Pickens’ Burgess Wins Co-Angler Division

SENECA, S.C. (April 27, 2026) – Boater David Millsaps of Ranger, Georgia, brought a five-bass limit to the scale weighing 14 pounds, 9 ounces, to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) Presented by T-H Marine on Lake Keowee . The tournament, hosted by Visit Oconee SC, was the third of five events of the season for the BFL Savannah River Division and the first of two events held over the weekend on Lake Keowee in a Savannah River Division double-header. Millsaps earned $2,140 for his victory.

Millsaps relied on a simple but methodical approach to secure the win at Lake Keowee, covering water with a jig and targeting a variety of structure throughout the day. Rather than locking into one specific pattern, he kept his approach versatile, fishing whatever looked productive in front of him.

“I took a jig and just fished everything in front of me,” Millsaps said. “Trees, docks, stumps – whatever I thought looked right.”

Focusing primarily on points that featured stumps, Millsaps was able to generate consistent bites by keying on those high-percentage areas. He said his strategy to fish thoroughly and not rush through spots allowed him to capitalize on opportunities that others may have overlooked. Millsaps leaned into a slow, patient style that matched the conditions and the mood of the fish.

“The key for me in this one was patience,” he said. “A lot of patience. I’m a slow fisherman – real slow. And I fished even slower in this one.”

Millsaps also credited a personal connection for playing a role in his success, noting that the jig he used came from his brother.

“My brother gave me the winning jig,” he said. “As a matter of fact, it’s the second one I’ve won on the jig he gave me.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament:

1st:        David Millsaps, Ranger, Ga., five bass, 14-9, $2,140
2nd:      Anthony Marks, Spartanburg, S.C., five bass, 14-7, $1,080
3rd:       Randy Childers, Anderson, S.C., five bass, 13-15, $600
4th:        Logan Mills, Chapin, S.C., five bass, 13-11, $500
5th:        Andrew Allen, Waterloo, S.C., five bass, 13-5, $450
6th:        Tim Watson, Martin, Ga., five bass, 13-1, $400
7th:        Joe Anders, Easley, S.C., five bass, 12-5, $890 (includes $500 Phoenix Bonus)
8th:        William Bates, Alpharetta, Ga., five bass, 12-0, $380
9th:        Logan Buttolph, Doswell, Va., five bass, 11-12, $370
10th:     Cliff Humphreys, Candler, N.C., five bass, 11-6, $360

Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Boater Brian Tidwell of Seneca, South Carolina, earned the Berkley Big Bass Boater award honors with a 4-pound, 9-ouncer worth $200.

Andy Burgess of Pickens, South Carolina, won the co-angler division and the top prize of $1,020 Saturday after bringing a three-bass limit to the scale that weighed in at 8 pounds even.

The top 10 co-anglers finished:

1st:        Andy Burgess, Pickens, S.C., three bass, 8-0, $1,020
2nd:      James Johnson, Seneca, S.C., three bass, 7-3, $540
3rd:       Todd Huntley, Inman, S.C., three bass, 7-2, $350
4th:        Mark Garrett, Lyman, S.C., three bass, 6-12, $250
5th:        Harold Grizzle, Gainesville, Ga., three bass, 6-9, $212
5th:        Randall McJunkin, Pickens, S.C., three bass, 6-9, $312
7th:        Tyler Smith, Florence, S.C., three bass, 6-6, $200
8th:        Jerry Lancaster, Fort Mill, S.C., three bass, 6-4, $190
9th:        Noah Gurkin, Pelzer, S.C., three bass, 6-2, $185
9th:        James Ezell, Mountain Rest, S.C., three bass, 6-2, $185

Randall McJunkin of Pickens, South Carolina, earned the Berkley Big Bass co-angler award after landing a 3-pound, 6-ounce bass worth $100.

The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the division based on point standings, along with the five tournament winners of each qualifying event, will qualify for the Oct. 22-24 BFL Regional tournament on Watts Bar Lake in Spring City, Tennessee. Boaters will fish for a top award of a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury or Suzuki outboard worth $50,000, while co-anglers will compete for a top prize of a new Phoenix 518 pro with a 115-horsepower Mercury or Suzuki outboard, worth $33,500.

The 2026 Phoenix BFL Presented by T-H Marine is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 events throughout the season, five qualifying tournaments in each division. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers from each division, along with the five qualifying tournament winners, will advance to one of six BFL Regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top seven, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American. The 2026 BFL All-American will take place May 28-30, at Lake Murray in Columbia, South Carolina, and is hosted by Capital City Lake Murray Country Regional Tourism.

Proud sponsors of the 2026 MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine include: 7 Brew, Abu Garcia, Athletic Brewing, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, Black Buffalo, BUBBA, Cigars International, Epic Baits, Grizzly, Mercury, MillerTech, Mystik Lubricants, OFF! Deep Woods, Onyx, O’Reilly Auto Parts, Phoenix Boats, PirahnO2, Power-Pole, Precision Sonar, Suzuki Marine, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, VOSKER, YETI and Yuengling.

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

About Major League Fishing
Major League Fishing (MLF) is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, producing more than 250 events annually at some of the most prestigious fisheries in the world, while broadcasting to America’s living rooms on CBS, Discovery, Outdoor Channel, VICE, World Fishing Network, RFD-TV, Game & Fish TV and Rumble, and on demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV). Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, the MLF roster of bass anglers includes the world’s top pros and more than 30,000 competitors in all 50 states and 20 countries. Since its founding in 2011, MLF has advanced the sport of competitive fishing through its premier television broadcasts and livestreams and is dedicated to improving the quality of life for bass through research, education, fisheries enhancement and fish care.