Samo Wins Walmart Bass Fishing League Great Lakes Division on Mississippi River
OutdoorHub 07.16.12
Curtis Samo of Rochelle, Ill., weighed a three-bass limit totaling 12 pounds, 12 ounces Saturday to win the Walmart Bass Fishing League Great Lakes Division event on the Mississippi River in Alma. For his victory, Samo earned $6,009.
“I was fishing a four-mile stretch from Wabasha to the dam,” said Samo. “I had found a few grassy areas during practice where I was shaking off 3- to 3½-pounders. I targeted areas that had the current blowing into it. Once I figured out the pattern I just targeted any area that was similar. It was a good day for us and we had a lot of fun. I caught around 20 keepers on the day.
“I was fishing a Chompers green-pumpkin-colored tube and a Lucky Craft Gunfish,” Samo went on to say. “I had seven different areas that I was hitting and the bite was good all day long. I think the tube was the key for me today. I was fishing close to takeoff too – I only had to run four-miles to my spot. That gave me more fishing time than some of the other competitors, which definitely helped.”
Rounding out the top 10 pros were:
2nd: Jimmy Johnson, La Crosse, Wis., three bass, 11-10, $2,005
3rd: Mike Kiese, Weaver, Minn., three bass, 10-10, $1,336
4th: Max Weiss, Wabasha, Minn., three bass, 10-7, $935
5th: Jason Skutt, River Falls, Wis., three bass, 10-5, $802
6th: Jeff Ritter, Prairie du Chien, Wis., three bass, 10-4, $735
7th: Mike Feldermann, Galena, Ill., three bass, 10-1, $668
8th: Kris Brantner, Pepin, Wis., three bass, 9-15, $601
9th: Zach Bott, Onalaska, Wis., three bass, 9-14, $535
10th: Eric Mihalovic, Holmen, Wis., three bass, 9-11, $468
Complete results can be found at FLWOutdoors.com.
Rex McTier of Endeavor, Wis., weighed a three-bass limit totaling 9 pounds, 7 ounces Saturday to win $2,005 in the co-angler division.
Rounding out the top 10 co-anglers were:
2nd: Dennis Korotka, Waupaca, Wis., three bass, 9-1, $1,002
3rd: Jeffrey Hansen, Cochrane, Wis., three bass, 8-15, $668
4th: Jeff Dyer, McHenry, Ill., three bass, 8-14, $434
4th: Jerry Propst, Jasper, Texas, three bass, 8-14, $434
6th: Zach McCartney, Rochelle, Ill., three bass, 8-13, $368
7th: Andy Holst, Wauwatosa, Wis., three bass, 8-9, $334
8th: Ron Check, Prairie du Chien, Wis., three bass, 8-8, $284
8th: Sean Vainovskis, Lindstrom, Minn., three bass, 8-8, $284
10th: Dewane Cloyd, Machesney Park, Ill., three bass, 8-6, $234
The next BFL Great Lakes Division tournament is scheduled for Aug. 25 on the Mississippi River in Prairie du Chien, Wis. After the fifth Great Lakes Division tournament is complete, the top 40 boaters and 40 co-anglers based on point standings will qualify for the Oct. 11-13 Regional Championship on Lake Barkley in Kuttawa, Ky. 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.
