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Vandalen and Bloom Tie for Win at Rescheduled Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event on Harris Chain of Lakes

LEESBURG, Fla. (March 7, 2022) – Boaters Devin Vandalen of Umatilla, Florida, and Joey Bloom of Winter Springs, Florida, each caught five bass Sunday weighing 22 pounds, 7 ounces, to tie for the victory at the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine on Harris Chain of Lakes. The tournament, hosted by Visit Lake County, Florida, was rescheduled from Jan. 29 due to high water levels and unsafe conditions, and was the third event for the Bass Fishing League Gator Division Presented by Revital Outdoors. For their efforts, Vandalen and Bloom each earned $4,500.

“I fished shell bars on Big Harris and knew it was going to be hit or miss,” Bloom said. “I pulled up and saw a bunch of fish on my Lowrance ActiveTarget Sonar, so I threw a black and blue 13 Fishing Bubble Butt Worm and caught all of my big fish on that. I also caught a couple of keepers on a Tennessee Shad-colored Bill Lewis Rat-L-Trap.

“This is my first BFL win,” Bloom continued. “I literally sat in the boat yesterday and cried. All of my family was there, and it was an amazing experience to have the people who support me there to see it. It is one of the coolest things that has ever happened in my life.”

Vandalen’s win was not the typical tournament day. He said his intention was to target bass on shell bars using a white Z-Man Evergreen ChatterBait Jack Hammer. He said he was a mile from his first spot when his lower unit malfunctioned.

“I made it to the bank and used the trolling motor to fish two miles of bank and ended up finding a shell bar and caught a small limit that went about 4 pounds,” Vandalen said.

Vandalen received a replacement boat from tournament officials and continued the competition.

“When I got the boat, I went to my other spot and I ended up culling all my fish out,” Vandalen said. “I caught my biggest fish at about 2 o’clock, and that was pretty much my day.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:

1st:        Devin Vandalen, Umatilla, Fla., five bass, 22-7, $4,500
1st:        Joey Bloom, Winter Springs, Fla., five bass, 22-7, $4,500
3rd:       Ben McCann, Bradenton, Fla., five bass, 21-15, $3,000
4th:        Greg Jones, Sarasota, Fla., five bass, 20-0, $1,400
5th:        Billy Jackson Jr., Ocala, Fla., five bass, 19-12, $1,200
6th:        Santos Solis, Vero Beach, Fla., five bass, 19-2, $1,100
7th:        Kyle Wieczorek, Nokomis, Fla., five bass, 18-4, $1,000
8th:        Eric Panzironi, Longwood, Fla., five bass, 18-0, $900
9th:        Mark Lundgren, Saint Cloud, Fla., five bass, 17-10, $800
10th:     Tray Bozeman, Anthony, Fla., five bass, 16-7, $700

Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

McCann had an 8-pound, 12-ounce largemouth that was the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division and earned the day’s Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $1,000.

Randy Paquette of Sarasota, Florida, won the Strike King Co-angler Division and $3,000 Sunday after catching five bass weighing 19 pounds, 12 ounces.

The top 10 Strike King co-anglers were:

1st:        Randy Paquette, Sarasota, Fla., five bass, 19-12, $3,000
2nd:       Greg Fox, Bonita Springs, Fla., five bass, 16-9, $1,700
3rd:       James Sponaugle, Auburndale, Fla., five bass, 16-2, $1,000
4th:        Antoni Bicy, Lehigh Acres, Fla., five bass, 15-4, $700
5th:        Walter McClure, Apopka, Fla., five bass, 14-4, $1,100
6th:        Davis Dimauro, Longwood, Fla., five bass, 14-3, $550
7th:        Kevin Thomas, Miramar, Fla., five bass, 13-8, $500
8th:        Steve England, Soddy Daisy, Tenn., five bass, 13-6, $450
9th:        Paul Giove, Punta Gorda, Fla., three bass, 12-11, $400
10th:     Sean Ripley, Lakeland, Fla., three bass, 12-8, $350

McClure caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, a fish weighing in at 8 pounds, 12 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Berkley Big Bass Co-angler award of $500.

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. 6-8 Bass Fishing League Regional Championship on Lake Murray in Prosperity, South Carolina. 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 2022 All-American will be held June 2-4 at Lake Hamilton in Hot Springs, Arkansas, and is hosted by the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism and Visit Hot Springs.

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.

by AnglersChannel

Liberty High School Wins MLF High School Fishing Open on Lake Havasu

LAKE HAVASU CITY, Ariz. (March 7, 2022) – The Liberty High School team of Tanner Cleghorn and J.D. Farage, both of Discovery Bay, California, brought five bass to the scale Sunday weighing 19 pounds, 2 ounces, to win the MLF High School Fishing Presented by Favorite Fishing Open on Lake Havasu.

The no-entry fee tournament launched from Lake Havasu State Park in Lake Havasu City.

The top 10 teams that advanced to the 2022 High School Fishing National Championship are:

1st: Liberty High School, Brentwood, Calif. – Tanner Cleghorn and J.D. Farage, both of Discovery Bay, Calif., five bass, 19-2
2nd: Lake Havasu High School, Lake Havasu City, Ariz. – Zachary Verbrugge and Brandon Verbrugge, both of Lake Havasu City, Ariz., five bass, 17-12
3rd: Oakdale High School, Oakdale, Calif. – Lex Bairos and Michael Brush, both of Oakdale, Calif., five bass, 16-12
4th: Lake Havasu High School, Lake Havasu City, Ariz. – Branden Kuhn and Aaron Stopke, both of Lake Havasu City, Ariz., five bass, 16-5
5th: Lake Havasu High School, Lake Havasu City, Ariz. – Steven Brady and Daniel McCoy, both of Lake Havasu City, Ariz., five bass, 15-15
6th: Arizona High School Bassmasters, Phoenix, Ariz. – James Murphy Jr., Gilbert, Ariz., and Hayden White, Mesa, Ariz., five bass, 15-5
7th: Lake County High School Fishing Club, Lake County, Calif. – Tyler Bryant and Joey Gentle, both of Kelseyville, Calif., four bass, 10-14
8th: Paso Robles High School, Paso Robles, Calif. – Cody Domingos and Kyle Goldstein, both of Paso Robles, Calif., five bass, 10-0
9th: Oakdale High School, Oakdale, Calif. – Troy Cox and Zane Ravalin, both of Oakdale, Calif., three bass, 9-7
10th: Green Valley High School, Henderson, Nev. – Carter Doren, Las Vegas, Nev., and Ryan Lachniet, Gum Spring, Va., two bass, 7-9

Complete results from the event can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

The MLF High School Fishing Presented by Favorite Fishing Open on Lake Havasu was hosted by Go Lake Havasu. The next event for High School Fishing anglers will be the MLF High School Fishing Presented by Favorite Fishing Open on Sam Rayburn Reservoir, March 12 in Brookeland, Texas.

