FINDLAY, Ill. (April 25, 2005) - Boater Ray Arning Jr. of Walnut Hill earned $3,762 Saturday as winner of the Bass Fishing League Illini Division bass fishing tournament on Shelbyville Lake. The tournament was the first of five regular-season Illini Division events and featured 117 boaters vying for the win, which earned Arning 200 points in the Boater Division.
Arning's winning catch of four bass weighed 8 pounds, 6 ounces. Arning was fishing a jig and Zoom chunk around standing timber in 4-6 feet of water when he caught his bass. He earned an additional $1,000 as winner of the Garmin Grand award and another $1,500 as winner of the Ranger Cup and Powered by Yamaha awards.
Finishing second was Kent Reagan of Kinmundy with three bass weighing 7 pounds, 14 ounces that earned him $1,881. Michael Black of Toledo claimed $1,229 as the third-place finisher thanks to three bass weighing 7 pounds, 10 ounces. In fourth was John Wright of Shelbyville with three bass weighing 7 pounds, 7 ounces worth $958, and finishing fifth and earning $787 was Colby Schrumpf of Highland with three bass weighing 7 pounds, 5 ounces.
Bill Leasher of Neoga took Boater Division big-bass award honors, earning $585 for a 6-pound, 15-ounce bass. He caught his big bass on a 4-inch finesse worm.
Gary Bettis of Olney bested 117 Co-angler Division competitors to earn $1,881 as the co-angler winner, thanks to three bass weighing 7 pounds, 5 ounces that he caught on a Rat-L-Trap.
Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Donnie Brown Jr. of Steger (two bass, five pounds, 15 ounces, $941); Randy Spurlock of Vienna (one bass, 5 pounds, 12 ounces, $615); Brian Futch of Goreville (two bass, 4 pounds, 4 ounces, $479); and George Osha of Steger (one bass, 4 pounds, $393). Spurlock earned $293 as the co-angler big-bass award winner with his 5-pound, 12-ounce bass he caught on a jig.
The Illini Division's next event will be held May 14 on Rend Lake near Benton, followed by an event on Kentucky/Barkley Lakes near Gilbertsville, Ky., June 4. The fourth-qualifying event will be held on the Ohio River near Paducah, Ky., July 9. The Illini Division will wrap up its regular season Sept. 10-11 with a two-day Super Tournament on Shelbyville Lake near Findlay.