Harper Tops Strike King Co-Angler Division

PADUCAH, Ky. (Aug. 22, 2022) – Boater Mike Brueggen of La Crosse, Wisconsin, caught five bass Saturday weighing 9 pounds, 9 ounces, to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine on the Ohio River at Paducah. The tournament, hosted by the City of Paducah Parks and Recreation, was the fourth event for the Bass Fishing League Illini Division. Brueggen earned $4,514 for his victory.

Brueggen, who now has nine BFL career wins, said he caught only five keepers during the tournament. He began the day fishing a creek that produced two keepers, then relocated to the main river and caught two spotted bass, before ending his day in another creek where he caught his two biggest fish of the day. Brueggen said he caught all of his bass on Texas-rigged soft plastics.

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:

1st:        Mike Brueggen, La Crosse, Wis., five bass, 9-9, $4,514
2nd:       Brandon Broadway, Golconda, Ill., five bass, 8-13, $2,257 (includes $500 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus)
3rd:       Patrick Odell, Windsor, Ill., five bass, 7-4, $1,172
4th:        Colby Schrumpf, Highland, Ill., five bass, 7-0, $1,120
5th:        Chris Randell, Saint Charles, Mo., two bass, 6-5, $703
6th:        Keith Nemcek, Saint Charles, Ill., four bass, 6-2, $644
7th:        Peyton Coleman, Paducah, Ky., two bass, 5-15, $586
8th:        Curtis Samo, Rochelle, Ill., four bass, 5-12, $927
9th:        Taylor Umland, Carlock, Ill., four bass, 5-10, $469
10th:     Riley Walk, Neoga, Ill., three bass, 5-9, $410

Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Drew Cress of Highland, Illinois, had a largemouth that weighed 4 pounds, 12 ounces that was the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division and earned the day’s Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $450.

Andrew Harper of Shelbyville, Illinois, won the Strike King Co-angler Division and $2,057 Saturday after catching five bass weighing 10 pounds, 3 ounces.

The top 10 Strike King co-anglers were:

1st:        Andrew Harper, Shelbyville, Ill., five bass, 10-3, $2,057
2nd:       Ovidiu Marginean, Glenview, Ill., five bass, 8-2, $879
3rd:       Brandon Depew, Odin, Ill., four bass, 6-9, $585
4th:        Andy Heisler, Sun Prairie, Wis., three bass, 5-6, $410
5th:        Steve Grigsby, Washington, Ill., two bass, 5-1, $351
6th:        Brian Huber, Saint Peters, Mo., four bass, 4-15, $322
7th:        David Workman, Harrisburg, Ill., three bass, 4-14, $293
8th:        Shaun Avery, Plainfield, Ill., three bass, 4-6, $464
9th:        Alan Bernicky, Joliet, Ill., three bass, 3-12, $234
10th:     Eugene Kim, Lindenhurst, Ill., two bass, 3-7, $205

Roman Perun of St. Louis, Missouri, caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, a fish weighing in at 3 pounds, 5 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Berkley Big Bass Co-angler award of $225.

After four events, Riley Walk of Neoga, Illinois, leads the Bass Fishing League Illini Division Boater Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 961 points, while Derick Holmes of Fairfield, Illinois, leads the Strike King Co-Angler Division AOY race with 917 points.

The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the region based on point standings, along with the five winners in each qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 13-15 Bass Fishing League Regional Championship on the Mississippi River in La Crosse, Wisconsin. Boaters will compete for a top award of $60,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard and $10,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard.

The 2022 Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and Strike King co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six Regional Championships where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American.

The top 45 boaters and Strike King co-anglers plus tournament winners from each Phoenix Bass Fishing League division will also earn priority entry into the MLF Toyota Series, the pathway to the MLF Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit and ultimately the MLF Bass Pro Tour.

Proud sponsors of the 2022 MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine include: 4WP, 13 Fishing, Abu Garcia, AFTCO, A.R.E. Truck Caps, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, Black Rifle Coffee, E3, Epic Baits, Favorite Fishing, Gary Yamamoto Baits, General Tire, Lew’s, Lowrance, Lucas Oil, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Onyx, Phoenix, Polaris, Power-Pole, Revital Outdoors, Strike King, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, Wiley X, YETI and Yo-Zuri.

For complete details and updated tournament information, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular Bass Fishing League updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF5’s social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.