HIPSHER WINS WALMART BASS FISHING LEAGUE LBL DIVISION EVENT ON KENTUCKY AND BARKLEY LAKES

Craig Hipsher of Benton, Kentucky, weighed a five-bass limit totaling 22 pounds, 8 ounces Saturday to win the LBL Division tournament on Kentucky and Barkley lakes. For his victory, Hipsher earned $4,385. (FLW)

HIPSHER WINS WALMART BASS FISHING LEAGUE LBL DIVISION EVENT ON KENTUCKY AND BARKLEY LAKES   

Maxwell wins co-angler title

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GILBERTSVILLE, Ky. (June 29, 2015) – Craig Hipsher of Benton, Kentucky, weighed a five-bass limit totaling 22 pounds, 8 ounces Saturday to win the fourth Walmart Bass Fishing League LBL Division tournament of 2015 on Kentucky and Barkley lakes. For his victory, Hipsher earned $4,385.

“Kentucky Lake is fishing great right now,” said Hipsher, who now has five wins in BFL competition – two this season. “I couldn’t have asked for a better day on the water.

“I started out the day by hitting a little spot near Ken Lake Marina,” continued Hipsher. “I worked 16-foot main-river ledges while my boat sat in 26 feet of water. The fish were really active. I had a 19-pound limit by 6 a.m. From there I worked my way north along the ledges and stopped at about 20 spots. I’d pull up, make ten casts and if nothing bit I’d move on.”

Hipsher said he caught three of his biggest fish on a shad-colored Accent spinnerbait dressed with a 7½-inch Pearl White-colored Culprit Worm and two more on a Nichols Lures Ben Parker Magnum Spoon.

“Most of the bites came on the Accent when it was falling,” Hipsher said.

Hipsher estimated that he brought in between 30 and 35 bass over the 3-pound mark.

“I probably caught three 20-pound stringers over the course of the day,” Hipsher said. “Knowing enough places to find new schools is what helped the most.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:

1st:          Craig Hipsher, Benton, Ky., five bass, 22-8, $4,385

2nd:         Logan Thomas, Gilbertsville, Ky., five bass, 21-0, $2,193

3rd:          Gary Edwards, Milton, Ky., five bass, 19-15, $1,463

4th:          Rob Vannerson, Benton, Ky., five bass, 19-11, $1,023

5th:          Ray Barga, Benton, Ky., five bass, 19-10, $877

6th:          Kyle Metzger, Paducah, Ky., five bass, 19-8, $804

7th:          Stephen Barga, Benton, Ky., five bass, 19-3, $731

8th:          Chad Porter, Paducah, Ky., five bass, 18-12, $658

9th:          Chris Beaudrie, Shepherdsville, Ky., five bass, 18-11, $548

9th:          Drew Boggs, Lebanon, Tenn., five bass, 18-11, $548

Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Edwards caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the pro division, a fish weighing 6 pounds, 5 ounces and earned the day’s Big Bass award of $620.

Jeff Maxwell of Flora, Indiana, weighed in four bass totaling 17 pounds, 15 ounces Saturday to win $2,193 in the co-angler division.

The top 10 co-anglers were:

1st:          Jeff Maxwell, Flora, Ind., four bass, 17-15, $2,193

2nd:         Michael Swift, Alma, Ill., five bass, 17-2, $1,096

3rd:          Joey Schmidt, Hickory, Ky., five bass, 17-1, $730

4th:          James Kelley, Maryland Heights, Mo., five bass, 16-13, $512

5th:          Benton Peoples, Bardstown, Ky., five bass, 16-12, $439

6th:          Bill Gabel, Willowbrook, Ill., five bass, 14-13, $402

7th:          Claude Cobb, Lexington, Ky., five bass, 14-12, $365

8th:          Jeff Johnston, Nashville, Tenn., five bass, 14-5, $329

9th:          Trevor Gooch, Yuma, Tenn., five bass, 14-4, $292

10th:        Todd Haynes, Philpot, Ky., five bass, 13-13, $256

Maxwell also caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the co-angler division and earned the day’s Big Bass award of $310.

The top 50 boaters and 50 co-anglers based on point standings will qualify for the Oct. 22-24 Regional Championship on Neely Henry Lake in Gadsden, Alabama. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard and $20,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard.

The BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 120 tournaments throughout the season, five in each division. The top 50 boaters and co-anglers from each division qualify for a regional tournament and compete to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the Walmart BFL All-American. Top winners in the BFL can move up to the Rayovac FLW Series or even the Walmart FLW Tour.

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