TRENTON, Mich. (Sept. 21, 2009) - Michael Trombly of Perrysburg, Ohio, won the Walmart Bass Fishing League final Michigan Division tournament on the Detroit River Sunday with a two-day 10-bass catch weighing 48 pounds, 14 ounces. The victory earned Trombly $4,806.
Anglers were competing to qualify for the Fort Madison Regional Championship in Fort Madison, Iowa, Oct. 1-3, where they could ultimately win a new Ranger boat and a Chevy truck.
"This was a great weekend," said Trombly. "I didn't get a lot of bites, but the bites I did get were big and good. On Sunday I ended up culling a 5-pound fish; it was just an awesome day."
"I used Mike's Rx bait tube snapping it off the bottom," he added. "Everything I caught was deep, 26 feet or more."
Rounding out the top five boaters are Ryan Said of Wixom, Mich. (10 bass, 45-6, $2,403); Heath Wagner of Angola, Ind. (10 bass, 44-1, $1,603); Skip Johnson of Goodells, Mich. (10 bass, 39-9, $1,121); and Todd Schmitz of Goshen, Ind. (10 bass, 39-6, $961).
Joe Balog and Kevin Hesson tied for the Boater Division Folgers Big Bass award, earning $288.50/each for the 5-pound, 13-ounce bass each of them caught. Hesson was using a Berkley gulp minnow to land his big bass.
Ken Ramsey of Cassopolis, Mich., earned $2,403 as the co-angler winner Saturday thanks to 10 - bass weighing 40 pounds, 9 ounces that he caught using crank bait.
Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Greg Rutschilling of Rossford, Ohio (10 bass, 39-3, $1,202); James Sharp of Sylvania, Ohio (10 bass, 36-9, $801); David Michaelis of Commerce, Mich. (10 bass, 35-12, $561); and Erik Jacques of Harrison Township, Mich. (10 bass, 30-15, $481).
Ramsey also earned $289 as the co-angler Folgers Big Bass winner after catching a 5-pound, 6-ounce bass.