NEW SITE, Miss. (April 16, 2007) - Boater Brian Ingersoll of Cordova, Tenn., won the Bass Fishing League Mississippi Division bass fishing tournament on Bay Springs Saturday with a five-bass catch weighing 17 pounds, 3 ounces. The victory earned Ingersoll $4,019 and placed him one step closer to qualifying for the Kentucky Lake Regional Championship in Gilbertsville, Ky., Oct. 18-20, where he could ultimately win a new 519VX Ranger boat and a Chevy truck.
Ingersoll caught his fish by throwing soft-plastics around channel and creek breaks.
Rounding out the top five boaters are Shan Schoenrock of Aliceville, Ala. (five bass, 15-4, $2,364); Mark Floyd of Blue Mountain, Miss. (five bass, 14-3, $1,576); Ben Davis of Dennis, Miss. (five bass, 13-15, $1,103) and Aaron Harrelson of Corinth, Miss. (five bass, 13-12, $946).
Schoenrock also took home an additional $500 for being the highest placing Ranger Cup participant. He also won the Big Bass award in the Boaters Division with a 5 pound, 8 ounces bass worth $708.
D.J. Kesler of Baldwyn, Miss., earned $2,249 as the co-angler winner Saturday thanks to five bass weighing 14 pounds, 11 ounces that he caught while fishing a Texas-rigged lizard in five to eight feet of water.
Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Ricky McKenzie of Flowood, Miss. (five bass, 11-1, $1,125); Brian Barfield of Moss Point, Miss. (four bass, 10-15, $752); Tim Constance of Brandon, Miss. (four bass, 10-14, $525) and Sammy Mitchell of Russellville, Ala. (five bass, 9-9, $450).
Bill Benford of Phil Campbell, Ala. earned $322 as the co-angler Big Bass winner after catching a 5-pound, 9-ounce bass. The Mississippi Division's next event will be May 12 on the Mississippi River in Tunica, Miss., followed by a tournament June 30 on the Columbus Pool in Columbus, Miss. The division's final event of the regular season will be a two-day Super Tournament held Sept. 8-9 on Lake Ferguson in Greenville, Miss.