SHELBYVILLE, Ill. (May 19, 2008) - Boater Roy Meyer of Tuscola, Ill., won the Bass Fishing League Illini Division bass fishing tournament on Shelbyville Lake Saturday with a five-bass catch weighing 15 pounds, 7 ounces. The victory earned Meyer $3,569 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.
"I got on a bite during practice and hit about 15 different spots and lucked into a fish in about 90 percent of them," said Meyer, who posted his first win in seven seasons of BFL competition. "I had a 3 ½-pounder about 2:30 that came off, and I thought I'd lost it, even though I had a limit.
About 15 minutes later, I went to a stump where I had caught a 3-pounder first thing in the morning, and I ended culling out a 14-incher with a 4-pounder."
Meyer said he caught 20 fish during the course of the day on a black and blue jig.
Rounding out the top five boaters are Neil McCord of West Frankfort, Ill. (five bass, 14-13, $2,100); Travis Boley of Weldon, Ill. (five bass, 14-04, $1,072); Dan McDowell of Mattoon, Ill. (five bass, 14-04, $1,072) and Rusty Reinoehl of St. Louis, Mo. (five bass, 14-04, $1,072).
Alan Spenner of Hoyleton, Ill., took home the Boater Division Big Bass award, earning $585 for a 5-pound, 11-ounce bass he caught on a Strike King crankbait.
Michael Watson of Chicago, Ill., earned $2,082 as the co-angler winner Saturday thanks to three bass weighing 8 pounds, 12 ounces that he caught fishing a white Strike King spinnerbait around riprap.
Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Dany Chhay of Hanover Park, Ill. (three bass, 8-11, $1,041); Brian Futch of Goreville, Ill. (three bass, 8-09, $692); Lance Dasenbrock of Effingham, Ill. (three bass, 8-07, $486) and Jeff McWhorter of Greenville, Ky. (three bass, 8-02, $416).
Mark Kattenbraker of Charleston, Ill., earned $290 as the co-angler Big Bass winner after catching a 5-pound, 12-ounce bass.
Illini Division anglers will visit the Ohio River in Golconda, Ill., June 28 for their third regular-season event. 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, Ill., Sept. 6-7.