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Copyright 1999-2001

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OQuist wins Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League Tournament
on Milford Lake
Junction City, Kan., (April 30, 2001) - Dennis Oquist of Saint Charles, Mo.,
outpaced 42 competitors Saturday with five bass weighing 15 pounds, 6 ounces
to win $2,200 and 200 points on the boater side of the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing
League (BFL) Plains Division tournament on Milford Lake.

Oquist edged out John Ballard of Parkville, Mo. by 2 ounces in the one-day
event that set out from Milford Sate Park. Ballard finished with a
three-bass catch weighing 15 pounds, 4 ounces to win $1,100. Oquist also won
$1,000 as the highest finishing participant in the Ranger Cup incentive
program.

Kevin Davis of Lawrence, Kan., took third place and collected $550 with
three bass weighing 10 pounds, 13 ounces. Scott Stephenson of Topeka, Kan.,
placed fourth and earned $476 with three bass weighing 9 pounds, 9 ounces.

Ballard won the boater Big Bass Award and collected $210 with a 7-pound,
3-ounce bass.

First place in the Co-Angler Division and $1,100 went to Royce Hershberger
of Lincoln, Neb., who topped 42 competitors with four bass weighing 10
pounds, 12 ounces. Second place in the division and $550 went to Kenneth
Sorensen of Fremont, Neb., with three bass weighing 7 pounds, 11 ounces,
while Dale Burriell of Omaha, Neb., took third place and $275 with two bass
weighing 7 pounds.

James Kochanowski of Lansing, Kan., won the co-angler Big Bass Award of $105
with a 4-pound, 5-ounce bass that he caught while fishing shallow rocks with
a jig.

On June 16, the BFL will visit Grand Lake for the fourth of five events in
the Plains Division. The boater with the most points after the division's
season finale, a two-day Super Tournament Sept. 8-9 on Lake Truman, will be
declared the Divisional Points Champion and awarded $1,000. The co-angler
amassing the most points by the end of the season will receive $500.

The top 30 boaters and top 30 co-anglers in the Plains Division will advance
to regional competition Oct. 16-20 on the Ohio River near Paducah, Ky.,
where they will go up against top competitors from the LBL, Hoosier and
Great Lakes divisions for a shot at qualifying for the $250,000
All-American.

Awards for the 2001 BFL season could reach $5.7 million based on full fields
at each tournament.

Sponsors of the 2001 Wal-Mart BFL are ALPO Pet Foods, BC Powder, BFGoodrich Tires, Black & Decker, Chevy Trucks, CITGO, Coleman, Conseco, Energizer, EverStart Batteries, Frito-Lay, FujiFilm, Garmin, Kellogg's, Land O'Lakes, Mercury Marine, Minn Kota, Pepsi, Poulan, Pure Fishing, Ranger Boats,
Snickers Cruncher Bar, Stren, Shop-Vac, Timex, US Bank, Visa, Weed Eater,
Wrangler and Yamaha Outboards. ACDelco is an associate sponsor of the
Wal-Mart BFL.

For complete results, visit www.bassfishingleague.com.

New Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League To Visit Milford Lake
GILBERTSVILLE, Ky. (April 16, 2001) - Operation Bass, the nation's premier
bass tournament organization, will hold its third Wal-Mart Bass Fishing
League (BFL) tournament in the Plains Division April 28 on Milford Lake near
Junction City, Kan. The event is one of five Plains Division tournaments
included in the new 119-event national series for weekend anglers.

Last spring Wal-Mart announced its title sponsorship of the popular
Operation Bass Red Man Tournament Trail series that is widely credited with
opening competitive bass fishing to the masses. The announcement marked the
end of an era for Red Man, which became the tour's original title sponsor in
1983 and helped Operation Bass pioneer affordable, close-to-home, weekend
tournaments.

Operation Bass chairman Irwin L. Jacobs believes that Wal-Mart's sponsorship
of the BFL will open new marketing avenues for the retailer and the series.
"Wal-Mart is committed to elevating sport fishing in America," he said.
"This sponsorship is a natural extension for them, as it will have a
significant impact on their customers in grass roots markets. Wal-Mart
customers and fishing enthusiasts are one and the same."

