BENTON, Ill. (April 24, 2006) Boater Robert Atchison of Sesser, Ill., earned $4,830 Saturday as winner of the Bass Fishing League Illini Division bass fishing tournament on Rend Lake. The tournament was the first of five regular-season Illini Division events and featured 144 boaters vying for the win, which earned Atchison 200 points in the Boater Division. Atchisons winning catch of four bass weighed 10 pounds, 11 ounces. Atchison also took home an additional $1,000 dollars for being the highest placing Ranger Cup participant.
Rounding out the top five boaters are Brad Peters of Taylorville, Ill. (four bass, 10 pounds, 10 ounces, $2,415); Jeff Henson of Bloomington, Ill. (two bass, 7 pounds, 12 ounces, $1,609); John Wright of Shelbyville, Ill. (three bass, 6 pounds, 9 ounces, $1,127) and Bobby McMullin of Pevely, Mo., and Larry Sisk of Evansville, Ind. tied for fifth (three bass, 6 pounds, 8 ounces, $925).
Michael Frisch of Scheller, Ill., took Boater Division big-bass award honors, earning $720 for a 5-pound, 6-ounce bass.
Sam Hall of Collinsville, Ill., won the co-angler division to earn $2,270, thanks to four bass weighing 9 pounds, 10 ounces that he caught while fishing submerged bushes and backs of coves in 3 feet of water with a jig and craw combination.
Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Jeff Reiher of Oak Forest, Ill. (two bass, 7 pounds, 1 ounce, $1,135); Jack Morse of Decatur, Ill. (three bass, 6 pounds, 6 ounces, $757) Dan Kahrhoff Jr. of Breese, Ill., (one bass, 5 pounds, 6 ounces, $530) and Thomas Garbacz of Schaumburg, Ill. (one bass, 4 pounds, 15ounces, $454).
Dan Kahrhoff Jr.of Breese, Ill., earned $330 as the co-angler big-bass award winner with a 5-pound, 6-ounce bass.
The Illini Divisions next event will be held May 13 on Shelbyville Lake near Finday, Ill., followed by an event on the Ohio River near Golconda, Ill., June 10. The fourth event will be held July 22 on Shelbyville Lake and the Illini Division will wrap up its regular season Sept. 9-10 with a two-day Super Tournament on the Ohio River near Golconda.