The next Hoosier Division event will be held on the Lake Patoka in Jasper, Ind, July 25.
The top 40 boaters and 40 co-anglers in each of the BFL's 28 divisions at the end of the season advance to a no-entry-fee Regional Championship where boaters fish for a new Ranger boat and a Chevy truck and co-anglers fish for a new Ranger boat. Seven 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 $2.5 million Forrest Wood Cup in Atlanta in 2010. This event, featuring a top award of $1 million, 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 with total cash awards exceeding $3.5 million. 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.
Total awards are based on a full field of 200 boats in every tournament.
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 is taking fishing mainstream with FLW Fantasy Fishing, offering the largest awards possible in the history of fantasy sports, $10 million in cash and prizes. Sign up for Player's Advantage for only $10 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.
www.FLWOutdoors.com
Media Contact
Robin Thweatt (270) 252-1627 or rthweatt@flwoutdoors.com
"They let me know when I weighed in my fish that I was leading and I was extremely excited," said Kitchel, after winning his first BFL tournament. "It feels good to get that first win under my belt."
Kitchel located his fish on a practice day. He fished shallow water 1 to 3 feet deep focusing on wood. "I caught three fish first thing in the morning on a buzzbait, which actually ended up being my three best fish. I had a 3 ½ -pounder on my third cast. That's the way you start up a tournament, with a money fish. I caught my last two fish on a Stanley ¼-ounce white chartreuse spinnerbait.
Rounding out the top five boaters are Ronnie Smith of Walton, Ky. (five bass, 8-9, $1,796); Scott Bateman of Washington, Ind. (five bass, 8-4, $1,201); Sean Wieda of Florence, Ky. (five bass, 8-1, $838) and Luke Foli of Granger, Ind. (five bass, 7-15, $718).
Scott Bateman took home the Boater Division Big Bass award, earning $460 for a 4-pound, 4-ounce bass he caught.
John Thomas of New Palestine, Ind., earned $1,796 as the co-angler winner Saturday thanks to five bass weighing 6 pounds, 12 ounces that he caught.
Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Larry Kitchel of Monticello, Ind. (four bass, 6-8, $898); Roger Neef of Martinsville, Ind. (three bass, 5-1, $598); Jim Krider of North Vernon, Ind. (three bass, 5-0, $419); and David Reaves of Cleves, Ohio (two bass, 4-12, $359).
Josh Patterson earned $230 as the co-angler Big Bass winner after catching a 4-pound, 4-ounce bass.
The next Hoosier Division event will be held on the Lake Patoka in Jasper, Ind, July 25.
The top 40 boaters and 40 co-anglers in each of the BFL's 28 divisions at the end of the season advance to a no-entry-fee Regional Championship where boaters fish for a new Ranger boat and a Chevy truck and co-anglers fish for a new Ranger boat. Seven 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 $2.5 million Forrest Wood Cup in Atlanta in 2010. This event, featuring a top award of $1 million, 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 with total cash awards exceeding $3.5 million. 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.
Total awards are based on a full field of 200 boats in every tournament.
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 is taking fishing mainstream with FLW Fantasy Fishing, offering the largest awards possible in the history of fantasy sports, $10 million in cash and prizes. Sign up for Player's Advantage for only $10 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.
www.FLWOutdoors.com
Media Contact
Robin Thweatt (270) 252-1627 or rthweatt@flwoutdoors.com