FINDLAY, Ill. (July 21, 2008) - Boater David Young of Mayfield, Ky., won the Bass Fishing League Illini Division bass fishing tournament on Lake Shelbyville Saturday with a five-bass catch weighing 21 pounds, 12 ounces. The victory earned Young $2,870 plus a $506 Ranger bonus and placed him one step closer to qualifying for the Kentucky-Barkley Lake Regional Championship in Gilbertsville, Ky., Oct. 2-4, where he could ultimately win a new 198VX Ranger boat and a Chevy truck.
"It feels good to win a BFL because of the caliber of the competition," said Young, who has notched five FLW Outdoors victories, including last month's BFL Illini Division Ohio River event. "You're fishing against all of the locals and the better fishermen who fish those trails."
Young said he formed his plan of attack based on his experience on Kentucky Lake.
"When I got there, everybody said the fish were shallow and not deep, but I went with my instincts and caught them," Young said.
Young said he caught 10 to 15 fish throughout the course of the day on a chartreuse and blue Lucky Craft crankbait that ran at a depth of 18 to 20 feet.
Rounding out the top five boaters are John Wright of Shelbyville, Ill. (five bass, 17-01, $1,689); Greg Coleman of Butler, Ill. (five bass, 15-15, $1,128); Juice Wright of Dieterich, Ill. (five bass, 14-03, $788) and Matt Carrol of Hillsboro, Ill. (five bass, 12-08, $675).
Floyd Carder of Litchfield, Ill., took home the Boater Division Snickers Big Bass award, earning $415 for a 5-pound, 6-ounce bass he caught on a green pumpkin creature bait.
Randy McDowell of Matton, Ill., earned $1,689 as the co-angler winner Saturday thanks to five bass weighing 14 pounds, 8 ounces that he caught on a white soft plastic frog.
Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Mario Rossi of Granite City, Ill. (five bass, 9-09, $844); James Mannon of Jackson, Mo. (three bass, 8-09, $564); Jeff Medlock of Pacific, Mo. (two bass, 7-09, $394) and Charles Dammerman of Mount Auburn, Ill. (three bass, 7-03, $338).
Jim Randle of Decatur, Ill., earned $207 as the co-angler Big Bass winner after catching a 4-pound, 13-ounce bass on a red shad plastic worm.
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.