SANDUSKY, Ohio (Aug. 13, 2007) - Boater Bryan Coates of Amherst, Ohio, won the Bass Fishing League Buckeye Division bass fishing tournament on Sandusky Bay Saturday with a five-bass catch weighing 21 pounds, 6 ounces. The victory earned Coates $2,912 plus a $513 Ranger contingency bonus 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.
Coates caught his bass using a Berkley Gulp Minnow on a drop-shot rig to catch his limit.
Rounding out the top five boaters are Chris King of South Amherst, Ohio (four bass, 19-05, $1,713); Don Roberts of Bellville, Ohio (five bass, 19-03, $1,141); Jared Rhode of Port Clinton, Ohio (five bass, 19-01, $799) and Sean Wieda of Erlanger, Ky. (four bass, 16-15, $685).
King took home the Boater Division Snickers Big Bass award, earning $430 for a 5-pound, 6-ounce bass.
Scott Clark of Thornville, Ohio, earned $1,713 as the co-angler winner Saturday thanks to five bass weighing 13 pounds, 11 ounces that he caught while fishing a jig off riprap.
Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Joel Staudter of Russells Point, Ohio (five bass, 12-05, $856); Andrew Helton of Lucasville, Ohio (three bass, 11-12, $571); Shirley Richardson of Harrison, Ohio (five bass, 11-11, $400) and Mark Saunders of Wellington, Ohio (five bass, 11-09, $343).
Helton earned $215 as the co-angler Big Bass winner after catching a 5-pound, 13-ounce bass.
The final event of the regular season will be a two-day Super Tournament held Sept. 22-23 on Sandusky Bay in Sandusky.