Mosquito Lake, Ohio, BFL, 18 June 12

[Mike Cork]

CORTLAND, Ohio (June 18, 2012) – Ray Brunner of Hamilton, Ohio, weighed a five-bass limit totaling 11 pounds, 15 ounces Saturday to win the Walmart Bass Fishing League Buckeye Division event on Mosquito Lake. For his victory, Brunner earned $6,082.
     
     "I started out the day fishing a big grass flat, throwing a spook," said Brunner. "Once the sun came up, I moved out to the outside edges of the bed and had more success. I was using a green pumpkin-colored ½-ounce football head jig and a Lucky Craft deep-diving crankbait. I think I had the most success using the jig, but I definitely caught a few on the crankbait as well. We were fishing anywhere from 8 to 14 feet of water and I caught around 15 fish on the day, with eight or nine keepers. I had around four different weed areas that I was working, and I just rotated around between them.


Ray Brunner of Hamilton, Ohio, won the June 16 Buckeye Division event on Mosquito Lake with a total catch of 11 pounds, 15 ounces.

     "I had one day of practice coming into this event," Brunner continued. "My practice partner actually helped me to key in on the right pattern for this week. I also think that my Lowrance electronics were a huge key to my win. The grass wasn't really defined very well, but using the down-imaging and the side scan allowed me to find the right areas. I also have to thank Dixie Marine and Ranger Boats, without them I couldn't be out here."

     Rounding out the top 10 pros were:

          2nd:   Curt Fiessinger, Ft. Loramie, Ohio, five bass, 11-1, $2,041
          3rd:   James Hailstones, Cincinnati, Ohio, five bass, 10-15, $1,362
          4th:    Nick Prvonozac, Warren, Ohio, five bass, 10-14, $952
          5th:    Ken Garbe, Loveland, Ohio, five bass, 10-4, $816
          6th:    Dominic Ragazzine, North Jackson, Ohio, five bass, 9-14, $748
          7th:    Rich Glavac, Mentor, Ohio, five bass, 9-13, $680
          8th:    Clint Bissonett, Beavercreek, Ohio, five bass, 9-10, $612
          9th:    Adam Bayliche, Freedom, Pa., five bass, 9-5, $544
          10th: Adam Koch, Grove City, Ohio, four bass, 9-4, $476

     Complete results can be found at FLWOutdoors.com.

     Mark Miller of Baltic, Ohio, weighed a five-bass limit totaling 10 pounds, 5 ounces Saturday to win $2,041 in the co-angler division.

     Rounding out the top 10 co-anglers were:

          2nd:   Jason Wilkins, Weston, Ohio, five bass, 10-4, $1,021
          3rd:   Ray Philhower, Milford, Ohio, five bass, 9-2, $683
          4th:    Doug Rode, Findlay, Ohio, five bass, 8-13, $476
          5th:    Robert Hayes, Galloway, Ohio, five bass, 8-10, $408
          6th:    Mike Jones, Okeana, Ohio, five bass, 8-5, $374
          7th:    Dave Davenport, Milford, Ohio, five bass, 8-0, $340
          8th:    Levi Northup, Tipp City, Ohio, five bass, 7-14, $306
          9th:    Brent Jones, Okeana, Ohio., five bass, 7-11, $272
          10th: Kenneth Garrison, Hamilton, Ohio, five bass, 7-4, $238

     The next BFL Buckeye Division tournament is scheduled for July 14 on the Ohio River in Maysville, Ky. After the fifth Buckeye 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. Top winners in the BFL can move up to the EverStart Series or even the Walmart FLW Tour.