Weisenburger Wins Walmart Bass Fishing League Hoosier Division Event on the Ohio River
OutdoorHub 08.04.14
Kyle Weisenburger of Ottawa, Ohio, weighed a five-bass limit totaling 14 pounds, 4 ounces Saturday to win the fourth Walmart Bass Fishing League Hoosier Division tournament of 2014 on the Ohio River. For his victory, Weisenburger earned $4,426.
“It was a good day,” said Weisenburger. “Coming in to weigh-in, I knew if I didn’t win I would at least be in the top two or three.”
Weisenburger said that he milked two creeks for five key bites throughout the day, and that three of the five came off the same stretch of bank.
“My best stretch was about 50 yards long,” said Weisenburger. “It was a mixture of river grass with a drop-off nearby that went down to about six feet of water. I was flipping up into the grass and working all the way back to the edge. I think there was some wood out deeper by the drop that the fish were holding to because I could feel it when I dragged my bait back.
“I think the key was working the bait all the way back to the boat,” said Weisenburger. “There were some other boats right up on the bank, but I was pulled off a bit and I think that made a difference.”
Weisenburger said that he caught all but one of his fish on a Texas-rigged Red Shad-colored 7.5 inch Culprit Original Worm.
“This year has been a blessing,” said Weisenburger, who is currently leading the Buckeye Division in angler of the year points and is 13th in points in the Hoosier Division. “Everything has gone right, but I hadn’t been able to win until now.”
Rounding out the top 10 pros were:
2nd: Brandon Parker, Magnet, Ind., five bass, 12-1, $1,713
3rd: Randy Bolin, Cannelton, Ind., five bass, 11-12, $1,141
4th: Chris Wilkinson, Farmersburg, Ind., five bass, 10-12, $799
5th: Ryan Deal, Haubstadt, Ind., five bass, 10-3, $685
6th: Kaoru O’Bryan, Crestwood, Ky., four bass, 9-10, $628
7th: Ronnie Smith, Walton, Ky., five bass, 8-15, $571 + $300 Evinrude Bonus
8th: Allen Boyd, Salem, Ind., four bass, 8-3, $514
9th: Marty Sisk, Evansville, Ind., five bass, 8-0, $457
10th: Danny Abrams, Greensfork, Ind., four bass, 7-5, $363
10th: Travis Feuerbach, Bloomington, Ind., five bass, 7-5, $363
10th: Scott Spayd, Ferdinand, Ind., four bass, 7-5, $363
Complete results can be found at FLWOutdoors.com.
Travis Andres of Georgetown, Ind., weighed in four bass totaling 7 pounds, 2 ounces Saturday to win $1,709 in the co-angler division.
Rounding out the top 10 co-anglers were:
2nd: Matt Orschell, Lawrenceburg, Ind., four bass, 5-4, $855
3rd: Gerald Shaw, Pendleton, Ind., four bass, 4-13, $570
4th: Robert Spurgeon, Jasonville, Ind., three bass, 4-8, $399
5th: Rod Yoder, West Lafayette, Ind., two bass, 4-3, $342
6th: Roger Crain, Louisville, Ky., two bass, 4-1, $313
7th: Dave Roberts, Indianapolis, Ind., two bass, 3-14, $285
8th: Nicole Foor, Hagerstown, Ind., two bass, 3-13, $256
9th: Gary Hoffman, Stoutsville, Ohio, two bass, 3-12, $228
10th: Casey Sharp, Evansville, Ind., three bass, 3-10, $199
The top 40 boaters and 40 co-anglers based on point standings will qualify for the Oct. 9-11 Regional Championship on Pickwick Lake in Florence, Ala. 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.
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 Rayovac FLW Series or even the Walmart FLW Tour.
