BECKLER, KNAACK TIE FOR WIN AT WALMART BASS FISHING LEAGUE OZARK DIVISION EVENT ON TABLE ROCK LAKE

                                                                                          

KIMBERLING CITY, Mo. (May 4, 2015) – Matt Beckler of Strafford, Missouri, and Todd Knaack of Lawson, Missouri, each weighed five-bass limits totaling 15 pounds, 7 ounces Saturday to tie for the win the third Walmart Bass Fishing League Ozark Division tournament of 2015 on Table Rock Lake. For their victories, each angler earned $3,028.

Matt Beckler of Strafford, Mo. (top), and Todd Knaack of Lawson, Mo. (bottom), tied for first place in the Ozark Division event on Table Rock Lake with 15 pounds, 7 ounces. Each earned over $3000 for their win. (FLW)

Beckler said he chose to target boat docks within various spawning pockets in the mid-lake area with a homemade green-pumpkin-colored shaky-head rig and a 4-inch green-pumpkin Yamamoto Senko .

“There were three pockets where the shad were spawning around the docks,” said Beckler. “I decided to target the deeper docks that were in 12 to 14 feet of water and managed to catch 12 keepers.

“I found there were three different bites throughout the day,” Beckler continued. “In the morning the fish were on the bottom in the shadows. Around 10:30 a.m. the fish suspended underneath the docks around the shad spawn. Then, when the sun was higher in the afternoon, the fish were closer to the surface in the shadows of the dock.

“Most of my bass bit in 10 feet of water,” said Beckler. “I just had to be patient.”

Knaack said he fished slowly in the spawning pockets using a Texas-rigged green-pumpkin-colored Zoom Brush Hog.

“I went looking for stained water. I like fishing that type of color,” said Knaack.

Knaack said he explored around 12 pockets in order to catch his nine keepers.

“I stayed fairly shallow, in 6 feet of water,” said Knaack. “I caught the biggest fish of the tournament, a 4-pound, 14-ouncer, around 11:30. I knew then I had a shot at winning.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:

1^st:          Matt Beckler, Strafford, Mo., five bass, 15-7, $3,028

1^st:          Todd Knaack, Lawson, Mo., five bass, 15-7, $3,028 + $1,000 Mercury Bonus

3^rd:          James Watson, Springfield, Mo., five bass, 15-1, $1,345

4^th:          John Hewkin, Sullivan, Mo., five bass, 14-8, $942

5^th:          Chuck Baggett, Union, Mo., five bass, 14-5, $807

6^th:          Jeremy Lawyer, Sarcoxie, Mo., five bass, 13-15, $740

7^th:          Scotty Villines, Ponca, Ark., five bass, 12-14, $673

8^th:          Jamie Kowalsky, Branson West, Mo., five bass, 12-11, $606

9^th:          Dennis Berhorst, Holts Summit, Mo., five bass, 12-3, $538

10^th:        Roger Fitzpatrick, Eldon, Mo., five bass, 11-14, $471

Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Knaack also caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the pro division, a fish weighing 4 pounds, 14 ounces and earned the day’s Big Bass award of $545.

Dewey Larson of Fayetteville, Arkansas, weighed in a five-bass limit totaling 13 pounds, 3 ounces Saturday to win $1,981 in the co-angler division.

The top 10 co-anglers were:

1^st:          Dewey Larson, Fayetteville, Ark., five bass, 13-3, $1,981

2^nd:         Jeremy Johnson, Kansas City, Kan., five bass, 11-3, $991

3^rd:          Rick McGuire, Warrenton, Mo., five bass, 10-11, $662

4^th:          Jeremy Rushton, Lees Summit, Mo., five bass, 10-7, $462

5^th:          Frank Williams, Saint Charles, Mo., five bass, 10-5, $396

6^th:          Clint Long, Raymore, Mo., five bass, 10-4, $363

7^th:          Dennis Spell, Bonne Terre, Mo., five bass, 10-3, $330

8^th:          Max Wilson, Everton, Mo., four bass, 9-14, $297

9^th:          Matt Masters, Branson, Mo., five bass, 8-14, $264

10^th:        Stephen Phillips, Springfield, Mo., four bass, 8-12, $231

Larson also caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the co-angler division and earned the day’s Big Bass award of $267.

The top 50 boaters and 50 co-anglers based on point standings will qualify for the Oct. 15-17 Regional Championship on Kentucky Lake in Gilbertsville, Kentucky. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard and $20,000, 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 50 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. Top winners in the BFL can move up to the Rayovac FLW Series or even the Walmart FLW Tour.