Cordes Wins Walmart Bass Fishing League Illini Division Event on Rend Lake
OutdoorHub 05.05.14
Marion Cordes of Sullivan, Ill., weighed a five-bass limit totaling 12 pounds, 10 ounces Saturday to win the first Walmart Bass Fishing League Illini Division tournament of 2014 on Rend Lake. For his victory, Cordes earned $6,359.
“I started out on the south end of the lake and I was catching my fish flipping a watermelon-colored Zoom Z Hog in the bushes,” said Cordes, who earned the first BFL win of his career. “The water temperature started out about 62 degrees and climbed to around 65 degrees by the afternoon. The fish were in bushes. But, you couldn’t just flip to the bush. You had to flip to the center of the bush, and yo-yo it up and down.
“I just ran to my area, put my trolling motor down, and we didn’t leave that area until around 12:30 p.m. The fish were transitioning in to spawn, but there was a cold front during my pre-fish that I think slowed them down.
The five that I weighed in were the only five keepers that I caught all day. I was fortunate with that,” finished Cordes. “I was surprised I did so well. There are a lot of local guys in the tournament who know this lake like the back of their hands.”
Rounding out the top 10 pros were:
2nd: Derek Jenkel, Pinckneyville, Ill., five bass, 10-2, $2,179
3rd: David Young, Mayfield, Ky., five bass, 9-11, $1,452
4th: Neil Arning, Orland Park, Ill., four bass, 9-6, $1,017
5th: Frank Clark, Benton, Ill., five bass, 9-5, $872
6th: Colby Schrumpf, Highland, Ill., five bass, 8-15, $799
7th: Toby Corn, West Frankfort, Ill., four bass, 8-7, $690
7th: Brennon McCord, West Frankfort, Ill., two bass, 8-7, $690
9th: James Wright, Paducah, Ky., three bass, 8-0, $581
10th: Chris Gable, Eddyville, Ky., two bass, 7-14, $509
Complete results can be found at FLWOutdoors.com.
Scotty McCleery of Winchester, Ill., weighed three bass totaling 9 pounds, 12 ounces Saturday to win $2,059 in the co-angler division.
Rounding out the top 10 co-anglers were:
2nd: Andy Paschedag, Edwardsville, Ill., four bass, 7-4, $1,030
3rd: Jason Valentine, Tamaroa, Ill., two bass, 6-13, $687
4th: Jacob Collins, Hillsboro, Ill., three bass, 6-11, $480
5th: David Bunton, Iuka, Ill., two bass, 6-8, $412
6th: Dale Renth, Albers, Ill., three bass, 6-0, $378
7th: Jeremy Richardson, Benton, Ill., two bass, 5-3, $343
8th: Ed Flanigan, Ashley, Ill., two bass, 4-15, $309
9th: Mario Rossi, Granite City, Ill., two bass, 4-13, $275
10th: Brandon Spain, Pinckneyville, Ill., two bass, 4-12, $240
The top 40 boaters and 40 co-anglers based on point standings will qualify for the Oct. 16-18 Regional Championship on Kentucky Lake in Gilbertsville, Ky. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard and a Chevy Silverado, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard.