MLF High School Fishing presented by Favorite Fishing tournaments are free, two-person (team) events for students in grades 7-12 and are open to any MLF and TBF Student Angler Federation-affiliated high school club. The top 10% of teams at each Open event, along with the TBF High School Fishing state championships, will advance to the 2022 High School Fishing National Championship. The 2022 MLF High School Fishing National Championship will be held on Pickwick and Wilson Lakes in Florence, Alabama, June 22-25, and is hosted by the Florence-Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau.

The High School Fishing National Champions will each receive a $5,000 college scholarship to the school of their choice and advance to the 2022 MLF Toyota Series Championship to compete as co-anglers.

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 High School Fishing updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF5’s social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

by AnglersChannel

Dallas Baptist University Wins MLF Abu Garcia College Fishing Tournament on Lake Havasu

LAKE HAVASU CITY, Ariz. (March 7, 2022) – The Dallas Baptist University duo of Mark Harris of Lindale, Texas, and Jacob Witkowski of Dallas, Texas, won the MLF Abu Garcia College Fishing Presented by YETI event on Lake Havasu Saturday with a five-bass limit weighing 20 pounds, 2 ounces. The victory earned the Patriot’s bass club $2,000 and a slot in the 2023 MLF College Fishing National Championship.

“On the last day of practice we found a pretty good swimbait bite going through some of the flatter pockets,” Witkowski said. “So, the morning of the tournament, we ran to our first spot to do the same thing but we didn’t find any fish.”

“We were super stressed out because we had a really good practice,” Harris said. “That morning bite was super important to us.”

The Dallas Baptist team were targeting artificial fish habitat that have been placed in Lake Havasu to offer growing fish refuge and protection from predators. The team used a Garmin Panoptix LiveScope System to scan structure in 10 to 15 feet of water for quality bass that were staging to spawn.

“We ran probably four or five creeks and didn’t see any action,” Witkowski said. “We didn’t have any fish in the boat three hours into the day. We started running shade lines and picked up one with a wacky rig with a green pumpkin-colored Yamamoto Senko, and that was the pivotal bite for us that changed the mood of the day.”

The team discovered that as a cold front moved in during the day the bass had moved to structure in 25 feet of water.

“We ran to a flatter creek that had another shade line, and we were throwing 8-inch Megabass Magdraft swimbaits,” Witkowski added. “We boated a 6-pounder and thought, ‘We can definitely make something out of today.’”

“We only had six bites all day, but they were the right ones,” Witkowski continued. “Right at the end of the day we picked up a 5¼-pounder, and that’s when we thought we seriously had a shot to win.”

The team of DBU juniors are competing in their third year of College Fishing competition, and the Lake Havasu event is their first win.

“We’re getting to live the dream, and this never gets old,” Harris said. “DBU’s backing is great and truly a blessing.”

The top 10 teams that advanced to the 2023 College Fishing National Championship are:

1st: Dallas Baptist University – Mark Harris, Lindale, Texas, and Jacob Witkowski, Dallas, Texas, five bass, 20-2, $2,000
2nd: Simpson University – Myles Davis, Redding, Calif., and Austin Rojas, Lake Havasu City, Ariz., five bass, 17-5, $1,000
3rd: Oregon State University – Jeffrey Coleman and Tyler Parr, both of Corvallis, Ore., four bass, 13-9, $500
4th: Sonoma State University – Aaron King, Windsor, Calif., and Richard Maloney, Ukiah, Calif., three bass, 7-14, $500
5th: Tarleton State-Stephenville – Jordan Kenny, Fort Worth, Texas, and Davion Spiller, Killeen, Texas, two bass, 6-14, $500
6th: Tarleton State-Stephenville – Jason Ashlock, Azle, Texas, and Jacob Burton, Springtown, Texas, two bass, 6-12
7th: Simpson University – Ryan Beaty, Martinez, Calif., and James Hawkinson, Granite Bay, Calif., three bass, 6-9
8th: University of Idaho – Ethan Leininger, Vina, Calif., three bass, 6-7
9th: Simpson University – Jayden Nezy, Page, Ariz., and Nathan Phillips, Kelseyville, Calif., three bass, 6-1
10th: Fresno State – Nathan Seibert, Fresno, Calif., and Clark Vue, Clovis, Calif., three bass, 5-0

Complete results for the entire field can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

The Abu Garcia College Fishing Presented by YETI event on Lake Havasu was hosted by Go Lake Havasu. It was the first of three regular-season tournaments for Western Conference anglers. The next event for College Fishing anglers will be the Abu Garcia College Fishing Presented by YETI event on Sam Rayburn Reservoir, March 11 in Brookeland, Texas.

MLF College Fishing teams compete in three regular-season tournaments in one of five conferences – Central, Northern, Southern, Southeastern and Western. The top 10 teams from each division’s three regular-season tournaments and the top 20 teams from the annual Abu Garcia College Fishing Open will advance to the following season’s National Championship. The 2022 MLF Abu Garcia College Fishing Presented by YETI National Championship Presented by Lowrance will be held on Fort Gibson Lake in Wagoner, Oklahoma, March 29-31, and is hosted by the Wagoner Area Chamber of Commerce.

