BERHORST WINS WALMART BASS FISHING LEAGUE OZARK DIVISION FINALE ON LAKE OF THE OZARKS

                                                                                          

OSAGE BEACH, Mo. (Sept. 21, 2015) – Dennis Berhorst of Holts Summit, Missouri, weighed a five-bass limit totaling 21 pounds, 1 ounce Sunday to win the Walmart Bass Fishing League Ozark Division Super Tournament on Lake of the Ozarks with a two-day total of 10 bass weighing 39 pounds, 8 ounces. For his victory, Berhorst earned $8,349.

“I caught every fish that I brought to the scale by flipping boat docks on the lower end of the lake near the dam,” said Berhorst, who pushed his career earnings with FLW to more than $316,000.  “The fish were active in anywhere from 2 to 10 feet of water.

“On Saturday I caught 11 keepers fairly quick,” continued Berhorst. “I eased up on my spots around 10 a.m., knowing I had to fish there again on Sunday. It took me a little longer to catch my limit on Sunday because the fish had moved and I had to make a few adjustments. I still managed to catch nine keepers.”

Berhorst said he used one bait throughout the entire tournament – a green-pumpkin Chompers Boss Hawg.

“I’ve won a lot of prize money on that bait,” said Berhorst. “The Boss Hawg gets the job done.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:

1^st:          Dennis Berhorst, Holts Summit, Mo., 10 bass, 39-8, $6,349 + $2,000 Ranger Cup Bonus

2^nd:         David Ryan, Levasy, Mo., 10 bass, 34-0, $3,175

3^rd:          Joe Brantley, Willard, Mo., 10 bass, 33-12, $2,117

4^th:          Donovan Hensley , Nixa, Mo., 10 bass, 33-7, $1,481

5^th:          Charlie Bogard, O’Fallon, Mo., 10 bass, 33-6, $1,270

6^th:          Lawson Hibdon, Versailles, Mo., 10 bass, 33-3, $1,164

7^th:          James Dill, Laurie, Mo., 10 bass, 10 bass, 32-10, $1,058

8^th:          Roger Fitzpatrick, Eldon, Mo., 10 bass, 30-11, $952

9^th:          Chris Bunk, Sullivan, Mo., eight bass, 30-9, $847

10^th:        John Sapper, De Soto, Mo., nine bass, 30-4, $741

Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Mark Tucker of Kirkwood, Missouri, caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the pro division Friday. The fish weighed 6 pounds, 5 ounces and earned the day’s Big Bass award of $885.

Mitchell Blehm of Walnut Grove, Missouri, won the co-angler division and $3,175 with a two-day total of seven bass weighing 18 pounds, 15 ounces.

The top 10 co-anglers were:

1^st:          Mitchell Blehm, Walnut Grove, Mo., seven bass, 18-15, $3,175

2^nd:         Jay Myers, Hillsboro, Mo., six bass, 17-8, $1,587

3^rd:          William Hoffert, Columbia, Mo., eight bass, 17-6, $1,059

4^th:          Matt Wertheimer, Arnold, Mo., five bass, 16-1, $741

5^th:          Brock Swafford, Wichita, Kan., six bass, 15-7, $635

6^th:          B.J. Hicks, Richmond, Mo., five bass, 15-0, $582

7^th:          Dennis Spell, Bonne Terre, Mo., five bass, 14-6, $529

8^th:          Ryan Jordan, Saint Charles, Mo., six bass, 13-10, $476

9^th:          Matt Masters, Branson, Mo., five bass, 12-15, $423

10^th:        Tyler Branson, Jefferson City, Mo., six bass, 12-15, $370

Hicks caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the co-angler division and earned the day’s Big Bass award of $442.

The top 50 boaters and 50 co-anglers based on point standings now 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.