(Sep. 11, 2012 - OSAGE BEACH, MO.)... Cody Spinks of Springfield, Mo., weighed a two-day total of 10 bass totaling 36 pounds, 1 ounce to win the Walmart Bass Fishing League Ozark Division super tournament on Lake of the Ozarks in Osage Beach on Sunday. For his victory, Spinks earned $5,648.
"This is my first season fishing the BFLs, and my first win," said Spinks. "It feels so good, and I don’t think that it’s going away. I’d been on a solid pattern for the past 4 or 5 weeks. After the extremely hot summer, about four weeks ago we had a big cool down. I noticed that the water temperatures in the back pockets dropped 5 to 10 degrees cooler than the main lake. When I investigated, I found the big shad were there, and the bluegill spawn was finishing up, so there were bream everywhere. It was a feeding frenzy."
Spinks fished on the north shore of the lake from mile marker three to mile marker 13. All of his fish throughout the tournament came on a blue fleck-colored 10-inch Berkley Power Worm.
"My pattern was very dock-oriented," Spinks continued. "The big bass would hide in the shade of the docks and just ambush the bait when it came by. It was real shallow and very clear.
"I really have to give the credit for this tournament win to my dad," Spinks went on to say. "He taught me everything that I know about fishing, and it was a real treat to have him attend the weigh-in and watch me get the victory."
Rounding out the top 10 pros were:
| 2nd: | Jim Young | House Springs, Mo. | 10 bass | 35-10 | $2,824 |
| 3rd: | Lupe Garcia | Fayetteville, Ark. | 10 bass | 33-10 | $1,882 |
| 4th: | Jeremy Lawyer | Sarcoxie, Mo. | 10 bass | 33-8 | $1,318 |
| 5th: | Joe Brantley | Willard, Mo. | nine bass | 31-13 | $1,130 |
| 6th: | Marcus Sykora | Osage Beach, Mo. | 10 bass | 27-2 | $1,035 |
| 7th: | Dennis Berhorst | Holts Summit, Mo. | 10 bass | 26-14 | $941 |
| 8th: | Mike Malone | Lake Ozark, Mo. | nine bass | 24-1 | $847 |
| 9th: | Dirk Sluyter | Russellville, Mo. | nine bass | 22-10 | $753 |
| 10th: | Tim Fleetwood | Forsyth, Mo. | 10 bass | 22-8 | $659 |
Pete Mathews of Shawnee, Kansas, weighed in six bass totaling 22 pounds, 5 ounces Saturday to win $2,824 in the co-angler division.
Rounding out the top 10 co-anglers were:
| 2nd: | Jay Myers | Fenton, Mo. | nine bass | 22-0 | $1,412 |
| 3rd: | James Beussink | Maryland Heights, Mo. | eight bass | 17-8 | $940 |
| 4th: | David Hamilton | Rogers, Ark. | six bass | 16-6 | $659 |
| 5th: | Bryan Barnard | Harrison, Ark. | six bass | 13-2 | $565 |
| 6th: | Randy Bindel | Liberty, Mo. | six bass | 12-10 | $518 |
| 7th: | Dan Ashby | Independence, Mo. | four bass | 12-5 | $471 |
| 8th: | Max Wilson | Everton, Mo. | six bass | 12-5 | $424 |
| 9th: | Brian Thompson | Springfield, Mo. | six bass | 11-9 | $377 |
| 10th: | Johnnie Cook | Houston Lake, Mo. | four bass | 11-7 | $329 |
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.
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.