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 College Fishing updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF5’s social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

by AnglersChannel

Hartman Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event on Kentucky-Barkley Lakes

GILBERTSVILLE, Ky. (March 7, 2022) – Boater Jordan Hartman of Benton, Kentucky, caught five bass Saturday weighing 19 pounds, 11 ounces, to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine on Kentucky-Barkley Lake. The tournament, hosted by the Kentucky Lake Convention and Visitors Bureau, was the season-opener for the Bass Fishing League LBL Division. Hartman earned $5,839 for his victory.

“I knew it was going to be windy, so I wanted to try to hit some of my better stuff as early as possible to catch what I could before the wind got up,” Hartman said. “I ran down to the Paris Landing area and fished the main lake there.”

Hartman said he had a limit of 12 pounds of smallmouth after spending 20 minutes at his first stop. Hartman said the smallmouth fell for a String King Pro Model 5XD crankbait. Hartman spent the rest of the day moving around and culling fish.

“Every place I stopped it just didn’t seem to go wrong,” Hartman said. “I just kept culling up. I probably caught 25 keepers.

“This win has been a goal of mine ever since I moved from Illinois to go to Murray State University,” Hartman added. “I started fishing these tournaments three or four years ago. It’s very hard to win when you’re fishing against all of the locals, so this is pretty special to me. It makes all of the time you spend on the water worth it.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:

1st:        Jordan Hartman, Benton, Ky., five bass, 19-11, $5,839
2nd:       Marty Sisk, Evansville, Ind., five bass, 18-1, $2,419
3rd:       Brad Kell, Benton, Ky., five bass, 18-0, $1,614
4th:        Bill Schroeder III, Benton, Ky., five bass, 17-1, $1,129
5th:        Harold Buchmeier, Gilbertsville, Ky., five bass, 16-3, $968
6th:        Drew Boggs, Lebanon, Tenn., five bass, 15-12, $887
7th:        Jeff Defew, Benton, Ky., five bass, 15-11, $806
8th:        Mike Suddoth, Dickson, Tenn., five bass, 15-3, $726
9th:        Chris Hellebuyck, Waterford, Mich., five bass, 15-2, $1,845 (includes $500 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus)
10th:     Ray Barga, Benton, Ky., five bass, 14-4, $565

Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Ron Smith of Walton, Kentucky, had a 5-pound, 1-ounce largemouth that was the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division and earned the day’s Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $730.

Blake Smith of Tennessee Ridge, Tennessee, won the Strike King Co-angler Division and $2,419 Saturday after catching five bass weighing 13 pounds, 5 ounces.

The top 10 Strike King co-anglers were:

1st:        Blake Smith, Tennessee Ridge, Tenn., five bass, 13-5, $2,419
2nd:       Andrew Dunford, Christopher, Ill., three bass, 11-3, $1,210
3rd:       Bill Wasden, Paris, Tenn., four bass, 11-1, $807
4th:        Ethan Wheeler, Mayfield, Ky., two bass, 10-1, $930
5th:        Peyton Coleman, Paducah, Ky., three bass, 10-0, $484
6th:        John Dunn, Paducah, Ky., three bass, 9-15, $444
7th:        Frank Haysley, Louisville, Ky., four bass, 9-14, $403
8th:        Ed Daniell, West Frankfort, Ill., four bass, 8-12, $513
9th:        Dean Hesse, Brandenburg, Ky., three bass, 8-5, $323
10th:     Colin Fogerty, Memphis, Tenn., three bass, 7-10, $282

Wheeler caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, a fish weighing in at 6 pounds, 4 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Berkley Big Bass Co-angler award of $365.

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 Pickwick Lake in Counce, Tennessee. 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 2022 All-American will be held June 2-4 at Lake Hamilton in Hot Springs, Arkansas, and is hosted by the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism and Visit Hot Springs.

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.

by AnglersChannel

Partee Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event on Harris Chain of Lakes

LEESBURG, Fla. (March 7, 2022) – Boater Blaine Partee of Oviedo, Florida, caught five bass Saturday weighing 26 pounds, 12 ounces, to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine on Harris Chain of Lakes. The tournament, hosted by Visit Lake County, Florida, was the third event for the Bass Fishing League Gator Division Presented by Revital Outdoors. Partee earned $6,000 for his victory.

“First thing in the morning I stopped at a shell bar not far from the boat ramp, and in the first 15 minutes I had four fish that weighed 21 pounds,” Partee said. “Then they just seemed to shut off on us and we moved around from here to there to other shell bars and I eventually caught another 5-pounder, and that basically sealed the deal for me.”

Partee said he targeted specific shell bars that featured wind current and used a Carolina rig tipped with a Bitter’s Magic Wand to land three of his fish and a chartreuse-back Rapala DT10 crankbait to complete his bag with two keepers. Partee said he caught 14 keepers in 8 to 13 feet of water during the course of the day.

“This win is awesome,” Partee said. “I’ve been trying a long time to win one of these events, and I finally got it done. It’s pretty amazing.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:

1st:        Blaine Partee, Oviedo, Fla., five bass, 26-12, $6,000
2nd:       Eric Panzironi, Longwood, Fla., five bass, 26-6, $3,000
3rd:       Kolbi Morgan, Land O Lakes, Fla., five bass, 26-0, $2,000
4th:        Ben McCann, Bradenton, Fla., five bass, 24-12, $1,400
5th:        Rob Milbut, Alapaha, Ga., five bass, 22-3, $1,200
6th:        Levi Crossway, Callahan, Fla., five bass, 21-0, $1,100
7th:        Ricky Grant, Inverness, Fla., five bass, 20-4, $2,000
8th:        James McLees, Eustis, Fla., five bass, 19-14, $900
9th:        Jeffrey Harper, Fleming Island, Fla., five bass, 19-6, $800
10th:     Arnie Lane, Lakeland, Fla., five bass, 18-7, $700

Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Grant had a 9-pound, 13-ounce largemouth that was the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division and earned the day’s Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $1,000.

Loren Hepler of Mulberry, Florida, won the Strike King Co-angler Division and $3,000 Saturday after catching five bass weighing 21 pounds, 13 ounces.

