LAKE WALES, Fla. (March 10, 2008) - Boater Cliff Mundinger Jr. of Tallahassee, Fla., won the Bass Fishing League Gator Division bass fishing tournament on Lake Kissimmee Saturday with a five-bass catch weighing 16 pounds, 11 ounces. The victory earned Name $3,823 and placed him one step closer to qualifying for the Lake Murray Regional Championship in Columbia, S.C., Oct. 23-25, where he could ultimately win a new 198VX Ranger boat and a Chevy truck.
Nearly missing the chance to fish in the tournament at all, there's no doubt Mundinger really earned this one after fighting the wind, losing three nice fish, maintenance problems and rescuing a boat.
"So many things happened today, that I can't believe I won," Mundinger said. "The wind was extremely strong all day that I could barely stand up, I lost some good keepers, I helped someone that was stranded on the lake and to top it all off my oil light came on shortly after we locked back through to Kissimmee. It was an extremely difficult day."
Mundinger caught his fish flipping grass on Lake Toho using a Zoom Speed Worm and Chatterbait.
"Even though it was a hard day, I was just happy to make it to the tournament," Mundinger added. "I pulled out of the tournaments for the 2008 season because my father was diagnosed with terminal cancer. We had hospice come in and help out so I was able to make the tournament. Fishing is what makes me truly happy and all my dad wanted was for me to win this tournament."
Rounding out the top five boaters are Joseph Kremer of Osteen, Fla. (five bass, 15-06, $2,249); Benjamin Harris of Lakeland, Fla. (five bass, 15-02, $1,498); John Cox of Debary, Fla. (five bass, 14-14, $1,050) and Don Fousek of Saint Cloud, Fla. (five bass, 14-12, $900).
Cox took home the Boater Division Snickers Big Bass award, earning $645 for an 8-pound bass he caught on a spinnerbait.
Robert Crosnoe of Inverness, Fla., earned $2,249 as the co-angler winner Saturday thanks to five bass weighing 12 pounds, 8 ounces that he caught fishing around hydrilla with a Senko.
Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Kenneth Bivins of Orlando, Fla. (five bass, 12-00, $1,125); Kevin Guynn of Ocala, Fla. (five bass, 10-14, $752); Jackie Barber of Cocoa, Fla. (five bass, 9-09, $525) and Joe Edwards Jr. of Kissimmee, Fla. (five bass, 9-03, $450).
Arthur Divi of Tampa, Fla., earned $322 as the co-angler Big Bass winner after catching a 5-pound, 13-ounce bass he caught on a Rat-L-Trap.