SANDUSKY, Ohio (Sept. 12, 2005) ? Boater Chuck Willis of Dayton earned $4,756 Saturday as winner of the Bass Fishing League Buckeye Division Super Bass Fishing Tournament on Lake Erie. The tournament earned Willis 300 points in the Boater Division. He earned an additional $1,000 as winner of the Ranger Cup award.
Willis?s winning catch of 10 bass weighed 40 pounds, 15 ounces. He was fishing Canadian waters with a goby lure on a drop-shot rig when he caught his bass.
Finishing second was Donald Sibley of Strasburg with 10 bass weighing 36 pounds, 7 ounces that earned him $2,322. Gary Becker of St. Marys claimed $1,132 as the third-place finisher thanks to nine bass weighing 36 pounds, 3 ounces. In fourth was Jim Hull of Sidney with seven bass weighing 32 pounds, 8 ounces worth $1,019, and finishing fifth and earning $906 was Jeff Melsop of East Liberty with nine bass weighing 29 pounds, 2 ounces.
Gary Ginter of Maplewood took Boater Division big-bass award honors, earning $770 for a 5-pound, 4-ounce bass. He caught his big bass on a goby-imitation lure.
Rob Sierschula of Huber Heights earned $2,378 as the co-angler winner, thanks to seven bass weighing 29 pounds, 2 ounces that he caught on drop-shot rigged tube baits.
Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Kenney Mitchell of Franklin (nine bass, 28 pounds, $1,161); Mark Maxwell of Dayton (seven bass, 26 pounds, 9 ounces, $566); Lawni Ziegler of Loudonville (six bass, 25 pounds, 12 ounces, $510); and Merny Gross of St. Marys (eight bass, 25 pounds, 6 ounces, $453).
Ziegler earned $385 as the co-angler big-bass award winner with a 5-pound, 8-ounce bass he caught on a goby-imitating lure.
Following the regular season, the Buckeye Division boater with the most points will earn $1,000 as the Yamaha ?Be the Best? points champion. The co-angler amassing the most points will earn $500 as the Yamaha ?Be the Best? points champion in the Co-angler Division.
The top 40 Buckeye Division boaters and co-anglers based on year-end points standings will advance to the Lake Cherokee Regional near Morristown, Tenn., Oct. 4-8 where they will compete against Illini, LBL and Piedmont division anglers for one of six slots in the 2006 All-American.