The top 10 Strike King co-anglers were:

1st:        Loren Hepler, Mulberry, Fla., five bass, 21-13, $3,000
2nd:       Jesse Taylor, Jacksonville, Fla., five bass, 18-5, $1,500
3rd:       Kenneth Bivins, Orlando, Fla., five bass, 18-2, $1,500
4th:        Robert Kinder, Tampa, Fla., five bass, 15-12, $700
5th:        Clayton Stokes, Haines City, Fla., five bass, 15-11, $600
6th:        Aaron Gengler, Lakeland, Fla., five bass, 14-8, $525
6th:        Steven Obester, Palatka, Fla., five bass, 14-8, $525
8th:        Clint Sterling, Safety Harbor, Fla., five bass, 14-1, $450
9th:        Steven Hollingsworth, Lakeland, Fla., five bass, 13-15, $400
10th:     Justin Brown, Frostproof, Fla., five bass, 13-11, $550

Bivins caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, a fish weighing in at 7 pounds, 2 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Berkley Big Bass Co-angler award of $500.

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. 6-8 Bass Fishing League Regional Championship on Lake Murray in Prosperity, South Carolina. 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 2022 All-American will be held June 2-4 at Lake Hamilton in Hot Springs, Arkansas, and is hosted by the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism and Visit Hot Springs.

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.

by AnglersChannel

Trent Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event on Kerr Lake

HENDERSON, N.C. (March 7, 2022) – Boater Tyler Trent of Nathalie, Virginia, caught five bass Saturday weighing 20 pounds, 11 ounces, to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine on Kerr Lake . The tournament, hosted by the Vance County Tourism Development Authority, was the season-opener for the Bass Fishing League Shenandoah Division. Trent earned $12,229, including the lucrative $7,000 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus, for his victory.

“I started close to takeoff and started catching fish immediately,” said Trent, who now has three Phoenix Bass Fishing League wins on Kerr Lake. “I caught two good ones that I ended up weighing in, and I caught them off and on all day.

“Most of the day I was fishing mid-lake targeting rock with a homemade green-pumpkin and orange jig and a Zoom Super Chunk Jr. trailer,” added Trent.

Trent was in the last flight and caught two of his biggest bass in the last hour of competition. He said he caught about 25 keepers over the course of the day. Trent said his familiarity with Kerr Lake was the key to his victory Saturday.

“I fish here all the time and have plenty of places to hit,” Trent said.

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:

1st:        Tyler Trent, Nathalie, Va., five bass, 20-11, $12,229 (includes $7,000 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus)
2nd:       Brian Calloway, Danville, Va., five bass, 17-13, $2,614
3rd:       Cody Pike, Powhatan, Va., five bass, 17-9, $1,745
4th:        Rick Tilley, Vinton, Va., five bass, 17-5, $2,035
5th:        Ryan Powroznik, Hopewell, Va., five bass, 17-3, $1,002
5th:        Rodney Sorrell, Stokesdale, N.C., five bass, 17-3, $1,002
7th:        Jacob Floyd, Ruckersville, Va., five bass, 16-14, $871
8th:        Brian Bersik, Chesterfield, Va., five bass, 16-12, $784
9th:        Rick Mills, Manassas, Va., five bass, 16-7, $697
10th:     Kevin Kane, Woodbridge, Va., five bass, 16-6, $610

Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Tilley had a 6-pound, 5-ounce largemouth that was the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division and earned the day’s Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $815.

David Slaybaugh of Colonial Heights, Virginia, won the Strike King Co-angler Division and $2,614 Saturday after catching five bass weighing 12 pounds, 5 ounces.

The top 10 Strike King co-anglers were:

1st:        David Slaybaugh, Colonial Heights, Va., five bass, 12-5, $2,614
2nd:       Shaquille Freeman, Meherrin, Va., five bass, 12-3, $1,307
3rd:       Thomas Elliott, Lake Waccamaw, N.C., four bass, 10-7, $872
4th:        Lenny Baird, Stafford, Va., five bass, 10-1, $916
4th:        Jeramy Evans, Forest, Va., three bass, 10-1, $566
6th:        Ken Eng, Abingdon, Md., three bass, 9-6, $682
7th:        Jesse Ketchum, Columbia, Md., three bass, 9-1, $436
8th:        Stephen Smith, Archer Lodge, N.C., three bass, 8-13, $392
9th:        Travis Garrett, Charlottesville, Va., four bass, 8-6, $349
10th:     Robert Wedding, Welcome, Md., three bass, 8-2, $305

Carter Atkins of Greenville, Virginia, and Eng each caught fish weighing in at 5 pounds, 4 ounces to split the day’s Berkley Big Bass Co-angler award. Both Atkins and Eng each received $203.

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. 20-22 Bass Fishing League Regional Championship on the James River in Richmond, Virginia. 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 2022 All-American will be held June 2-4 at Lake Hamilton in Hot Springs, Arkansas, and is hosted by the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism and Visit Hot Springs.

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.

by AnglersChannel

Monti Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event on Lake Norman

HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. (March 7, 2022) – Boater Jake Monti of Mooresville, North Carolina, caught five bass Saturday weighing 17 pounds, 2 ounces, to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine on Lake Norman . The tournament, hosted by Visit Lake Norman, was the season-opener for the Bass Fishing League North Carolina Division. Monti earned $9,158, including a $2,500 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus, for his victory.

“In practice on Friday I found a bed on the lower end of the lake where I saw a male locked on the bed,” Monti said. “He was about a 3½-pounder, and I could see the female sitting off to the side underneath a dock. I thought she would go about 6 pounds, because she was real wide across the back.

“Usually when the female is sitting off the bed like that you don’t have a real good chance of catching her unless you catch the male first and she moves up to protect the bed,” Monti added.

Monti said he had a good takeoff draw with boat No. 10, and he ran to the bedding pair of bass to start his tournament day. He said he targeted the pair with a Queen Tackle Tungsten Hammer Shake Shaky Head tipped with a Bizz Baits Cutter Craw.

“The female bit on the first cast I made there,” Monti said. “She ended up being a 5-pounder. The male bit on my next flip. So within the first 10 minutes of my day I had 9 pounds with two fish.”

