Rick Johnston of Joplin, Mo., weighed a five-bass limit totaling 19 pounds, 6 ounces Saturday to win the Walmart Bass Fishing League Ozark Division event on Stockton Lake. For his victory, Johnston earned $6,718.
“I only fished one bait for most of the day, but I rigged it a couple of different ways,” said Johnston. “I was using a green pumpkin-colored 5-inch Luck “E” Strike Jogger worm. At first, I had it rigged on a 3/16-ounce shaky-head jig, but I switched midday and started fishing it weightless, real slow with 8-pound-test line. The water on the lake was up quite a bit – into the bushes – and you could catch fish all day, but they didn’t have any real size.
“Based on my practice, I had decided to target the clearer water in the lower end of the lake,” Johnston went on to say. “I was not having much luck in the shallow trees and bushes, so I decided to back off into the deeper water, and that is where I had my success. I ended up catching eight keepers on the day. I had won the points title for the Ozark division in 2009, but I had never won a BFL tournament. This is such a thrill for me, and I couldn’t be more excited.”
Rounding out the top 10 pros were:
Boater Rick Johnston of Joplin, Mo., took first at the April 21 Ozark Division event on Stockton Lake with a total weight of 19 pounds, 6 ounces.
| 2nd: | Wes Endicott | Joplin, Mo. | five bass | 13-10 | $1,859 |
| 3rd: | Bill Jared | Bella Vista, Ark. | five bass | 13-2 | $1,238 |
| 4th: | Josh Busby | Rogersville, Mo. | five bass | 12-15 | $867 |
| 5th: | David McCormick | Lee’s Summit, Mo. | five bass | 12-14 | $744 |
| 6th: | Nalon Jones | Marshfield, Mo. | five bass | 12-13 | $682 |
| 7th: | Dirk Sluyter | Russellville, Mo. | five bass | 12-11 | $620 |
| 8th: | Ronnie Kane | Gardner, Kan. | five bass | 12-10 | $558 |
| 9th: | Brent Algeo | Ozark, Mo. | five bass | 12-8 | $496 |
| 10th: | Robert Derr | Reeds Spring, Mo. | five bass | 12-6 | $434 |
Brian Thompson of Springfield, Mo., weighed a five-bass limit totaling 12 pounds, 12 ounces Saturday to win $1,820 in the co-angler division.
Rounding out the top 10 co-anglers were:
| 2nd: | Brian Jones | Villa Ridge, Mo. | five bass | 11-5 | $910 |
| 3rd: | Don Mason | Eldon, Mo. | five bass | 10-15 | $607 |
| 4th: | Brian Gibler | Baldwin City, Kan. | five bass | 10-1 | $425 |
| 5th: | Joe Waggoner | Carthage, Mo. | five bass | 9-10 | $364 |
| 6th: | John Luzynski | St. Louis, Mo. | five bass | 9-9 | $334 |
| 7th: | Bryan Barnard | Harrison, Ark. | five bass | 9-6 | $303 |
| 8th: | Kal Chamaoun | St. Louis, Mo. | five bass | 9-5 | $273 |
| 9th: | Micah Lawson | Leawood, Kan. | five bass | 9-3 | $243 |
| 10th: | Derek Felton | Republic, Mo. | five bass | 9-2 | $212 |
The next BFL Ozark Division tournament is scheduled for June 2 on Lake Truman in Warsaw, Mo. After the fifth Ozark Division tournament is complete, the top 40 boaters and 40 co-anglers based on point standings will qualify for the Oct. 11-13 Regional Championship on Lake Barkley in Kuttawa, Ky. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518 with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard and a Chevy Silverado, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518 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 40 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 presented by Chevy. The 2012 BFL All-American is being held May 17 – 19 on the Potomac River in National Harbor, Md. Top winners in the BFL can move up to the EverStart Series or even the Walmart FLW Tour.
ABOUT FLW
FLW is the industry’s premier tournament-fishing organization, providing unparalleled fishing resources and entertainment to our sponsors, fans and host communities. FLW is offering anglers of all skill levels the opportunity to compete for millions in prize money nationwide in 2012 over the course of 191 tournaments across five tournament circuits, each providing an avenue to the sport’s richest payday and most coveted championship trophy – the Forrest Wood Cup. FLW is committed to providing a lifestyle experience that is the “Best in Fishing, On and Off the Water,” through a variety of platforms including tournaments, outdoor expos and the world’s richest fantasy sports game – FLW Fantasy Fishing. For more information about FLW and FLW Fantasy Fishing, visit the FLWOutdoors or FantasyFishing websites and look for FLW on Twitter and Facebook.By: Joe Opager, Communications Specialist
