LAWRENCEBURG, Ind. (July 2, 2007) - Boater George Jones of Cincinnati, Ohio, won the Bass Fishing League Buckeye Division bass fishing tournament on the Ohio River Saturday with a four-bass catch weighing 7 pounds, 3 ounces. The victory earned Jones $3,801 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.
Jones fished a pumpkin jig in 1 to 4 feet of water on Tanners Creek to catch his bass.
Rounding out the top five boaters are David Spivey of Hamilton, Ohio (five bass, 7-02, $2,236); Gary Hoffman of Stoutsville, Ohio (five bass, 6-12, $1,492); Craig Lowe of Loveland, Ohio (four bass, 6-07, $1,043) and Dave Fishbaugh of Sidney, Ohio (four bass, 6-05, $894).
Fishbaugh took home the Boater Division Big Bass award, earning $650 for a 3-pound, 4-ounce bass.
Lawni Ziegler of Loudonville, Ohio, earned $2,236 as the co-angler winner Saturday thanks to five bass weighing 7 pounds, 4 ounces that he caught while flipping a worm and spinnerbait.
Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Ken Garbe of Loveland, Ohio (one bass, 6-01, $931); Ray Yocum of Dayton, Ohio (three bass, 6-01, $931); Brandon Good of Fort Jennings, Ohio (two bass, 5-00, $522) and Aaron Stahley of Milford, Ohio (two bass, 4-07, $447).
Garbe earned $325 as the co-angler Big Bass winner after catching a 6-pound, 1-ounce bass.
The Buckeye Division's next event will be July 21 on the Ohio River in Maysville, Ky., followed by a tournament Aug. 11 on Sandusky Bay in Sandusky, Ohio. The final event of the regular season will be a two-day Super Tournament held Sept. 22-23 on Sandusky Bay.