Monti said he then made his way up the lake and focused on pre-spawn fish using a Rapala DT 6 Series crankbait as well as a Fluke. He said he caught about 20 keepers during the course of the tournament – none of which were short fish.

“I didn’t want to stay down the lake with the crowd down there, so I filled out the rest of my limit with pre-spawners,” Monti said.

“This feels amazing,” Monti said. “I’ve been waiting for one of these wins, and it feels great for my hard work to finally pay off.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:

1st:        Jake Monti, Mooresville, N.C., five bass, 17-2, $9,158 (includes $2,500 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus)
2nd:       Stephen Cannon, Wilkesboro, N.C.., five bass, 16-4, $2,357
2nd:       Michael Webster, Gastonia, N.C., five bass, 16-4, $2,357
4th:        Chad Sims, Lancaster, S.C., five bass, 15-11, $1,520
5th:        Ben Robertson, Walnut Cove, N.C., five bass, 15-5, $1,132
6th:        Aaron Digh, Denver, N.C., five bass, 15-4, $1,037
7th:        Kevin Farley, East Bend, N.C., five bass, 15-2, $1,858
8th:        James Blankenship, Siler City, N.C., five bass, 14-13, $1,049
9th:        Chris Dover, Blacksburg, S.C., five bass, 14-12, $754
10th:     Shane Lineberger, Lincolnton, N.C., five bass, 14-4, $627
10th:     Ben Hudson, Lynchburg, Va., five bass, 14-4, $627

Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Farley had a 6-pound, 13-ounce largemouth that was the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division and earned the day’s Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $915.

Chris McMillan of Charlotte, North Carolina, won the Strike King Co-angler Division and $2,829 Saturday after catching five bass weighing 11 pounds, 4 ounces.

The top 10 Strike King co-anglers were:

1st:        Chris McMillan, Charlotte, N.C., five bass, 11-4, $2,829
2nd:       Alex Ortiz, Asheboro, N.C., five bass, 11-2, $1,414
3rd:       Hunter Harwell, Maiden, N.C., five bass, 10-9, $945
4th:        Jonathan Strickland, Graham, N.C., five bass, 10-8, $660
5th:        Travis Ruff, Connelly Springs, N.C., five bass, 9-12, $542
5th:        Wayne Smelser, Wytheville, Va., five bass, 9-12, $542
7th:        Byran Lefever, Statesville, N.C., five bass, 9-9, $471
8th:        Mike Shatley, North Wilkesboro, N.C., five bass, 9-6, $400
8th:        Hunter Carpenter, Lincolnton, N.C., four bass, 9-6, $400
10th:     Justin Strickland, Roseboro, N.C., five bass, 9-4, $330

Kyle Allred of Lexington, North Carolina, caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, a fish weighing in at 4 pounds, 12 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Berkley Big Bass Co-angler award of $457.

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. 20-22 Bass Fishing League Regional Championship on the James River in Richmond, Virginia. 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 2022 All-American will be held June 2-4 at Lake Hamilton in Hot Springs, Arkansas, and is hosted by the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism and Visit Hot Springs.

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.

by AnglersChannel

Anderson Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event on Dale Hollow Lake

BYRDSTOWN, Tenn. (March 7, 2022) – Boater Brent Anderson of Kingston Springs, Tennessee, caught five bass Saturday weighing 24 pounds, 2 ounces, to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine on Dale Hollow Lake. The tournament, hosted by Star Point Marina, was the season-opener for the Bass Fishing League Music City Division. Anderson earned $15,000, including the lucrative $7,000 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus, for his victory. The win followed Anderson’s Choo Choo Division victory earlier this season at the Phoenix Bass Fishing League on Pickwick Lake on Feb. 26.

“My day started off pretty rough,” said Anderson, who now has 10 career Phoenix Bass Fishing League wins. “I made a long run up the river where I thought I could catch a quick limit finesse fishing, but after 3½ hours I only had two bites and I didn’t have a keeper.

“I ran back down to a stretch in the mid-lake area where I had caught one good fish in practice,” Anderson added. “I just took a look at the conditions and started focusing on wind-blown points on the main lake.”

Anderson said he used a white Z-Man Evergreen Chatterbait Jack Hammer and a homemade white and chartreuse spinnerbait to target bass sitting in three to five feet of water. He said he would cast to the bank and slow roll the bait down the point. Anderson said he caught 20 fish, including 15 keepers, during the course of the day.

“Once I figured out the pattern I’d catch fish every stop,” Anderson said.

Anderson said his inexperience on Dale Hollow, combined with the slow start to his day, had him doubting his chances for a quality finish in the tournament.

“At 12:30 if you would have asked me if I was ready to put the boat on the trailer, I would have probably left,” Anderson said. “I was that far beat mentally. And then a light went off. I said, ‘Dude, it’s easy. It’s 70 degrees and the wind is crashing these banks. You know the fish are going to be sitting up shallow.’ I made the right stop, then looked at my map and kept duplicating it. By the end of the day I was calling my shots. Talk about going from zero to hero.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:

1st:        Brent Anderson, Kingston Springs, Tenn., five bass, 24-2, $15,000 (includes $7,000 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus)
2nd:       Tristan Abbott, Somerset, Ky., five bass, 19-4, $3,000
3rd:       Greg Perry, Lost Creek, W.V., five bass, 18-12, $2,500
4th:        Mike Bryant, Cookeville, Tenn., five bass, 17-15, $1,400
5th:        Robert Reagan, Byrdstown, Tenn., five bass, 17-10, $1,150
5th:        Kelly Readhimer, Beech Bluff, Tenn., five bass, 17-10, $1,150
7th:        Colton Chambers, Elizabethton, Tenn., five bass, 17-4, $1,000
8th:        Billy Baugus, Lebanon, Tenn., five bass, 16-12, $900
9th:        Mitchell Major, Lancaster, Ky., five bass, 16-10, $800
10th:     Jake Cross, Byrdstown, Tenn., five bass, 16-3, $700

Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Anderson had a 9-pound, 10-ounce largemouth that was the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division and earned the day’s Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $1,000.

Gilbert Jolley of Livingston, Tennessee, won the Strike King Co-angler Division and $3,200 Saturday after catching five bass weighing 18 pounds, 7 ounces.

