FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: October 17, 2000
Contact: Daniel J. Kimmel
810-433-2277
Fort Madison, IA— Finishing in 5th place after day two of the 2000 Redman Lake Cooper Regional, Lansing’s Dan Kimmel earned a trip to the 2001 Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League (BFL) All-American national championship. Kimmel weighed in 5 largemouth bass for 17 pounds 1 ounce including the tournaments largest bass, a 5 pound 6 ounce beauty, to earn one of the eight berths. One hundred and twenty boaters from ten states competed in the Regional.
Kimmel earned $1,000 for his 7th place finish on day three when only the top eight boaters and top eight co-anglers competed, along with an additional $525 for the big bass. The tournament was held on pools 18, 19, and 20 of the Mississippi River out of Fort Madison, Iowa’s Riverview Park, October 10th through the 14th. Kimmel locked through from pool 19 (known as Lake Cooper) to Johnson and Huron Sloughs in pool 18 to catch his larger bass, then returned to the north end of pool 19 to catch additional keepers on an island tip pattern fishing around large laydown trees. The big bass fell for a white medium-running Bomber Fat Free Shad, while the rest of his keepers were caught slow-rolling a 1/2 ounce white and chartreuse War Eagle spinnerbait with a #5 Oklahoma blade through the submerged wood.
Kimmel stated the key was hitting the big fish during mid- morning, then getting to the island-tip pattern late-morning till early afternoon before racing 20 to 40 miles back to the 3:00 PM Central time weigh in at Fort Madison. “A lot of things had to happen right in a tournament like this on a tough body of water to be successful, including cooperation from the lockmasters and avoiding damaging my boat as many others did in the stump and sandbar infested shallows of the Mississippi. And without the technical support of the Ranger Boats and outboard service representatives, my minor equipment problems may have kept me from making the long runs I had to each day to get to my fish,” Kimmel said.
Kimmel told the large crowd at the final day’s drive-through weigh in, “Now, the pressure’s off and I can begin preparing for my shot at the $100,000 All-American first place prize next May at Lake Hamilton. I’ll be competing against 51 of the best bass tournament boaters in America. Qualifying for my first All- American when the new title sponsor, Wal-Mart, takes over, I expect it to be the biggest and most exciting All-American ever. I can’t wait!” This was Kimmel’s 2nd Redman Regional in as many years of trying.
The all-expenses paid 2001 Wal-Mart BFL All-American will be held May 8 through May 12, 2001 in Hot Springs, Arkansas on Lake Hamilton and filmed by ESPN for airing on ESPN2 as part of the Wal-Mart FLW Tour. Operation Bass of Gilbertsville, Kentucky runs the Redman circuit (being renamed for 2001 to the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League as Wal-Mart takes over title sponsorship) with 22 Divisions across America. Boaters compete against boaters and co- anglers compete against co-anglers in five tournaments per division to qualify for one of six regular regionals or two wild cards. First prize on the boater side is $100,000 cash. First prize on the co-angler side is $50,000. For more information on Operation Bass, call 270-362-4880.
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