BRANSON WEST, Mo. (May 7, 2007) - Boater Brady Meredith of Springdale, Ark., won the Bass Fishing League Ozark Division bass fishing tournament on Table Rock Saturday with a five-bass catch weighing 18 pounds, 11 ounces. The victory earned Meredith $3,599 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.
Meredith was sight-fishing with black and blue jigs.
Rounding out the top five boaters are Josh Busby of Springfield, Mo. (five bass, 15-2, $2,118); David Donham of Highlandville, Mo. (five bass, 14-9, $1,413); Andrew Renkoski of Purdy, Mo. (five bass, 13-13, $988) and Greg Leary of Jefferson City, Mo. (five bass, 13-12, $847).
R.C. Gordy of Galena, Mo., took home the Boater Division Big Bass award, earning $590 for a 6-pound, 3-ounce bass. James Trudel of Branson, Mo., earned $2,118 as the co-angler winner Saturday thanks to five bass weighing 11 pounds, 7 ounces. Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Dereck Dirschuweit of Florissant, Mo. (five bass, 11-4, $1,059); Tommy Lowery of O'Fallon, Mo. (five bass, 11-0, $706); Andrew Stanphill of Green Forest, Ark. (five bass, 10-3, $494) and Ernest Cate of Springdale, Ark. (four bass, 10-0, $424).
Jeff Fishburn of Eldon, Mo., earned $295 as the co-angler Big Bass winner after catching a 5-pound, 3-ounce bass. The Ozark Division's fourth event will be held June 30 on Truman Lake in Clinton, Mo., and the final event of the regular season will be a two-day Super Tournament held Sept. 15-16 on Lake of the Ozarks in Lake of the Ozarks State Park, Mo.