JASPER, Ind. (March 26, 2007) - Boater Ike Brinson of Columbus, Ind., won the Bass Fishing League Hoosier Division bass fishing tournament on Patoka Lake Saturday with a five-bass catch weighing 21 pounds, 1 ounces. The victory earned Brinson $4,718 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.
Brinson was throwing a lipless crankbait around submerged grass beds in 3 foot of water to catch his tournament limit of bass.
Rounding out the top five boaters are Chris Wilkinson of Farmersburg, Ind. (five bass, 20-00, $2,775); Edward Scales Jr. of Indianapolis, Ind. (five bass, 19-4, $1,846); Dick Shaffer of Rockford, Ohio (five bass, 18-8, $1,295) and Ed Bauer of Greenwood, Ind. (five bass, 17-12, $1,110).
Nick Teeters of Martinsville, Ind., took home the Boater Division Big Bass award, earning $890 for a 7-pound, 2-ounce bass.
Bob Scott of Clarksville, Ind., earned $2,775 as the co-angler winner Saturday thanks to four bass weighing 15 pounds, 12 ounces that he caught while also fishing a lipless crankbait around grass beds in shallow water.
Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Norman Vandeventer of Lafayette, Ind. (five bass, 15-1, $1,388); Dennis French of Indianapolis, Ind. (four bass, 13-8, $924); Darrell Jackson of Indianapolis, Ind. (two bass, 10-9, $648) and Jonathan Coffing of Monticello, Ind. (three bass,10-7, $555).
John Smith of Corydon, Ind., earned $445 as the co-angler Big Bass winner after catching a 7-pound bass.
The Hoosier Division's next event will be May 19 on Lake Monroe in Bloomington, Ind, followed by a tournament June 23 on the Ohio River in Tell City, Ind. The division's fourth event will be held July 28 on the Ohio River in Tell City, Ind., and the final event of the regular season will be a two-day Super Tournament held Sept. 8-9 on Lake Patoka in Jasper, Ind.