The top 10 Strike King co-anglers were:

1st:        Gilbert Jolley, Livingston, Tenn., five bass, 18-7, $3,200
2nd:       Grant Frazier, Manchester, Tenn., five bass, 17-5, $1,500
3rd:       Jordan Garrett, Jamestown, Tenn., five bass, 14-0, $1,000
4th:        Pop Catalin, Cookeville, Tenn., five bass, 13-15, $700
5th:        Robert Pepiot III, Lexington, Ky., four bass, 13-14, $1,100
6th:        Bradley Yaden, London, Ky., five bass, 13-13, $550
7th:        Kenny Botts, Alvaton, Ky., five bass, 13-10, $500
8th:        Ben Pridemore, Cookeville, Tenn., five bass, 13-6, $425
8th:        Caleb Barnes, Murfreesboro, Tenn., five bass, 13-6, $425
10th:     Casey Carpenter, Gallatin, Tenn., five bass, 13-3, $350

Pepiot caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, a fish weighing in at 5 pounds, 8 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Berkley Big Bass Co-angler award of $500.

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. 13-5 Bass Fishing League Regional Championship on Pickwick Lake in Counce, Tennessee. 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 2022 All-American will be held June 2-4 at Lake Hamilton in Hot Springs, Arkansas, and is hosted by the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism and Visit Hot Springs.

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.

by AnglersChannel

Tomlin Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event on Lake Martin

ALEXANDER CITY, Ala. (March 7, 2022) – Boater Blake Tomlin of Greenville, Georgia, caught five bass Saturday weighing 21 pounds, 11 ounces, to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine on Lake Martin. The tournament, hosted by the Lake Martin Tourism Association, was the season-opener for the Bass Fishing League Bama Division. Tomlin earned $5,911 for his victory.

“We started out fishing the shoals and caught a few fish pretty quick,” said Tomlin. “I caught two 3-pounders back-to-back on my first stop, and then it was really slow after that until about 9:30 when I caught my second- and third-biggest fish within 15 minutes of each other on a Z-Man Original ChatterBait.”

Tomlin said after he had four fish in the livewell he relocated to fill out his limit. He said he waited for the water to warm up and went back to the spot where he caught his two big fish at 9:30. The move resulted in his largest bass of the day that fell for a flipping jig. Tomlin said he then moved back down the lake to get close to the ramp.

“I thought I had 18, maybe 19 pounds, and I thought I had a pretty good chance at that point to win,” Tomlin said. “I finished out the last hour fishing around there and ended up catching a 3½-pound spotted bass on a swimbait.”

Tomlin said the win was special to him because he struggled in competition for a couple of years and didn’t cash a tournament check.

“I knew I could better than what I was doing,” Tomlin said. “I wasn’t even catching decent bags. I had a rough go at it for a couple of years. So, I took a year off and then started back again and did pretty good in a Regional Championship and pretty decent in the All-American, and that kind of lit my fire and I have been really wanting to win.

“I’ve only fished Lake Martin four times,” Tomlin added. “I thought Martin would be a good lake to have a chance to win, because you can get lucky and catch some decent ones and have a shot whether you know the lake really well or not.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:

1st:        Blake Tomlin, Greenville, Ga., five bass, 21-11, $5,911
2nd:       Timothy Hatcher, Trussville, Ala., five bass, 15-0, $2,561
3rd:       Brady Vernon, Birmingham, Ala., five bass, 14-13, $1,705
4th:        Lucas Lindsay, Opelika, Ala., five bass, 14-12, $1,195
5th:        Tommy Gunn, Cusseta, Ala., five bass, 14-9, $1,024
6th:        Rob Cruvellier, Auburn, Ala., five bass, 12-10, $896
6th:        Dusty Robinson, Eclectic, Ala., five bass, 12-10, $896
8th:        Hunter Davidson, Reform, Ala., five bass, 12-9, $768
9th:        Charles Davis, Wetumpka, Ala., five bass, 12-7, $683
10th:     Mark Stewart, Ashville, Ala., five bass, 12-5, $598

Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Tomlin had a 5-pound, 7-ounce largemouth that was the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division and earned the day’s Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $790.

Cameron Petras of Biloxi, Mississippi, won the Strike King Co-angler Division and $2,561 Saturday after catching five bass weighing 11 pounds, 12 ounces.

The top 10 Strike King co-anglers were:

1st:        Cameron Petras, Biloxi, Miss., five bass, 11-12, $2,561
2nd:       Mike L. Hardin Sr., Robertsdale, Ala., five bass, 11-4, $1,280
3rd:       Scott Bussey, Hayden, Ala., four bass, 10-12, $1,249
4th:        Darrell Eller, Montgomery, Ala., five bass, 10-4, $598
5th:        Thomas Eyler, Ashford, Ala., five bass, 10-3, $512
6th:        William Yoerg, Springville, Ala., five bass, 10-2, $669
7th:        Justin Foster, Zebulon, Ga., five bass, 9-15, $405
7th:        Randall Norton, Ashland, Ala., five bass, 9-15, $405
9th:        Michael Ward, Dadeville, Ala., five bass, 9-5, $341
10th:     Daniel Buswell Jr., Fayetteville, Ga., five bass, 9-1, $299

Bussey caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, a fish weighing in at 3 pounds, 15 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Berkley Big Bass Co-angler award of $395.

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 Pickwick Lake in Counce, Tennessee. 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 2022 All-American will be held June 2-4 at Lake Hamilton in Hot Springs, Arkansas, and is hosted by the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism and Visit Hot Springs.

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.

by AnglersChannel

Wayne County High School Wins MLF High School Fishing Open on Lake Guntersville

GUNTERSVILLE, Ala. (March 7, 2022) – The Wayne County High School team of Elijah Adkins and Austin Criswell, both of Monticello, Kentucky, brought five bass to the scale Saturday weighing 20 pounds, 12 ounces, to win the MLF High School Fishing Presented by Favorite Fishing Open on Lake Guntersville.

A field of 85 teams competed in the no-entry fee tournament, which launched from Lake Guntersville State Park in Guntersville. In MLF and The Bass Federation (TBF) High School Fishing competition, the top 10% of teams competing advance to the High School Fishing National Championship.

