FINDLAY, Ill. (Aug. 31, 2009) - John Wright of Shelbyville, Ill., won the Bass Fishing League Illini Division two-day Super Bass Fishing Tournament on Lake Shelbyville Saturday with a two-day total of 10 bass weighing 29 pounds, 12 ounces. The victory earned Wright $4,324 and solidified his ticket to the Mississippi River Regional Championship in Fort Madison, Iowa, Oct. 1-3, where he could ultimately win a new Ranger boat and a Chevy truck.
"That's the second Super Tournament that I've won," said Wright, who has six wins and 32 top-10 finishes in FLW Outdoors events. "I've been doing this a long time ... back before the tournament records were being kept."
Wright said he caught his bass fishing structure with a 5/8-ounce peanut butter-colored jig.
"I was targeting main-lake structure," Wright said. "I never even got close enough to cast to the bank. I've fished this lake since the late 70s and spend a lot of time on this body of water. I knew what the fish would do and I just had tremendous confidence from my knowledge of this body of water. And I like to structure fish, so I was very confident."
Rounding out the top five boaters are Brad Peters of Taylorville, Ill. (10 bass, 25-12, $2,162); Wayne Shaw of Urbana, Ill. (nine bass, 24-8, $1,441); Chad Kerr of Burlington, Iowa (10 bass, 23-9, $1,009) and Tom Silber of Labadie, Mo. (eight bass, 23-2, $865).
Kyle Danhausen of Kankakee, Ill., took home the Boater Division Big Bass award, earning $480 for a 5-pound, 15-ounce bass he caught.
Sheldon Ayers of Anna, Ill., earned $2,162 as the co-angler winner Saturday thanks to a two-day catch of seven bass weighing 18 pounds, 4 ounces that he caught fishing laydowns with a 7-inch plastic worm.
Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Mike Williams of Cottage Hills, Ill. (nine bass, 17-9, $1,081); James Schubert of Mount Vernon, Ill. (eight bass, 17-8, $723); Derick Holmes of Effingham, Ill. (nine bass, 17-8, $505); and Tony Kirkpatrick of Mount Vernon, Ill. (six bass, 16-15, $432).
Tamela Lingle of Dongola, Ill., earned $240 as the co-angler Big Bass winner after catching a 4-pound, 15-ounce bass.