OSAGE BEACH, Mo. (Sept. 28, 2009) - Dennis Berhorst of Holts Summit, Mo., won the Bass Fishing League Ozark Division two-day Super Bass Fishing Tournament on Lake of the Ozarks Sunday with a two-day total of 10 bass weighing 30 pounds, 3 ounces. The victory earned Berhorst $5,761 and solidified his ticket to the DeGray Lake Regional Championship in Arkadelphia, Ark., Oct. 22-24, where he could ultimately win a new Ranger boat and a Chevy truck.
"I was due for a good win," said Berhorst, who now has seven BFL wins. "I threw topwater early in the morning, then went deeper to ledges 25 to 30 feet deep with a 1-ounce homemade green pumpkin jig with a lime green skirt tipped with a Paca Craw."
Berhorst now is setting his sights on the DeGray Lake Regional Championship in October.
"That lake is a good lake with a lot of big fish in it," Berhorst said. "I was down there three weeks ago and a guy I was with caught a 12-pounder. We caught them pretty good."
Rounding out the top five boaters are Dewayne Fitzpatrick of Osage Beach, Mo. (10 bass, 28-9, $2,880); Mark Dunbar of Jefferson City, Mo. (10 bass, 28-8, $1,921); Duane Hanzlik of Lake Ozark, Mo. (10 bass, 27-8, $1,344) and Chris Jeffries of Lake Ozark, Mo. (10 bass, 26-6, $1,152).
Fitzpatrick and Mike Foree of Osage Beach, Mo., shared the Boater Division Big Bass award, each earning $382.50 for a pair of 5-pound, 8-ounce bass.
Chris Unruh of Lakin, Kan., earned $2,880 as the co-angler winner Sunday thanks to a two-day catch of eight bass weighing 15 pounds, 9 ounces that he caught fishing docks with a shaky-head rig.
Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Jason Perrego of Fort Leonard Wood, Mo. (seven bass, 14-7, $1,440); Kevin Crady of Desoto, Mo. (six bass, 14-1, $962); John Shartzer of Merriam, Kan. (five bass, 13-2, $672); and Jerry Maple of Mountain Home, Ark. (five bass, 12-2, $576).
Jay Myers of Fenton, Mo., earned $382 as the co-angler Big Bass winner after catching a 5-pound, 7-ounce bass.