Wall Mart BFL @ Shelbyville 4-24

[MrBass]

Here are the results for the top ten Boaters and top ten non boaters that fished Saturdays Illini division opener under super tough conditions on Lake Shelbyville.
Sure glad i'm not fishing the Illini Division this year..

Boaters
1 RAY ARNING JR WALNUT HILL, IL 4 8-06 $3,762
2 KENT REAGAN KINMUNDY, IL 3 7-14 $1,881
3 MICHAEL BLACK TOLEDO, IL 3 7-10 $1,229
4 JOHN WRIGHT SHELBYVILLE, IL 3 7-07 $958
5 COLBY SCHRUMPF HIGHLAND, IL 3 7-05 $787
6 WAYNE SHAW URBANA, IL 3 7-03 $650
7 BILL LEASHER NEOGA, IL 1 6-15 $581
8 JASON THOMAS MOUNT VERNON, IL 3 6-11 $513
9 DONNIE DILL EFFINGHAM, IL 2 6-09 $445
10 MIKE KELSEY COLUMBIA, MO 1 5-15 $397

Big Bass on the Boater side was 6-15 and paid $585


Non Boaters

1 GARY BETTIS OLNEY, IL 3 7-05 $1,881
2 DONNIE BROWN JR. STEGER, IL 2 5-15 $941
3 RANDY SPURLOCK VIENNA, IL 1 5-12 $615
4 BRIAN FUTCH GOREVILLE, IL 2 4-04 $479
5 GEORGE OSHA STEGER, IL 1 4-00 $393
6 RON ROBINSON CARTERVILLE, IL 2 3-15 $325
7 JEFF MOTTER SPRINGFIELD, IL 1 3-07 $291
8 DAVID TROPF ADVANCE, MO 1 3-05 $257
9 SCOTT PAYNE OAKWOOD, IL 1 2-11 $222
10 BRENT WERRIES Morton, IL 1 2-10 $ 198

Big Bass on the non boater side was 5-12 and paid $293

[Mike Cork]

Boy those were some tough weights thanks for the update. What division are you fishing this year?

Oh, did they reveal any productive patterns?

[OHbassaholic]

Yikes, no limits!  I sure hope this isn't going to be a trend.

[Steve_W]

looks good for shelbyville,this is a tough lake and with a double cold front last week I wouldn't go near it

[MrBass]

Mike,
I've opted not to fish the BFL this season for a couple of reasons..Like the Illini division holding two tournaments in Kentucky..I dont think the Illini division division guys should have to drive to Kentucky to fish a division qualifier..
Also in the past I dont think the regional tournaments at the end of the season were on a level playing field for us Illinois guys..
I made the regionals three years in a row and I had to drive 14-15 hours to Weiss Lake in Alabama one year and fish against other anglers who only had to drive an hour or less and basicly fish their "home" waters..
FLW say's next year this problem will be fixed..We'll see..
This year I staying close to home and fishing the local tournaments and doing a lot more "fun" fishing..

I talked to the fifth place boater and he had been on big fish all week long..fishing in two or three feet of water but the massive cold front changed everything for most of the tournament anglers..
He was able to catch his three fish on a four inch senko fished extra slow in about 5-6 feet of water in the same areas that he caught them in practice. His fish just moved a little deeper.

[Mike Cork]

Regionals are always difficult to please everyone, but most folks realize that you may have to travel from year to year, but it most definitely should be shared. Meaning the guys that traveled the farthest the previous year should catch a break the next. I have seen way to often that same folks are the ones that get stuck continually traveling to others water.

Hey there isn't nothing wrong with local stuff and taking a break, keying down and enjoying it from time to time. I look forward to following how your local season goes

Thanks for the pattern update

[bassfishingfool]

well guys i was one of the co-anglers on that lake that day and it was one of the toughest tourney's i ever fished!!!!!!i had a keeper that weighed 1 lb 7 oz and got a check!!!!!!!i was on fish and my boater was to so it all changed.all i can do is hope that rend is better.good luck to all and good fishing.

[Mike Cork]

  Sounds like it was a brutal tourney. What did you catch the money fish on?