CANNELTON, Ind. – Larry Sisk of Evansville, Ind., weighed a five-bass limit totaling 9 pounds, 14 ounces Saturday to win the Bass Fishing League Hoosier Division tournament on the Ohio River. For his victory, Sisk earned $5,164.
“When I got to the river in the morning, I realized the water was rising,” said Sisk. “Any time that water is coming up it can make for a tough day on the water. So I decided to run 60 miles downriver and lock to another pool. I locked down to the Newburgh pool, where I knew that the water wouldn’t be coming up. Once I made it down there I caught them pretty much all day long. I had a solid limit by 8 a.m.
“I was fishing logs, stumps and dead wood,” Sisk continued. “And we were fishing shallow. The deepest point was about 2 feet. I threw a White Chartreuse-colored Hogback spinnerbait all day long and had at least 12 keepers. I got two days of pre-fishing in for this event and it went well for me. I was confident that I would get a limit. The key for me was definitely locking down to the water where the level was not rising and also fishing in the shade. The bite was much better in the shady areas.”
Rounding out the top 10 pros were:
2nd: Frank McClain, Scottsburg, Ind., five bass, 9-4, $1,582
3rd: Allen Boyd, Salem, Ind., five bass, 8-3, $1,054
4th: Scott Spayd, Ferdinand, Ind., five bass, 7-0, $738
5th: Patrick Mertens, Charlestown, Ind., four bass, 6-13, $633
6th: Tim Maupin, Lawrenceburg, Tenn., five bass, 6-9, $580
7th: Chris Wilkinson, Farmersburg, Ind., four bass, 6-8, $527
8th: Mike Pickett, Brandenburg, Ky., three bass, 6-3, $475
9th: John Guidry, Bloomington, Ind., five bass, 6-1, $422
10th: Todd Hensley, New Albany, Ind., five bass, 5-7, $369
Gary Melson of Louisville, Ky., weighed in four bass totaling 6 pounds, 10 ounces Saturday to win $1,582 in the co-angler division.
Rounding out the top 10 co-anglers were:
2nd: Tim Shields, Greenwood, Ind., five bass, 6-0, $658
2nd: William Spivey, Hamilton, Ohio, five bass, 6-0, $658
4th: Gerald Shaw, Pendleton, Ind., three bass, 5-13, $369
5th: Bob Garner, Martinsville, Ind., four bass, 5-1, $316
6th: Tyler Mosier, Bloomington, Ind., four bass, 4-14, $290
7th: Jim Ashcraft, Milan, Ind., three bass, 3-12, $250
7th: Trent Norman, Cincinnati, Ohio, two bass, 3-12, $250
9th: Ralph Feldman, Lancaster, Ky., one bass, 3-7, $211
10th: Brad Hostetler Sr., Farmland, Ind., two bass, 3-6, $185
The next BFL Hoosier Division tournament is scheduled for Aug. 18 on the Ohio River in Lawrenceburg, Ind. After the fifth Hoosier Division tournament is complete, the top 40 boaters and 40 co-anglers based on point standings will qualify for the Oct. 4-6 Regional Championship on Cherokee Lake in Morristown, Tenn. 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.