The top eight teams that advanced to the 2022 High School Fishing National Championship are:

1st: Wayne County High School, Monticello, Ky. – Elijah Adkins and Austin Criswell, both of Monticello, Ky., five bass, 20-12
2nd: Alcoa High School, Alcoa, Tenn. – Walker Larue, Alcoa, Tenn., and Joe Vaulton, Knoxville, Tenn., five bass, 19-8
3rd: Fenton Community Bass Club, Fenton, Mich. – Mitchell Straffon and Henri Sturm, both of Fenton, Mich., five bass, 19-4
4th: Oneonta City School, Oneonta, Ala. – Luke Coleman and Bobby McCray, both of Pinson, Ala., five bass, 19-0
5th: Rhea County High School, Evensville, Tenn. – Riley Faulkner, Jacksboro, Tenn., and Blake Wheat, Evensville, Tenn., five bass, 18-2
6th: Pickens Anglers High School Fishing Club, Reform, Ala. – Daniel Birmingham, Reform, Ala., and Kaden Posey, Gordo, Ala., four bass, 17-14
7th: Bibb County High School, Centreville, Ala. – Evan Dunn, Centreville, Ala., and A.J. McGee, Brierfield, Ala., five bass, 17-3
8th: Bullitt East High School, Mount Washington, Ky. – Tyler Leachman, Mount Washington, Ky., and Ethan Martin, Shepherdsville, Ky., five bass, 16-1

Rounding out the top 10 teams were:

9th: Edinburg Community USD, Edinburg, Ill. – Lane Argo and Levi Kohl, both of Edinburg, Ill., five bass, 15-10
10th: Carlson Marauders Fishing Team, Gibraltar, Mich. – Tristan Fawley, Gibraltar, Mich., and Van Price, Rockwood, Mich., five bass, 15-7

Complete results from the event can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

The MLF High School Fishing Presented by Favorite Fishing Open on Lake Guntersville was hosted by Marshall County Tourism and Sports. The next event for High School Fishing anglers will be the MLF High School Fishing Presented by Favorite Fishing Open on Sam Rayburn Reservoir, March 12in Brookeland, Texas.

MLF High School Fishing presented by Favorite Fishing tournaments are free, two-person (team) events for students in grades 7-12 and are open to any MLF and TBF Student Angler Federation-affiliated high school club. The top 10% of teams at each Open event, along with the TBF High School Fishing state championships, will advance to the 2022 High School Fishing National Championship. The 2022 MLF High School Fishing National Championship will be held on Pickwick and Wilson Lakes in Florence, Alabama, June 22-25, and is hosted by the Florence-Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau.

The High School Fishing National Champions will each receive a $5,000 college scholarship to the school of their choice and advance to the 2022 MLF Toyota Series Championship to compete as co-anglers.

Proud sponsors of the 2022 MLF High School Fishing Presented by Favorite Fishing include: 4WP, 13 Fishing, Abu Garcia, 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, Strike King, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, Wiley X and YETI.

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

by AnglersChannel

Florida Gateway College Wins MLF Abu Garcia College Fishing Tournament on Lake Guntersville

• GUNTERSVILLE, Ala. (March 7, 2022) – The Florida Gateway College duo of Seth Slanker and Jackson Swisher, both of Lake City, Florida, won the MLF Abu Garcia College Fishing Presented by YETI event on Lake Guntersville Friday with a five-bass limit weighing 29 pounds, 12 ounces. The victory, which earned the Titans’ bass club $2,000, came after a season-opening sixth-place finish in January at the Harris Chain of Lakes, which earned the team a slot in the 2023 MLF College Fishing National Championship.

“We practiced all week to try to find shallow fish that had pulled up to try to spawn,” Slanker said. “Our first fish was a 5-pounder, then we had a few smaller fish, and as the day went on we culled up, and the last fish we culled was an 8-pounder, and that was our biggest fish.”

Slanker said the team caught about 45 bass during the course of the tournament, including 25 keepers. Their bait of choice was a red ½-ounce Z-Man Evergreen Chatterbait Jack Hammer. Slanker said the water temperature hovered at 60 degrees on the shallow grass flats they were targeting.

“The day was a day that was like it was meant to be,” said Swisher. “It was one of those days where you did no wrong.

“With the ChatterBait, we always struggle to land most of our fish,” Swisher added. “Every now and then with the ChatterBait you’re going to jump off a couple of big fish. During the tournament, though, they just chugged it. We were fishing slow and methodically and we were able to put together a big bag.

“It feels great to finally win one,” Swisher said. “We’d been close before, and I’d always wanted to win a College Fishing event before I graduated. And it felt good to win it doing something we like doing – fishing shallow, spawning fish.”

The top 10 teams that advanced to the 2023 College Fishing National Championship are:

1st: Florida Gateway College – Seth Slanker and Jackson Swisher, both of Lake City, Fla., five bass, 29-12, $2,000
2nd: Catawba Valley Community College – Cabe Mackey, Denver, N.C., and Nathan Smith, Granite Falls, N.C., five bass, 24-14, $1,000
3rd: Mississippi State University – James Broderick, Birmingham, Ala., and James Ikerd, Canton, Ga., five bass, 23-12, $500
4th: University of North Alabama – Chandler Brewer, Meridianville, Ala., and Walker Brown, Loretto, Tenn., five bass, 23-8, $500
5th: University of Tennessee – Joseph Bissing, Libertyville, Ill., and Jackson Payden, Knoxville, Tenn., five bass, 21-13, $500
6th: Central Alabama Community College – Jackson Kelly and Brody Milstead, both of Alexander City, Ala., five bass, 20-14
7th: Southeastern Louisiana University – Wyatt Ensminger, Pride, La., five bass, 20-6
8th: Carson Newman University – Brady Duncan, Lebanon, Tenn., and Steven Mills, White Bluff, Tenn., five bass, 20-4
9th: Auburn University – Hayden Marbut, Birmingham, Ala., and Garrett Warren, Hoover, Ala., five bass, 20-2
10th: Wabash Valley College – Mason Gross, Carmi, Ill., and Isaac Irvin, Harrisburg, Ill., five bass, 20-1

