BENTON, Ill. (May 7, 2007) - Boater Dan McDowell of Mattoon, Ill., won the Bass Fishing League Illini Division bass fishing tournament on Rend Lake Saturday with a five-bass catch weighing 13 pounds, 10 ounces. The victory earned McDowell $4,205 and placed him one step closer to qualifying for the Mississippi River Regional Championship in Fort Madison, Iowa, Oct. 4-6, where he could ultimately win a new 519VX Ranger boat and a Chevy truck.
McDowell caught his bass throwing a jig in shallow water weeds and brush.
Rounding out the top five boaters are Greg Hirsch of Saint Jacob, Ill. (five bass, 12-11, $2,474); Wayne Shaw of Urbana, Ill. (four bass, 10-5, $1,649); Jerad Perkins of Carterville, Ill. (five bass, 10-2, $1,155) and Bob Milanec of Champaign, Ill. (four bass, 9-15, $990).
Mike Barnes of Mackinaw, Ill., took home the Boater Division Big Bass award, earning $755 for a 5-pound, 1-ounce bass.
Ross David Davis of Saint Elmo, Ill., earned $2,474 as the co-angler winner Saturday thanks to five bass weighing 11 pounds, 9 ounces that he caught while flipping a jig in and around submerged bushes.
Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Robert Turney of Clinton, Ill. (three bass, 8-11, $1,237); Mario Rossi of Granite City, Ill. (four bass, 8-5, $824); Jim Funsch of Springfield, Ill. (three bass, 7-9, $577) and Brett Wysock of Wilmington, Ill. (three bass, 6-14, $495).
Rick Beck of Hopkinsville, Ky., earned $377 as the co-angler Big Bass winner after catching a 5-pound, 9-ounce bass.
The Illini Division's next event will be June 23 on Lake Shelbyville in Findlay, Ill., followed by a tournament July 14 on the Ohio River in Golconda, Ill. The division's fourth event will be held Aug. 11 on Lake Shelbyville in Findlay and the final event of the regular season will be a two-day Super Tournament held Sept 8-9 on the Ohio River in Golconda.