Wal-Mart sponsorship of the BFL signals the company's strong commitment to
one of the nation's most popular pastimes and bodes well for the future of
the sport. In recent years, professional bass fishing has moved from the
backwaters of southern impoundments to the mainstream largely due the
big-money Wal-Mart FLW Tour and EverStart Series, both of which are
Operation Bass programs.

"We are always looking for innovative ways to reach our customers," said
Mike McFadden, vice president, divisional merchandise manager for Wal-Mart.
"Our support of the BFL is a new way to communicate with Wal-Mart customers
who enjoy the outdoors and love to fish."

The BFL features a boater and co-angler format to accommodate anglers of
various skill levels. It also uses a 200-point scoring system that ensures
equitable treatment of all competitors. Under the system, an angler receives
200 points for a win, 199 points for second, 198 points for third and so on.
Every angler who receives weight credit during a tournament receives points.

The April 28 weigh-in at Milford State Park will begin at approximately 2:30
p.m. The winning boater will collect up to $6,000, and the winning co-angler
will receive up to $3,000 based on a full field of 200 boaters and 200
co-anglers.

The Wal-Mart BFL will hold its fourth Plains Division tournament June 16 on
Grand Lake. The division's Super Tournament will be held Sept. 8-9 on Truman
Lake.

Nationwide, the BFL is divided into 22 divisions - each featuring four
one-day qualifying tournaments and a two-day Super Tournament. Entry fees in
each qualifying event are $150 for boaters and $75 for co-anglers. Entry
fees for Super Tournaments are doubled, as are payouts. Each Super
Tournament will award up to $12,000 to the winning boater and up to $6,000
to the winning co-angler.

After the qualifying events and the Super Tournaments are complete, the top
30 boaters and top 30 co-anglers from each division advance to one of six
three-day regional tournaments. At the regionals, boaters compete for a new
Chevy Truck and a Ranger boat. Co-anglers fish for a Ranger boat. Anglers
who have fished all five tournaments within a division but do not qualify
for a regional can compete in the Chevy Trucks Wild Card Regional for a shot
at qualifying for the $250,000 BFL All-American - one of the most lucrative
post-season tournaments in competitive angling.

The top eight boaters and top eight co-anglers from each regional (four from
the Western Regional) will advance to the All-American along with the top
six boaters and top six co-anglers from the Chevy Wild Card. The
All-American champion receives priority entry in the 2002 Wal-Mart FLW Tour.
The top 30 anglers from each BFL division may advance to the 2002 EverStart
Series - the pathway to the FLW Tour.

The support given to bass fishing by the world's leading retailer is
unprecedented. Wal-Mart's initial sponsorship of the FLW Tour in 1997 was
the first sponsorship in the company's history. Wal-Mart then expanded its
involvement in the sport in 1998 as title sponsor of the EverStart Series.
EverStart is Wal-Mart's private label automotive and marine battery. It is
also the No. 1 selling retail automotive and marine battery in the world.

Awards for the 2001 BFL season could reach $5.7 million based on full fields
at each tournament. Additionally, Ranger Boats will award a new Ranger 518VX
Comanche bass boat to the highest placing participant in the Ranger Cup
incentive program at the Wal-Mart BFL All-American. Ranger Cup participants
are also eligible to win a $500 to $1,000 bonus at each BFL tournament.

Sponsors of the 2001 Wal-Mart BFL are ALPO Pet Foods, BC Powder, BFGoodrich Tires, Black & Decker, Chevy Trucks, CITGO, Coleman, Conseco, Energizer, EverStart Batteries, Frito-Lay, FujiFilm, Garmin, Kellogg's, Land O'Lakes, Mercury Marine, Minn Kota, Pepsi, Poulan, Pure Fishing, Ranger Boats,
Snickers Cruncher Bar, Stren, Shop-Vac, Timex, US Bank, Visa, Weed Eater,
Wrangler and Yamaha Outboards. ACDelco is an associate sponsor of the
Wal-Mart BFL.