GOLCONDA, Ill. (June 30, 2008) - Boater David Young of Mayfield, Ky., won the Bass Fishing League Illini Division bass fishing tournament on the Ohio River Saturday with a five-bass catch weighing 17 pounds. The victory earned Young $3,329 plus a $587 Ranger contingency bonus and placed him one step closer to qualifying for the Kentucky Lake Regional Championship in Benton, Ky., Oct. 2-4, where he could ultimately win a new 198VX Ranger boat and a Chevy truck.
"It feels good to win," said Young, who has won more than $209,000 in FLW Outdoors events. "I am trying to make the regional on my home lake and to win a tournament in a division you don't normally fish is pretty neat."
Young threw a variety of baits to catch his limit with his two key baits being a junebug worm and a Zoom Brush Hog. His key area was on the Tennessee River near Kentucky Dam. He traveled 65 miles one-way from Golconda Marina to land his limit.
"It was one of those deals where I pulled up on a spot and threw a little bit of everything," Young said. "I knew the fish were biting so I tried a number of baits."
Rounding out the top five boaters are Brien Vaughn of Kinmundy, Ill. (five bass, 16-07, $1,958); Michael Black of Toledo, Ill. (four bass, 12-15, $1,307); Toby Corn of West Frankfort, Ill. (five bass, 12-06, $914) and Bobby McMullin of Pevely, Mo. (five bass, 11-15, $783).
Corn took home the Boater Division Snickers Big Bass award, earning $520 for a 4-pound, 10-ounce bass he caught fishing flats near Lusk Creek on a Lunker Lure buzzbait.
Timothy Lane of Momence, Ill., earned $1,958 as the co-angler winner Saturday thanks to five bass weighing 14 pounds, 9 ounces that he caught fishing in 4 to 8 feet of water on a crankbait.
Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Michael Luce of Paducah, Ky. (five bass, 11-14, $979); Aaron Arning of Walnut Hill, Ill. (five bass, 10-15, $653); Bradley Smith of Saint Jacob, Ill. (five bass, 10-10, $457) and Rick McGuire of Warrenton, Mo. (five bass, 10-06, $392).
Ted Phillips of Channahon, Ill., earned $260 as the co-angler Big Bass winner after catching a 4-pound, 12-ounce bass he caught near Lusk Creek fishing slow on a blue flake lure.
The division's fourth qualifying event will be held on Shelbyville Lake in Findlay, Ill., July 19. A two-day Super Tournament, the division's fifth and final event, will be held on the Ohio River in Golconda, Sept. 6-7.