MLF also advances one additional team to the National Championship for every 10 teams over 100 that compete. A total of 219 teams participated in this event, so also advancing to the 2023 College Fishing National Championship are:

11th: Bryan College – Justin Botts, Bluff City, Tenn., and Conner Dimauro, Longwood, Fla., five bass, 19-11
12th: Florida Gateway College – Chase Hubble, Plant City, Fla., and Brent May, five bass, 19-9
13th: Bethel University – Colten Drawdy, Plant City, Fla., and Braden Leffew, Lebanon, Tenn., five bass, 19-8
14th: Lander University – Ryan Latham, Greenwood, S.C., and Caleb Sheldon, Lexington, S.C., five bass, 19-7
15th: University of Montevallo – Cal Culpepper, Hamilton, Ga., and Easton Fothergill, Grand Rapids, Minn., five bass, 19-3
16th: University of North Alabama – Tyler Finley, Mount Pleasant, Tenn., and Lane Lassiter, McMinnville, Tenn., five bass, 19-3
17th: Georgia College – Dawson Ricks, Milledgeville, Ga., and David Stith, Mabelton, Ga., five bass, 19-2
18th: Bryan College – Austin Goins, Dayton, Tenn., and Tim Herrmann, Groveland, Ill., five bass, 19-1
19th: Bethel University – Matthew Cummings, Union City, Tenn., and Levi Mullins, Nineveh, Ind., five bass, 18-14
20th: Auburn University – Cody Griffith, and Drew Jennings, both of Auburn, Ala., five bass, 18-11
21st: Blue Mountain College – John Berry, Mount Olive, Miss., and Blake Bullock, Seminary, Miss., five bass, 18-8

Complete results for the entire field can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

The Abu Garcia College Fishing Presented by YETI event on Lake Guntersville was hosted by Marshall County Tourism and Sports. It was the second of three regular-season tournaments for Southeastern Conference anglers. The next event for College Fishing anglers will be the Abu Garcia College Fishing Presented by YETI event on Sam Rayburn Reservoir, March 11 in Brookeland, Texas.

MLF College Fishing teams compete in three regular-season tournaments in one of five conferences – Central, Northern, Southern, Southeastern and Western. The top 10 teams from each division’s three regular-season tournaments and the top 20 teams from the annual Abu Garcia College Fishing Open will advance to the following season’s National Championship. The 2022 MLF Abu Garcia College Fishing Presented by YETI National Championship Presented by Lowrance will be held on Fort Gibson Lake in Wagoner, Oklahoma, March 29-31, and is hosted by the Wagoner Area Chamber of Commerce.

Proud sponsors of the 2022 MLF Abu Garcia College Fishing Presented by YETI include: 4WP, 13 Fishing, Abu Garcia, 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, Strike King, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, Wiley X and YETI.

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

by AnglersChannel

Brock Reinkemeyer Wins Toyota Series at Lake of the Ozarks

OSAGE BEACH, Mo. (March 4, 2022) – Pro Brock Reinkemeyer of Warsaw, Missouri, brought a final-day total of five bass weighing 17 pounds, 4 ounces to the scale Thursday to win the Toyota Series Presented by A.R.E. at Lake of the Ozarks Presented by Smart Digital. Reinkemeyer’s three-day total of 15 bass weighing 59-13 earned him the win by a 2-pound, 12-ounce margin over second-place angler Josh Shirley of Cabot, Arkansas, and earned Reinkemeyer the top payout of $41,750 in the first tournament of the 2022 Toyota Series Plains Division Presented by Outlaw Ordnance.

“Wow, this feels even better than I thought it would feel,” Reinkemeyer said. “I am in awe right now. Some of these guys that I was fishing against this final day – it’s crazy. They’re my buddies, and they’re better than I am. They all put in more work than I do. To come out on top today is just unreal.”

Reinkemeyer said he spent the week mainly fishing in the Gravois Arm.

“I wanted to make sure that I wasn’t running all over the place,” Reinkemeyer said. “I had a 15-mile zone, and I didn’t stray from it. I grew up in Lee’s Summit, and Gravois is my homeland. The biggest thing was the early morning bite, from 7 (a.m.) to 10 (a.m.). The fish were setting up on the brush piles and rocks and they would show themselves a lot more. Later in the day, they weren’t nearly as active, so I really had to capitalize in that three-hour period.”

Reinkemeyer said he caught his fish on three baits – a Yumbrella Flash Mob Umbrella Rig with Strike King (Rage) Swimmers, a Megabass Vision 110 jerkbait, and a Motion Fishing finesse jig with a Zoom Speed Craw.

“I couldn’t catch them on the bank, so I had to fish a little deeper,” Reinkemeyer said. “I mainly targeted 14 to 22 feet, and the majority came from 18 to 22 (feet). I got one key bite each day in like 14 foot, but most of them were a bit deeper.

“I thought my fish were smaller than they were and that I was leaving the door open today – those last four hours of the day were pretty stressful,” Reinkemeyer went on to say. “Luckily it turned out that I had enough.”

The top 10 pros on Lake of the Ozarks finished:

1^st:          Brock Reinkemeyer, Warsaw, Mo., 15 bass, 59-13, $41,750
2^nd:         Josh Shirley, Cabot, Ark., 15 bass, 57-1, $15,500
3^rd:         Justin Miller, Grain Valley, Mo., 15 bass, 51-3, $12,000
4^th:         Travis Harriman, Huntsville, Ark., 13 bass, 49-4, $10,000
5^th:         Austin Culbertson, ,Moberly, Mo., 15 bass, 48-3, $9,000
6^th:         Grant Akers, Richmond, Mo., 15 bass, 48-2, $8,000
7^th:         Michael Harlin, Sunrise Beach, Mo., 15 bass, 47-4, $7,000
8^th:         Brad Jelinek, Lincoln, Mo., 15 bass, 46-10, $7,000 (includes $1,000 Phoenix MLF Bonus)
9^th:         Chris Bridges, Clinton, Mo., 15 bass, 46-5, $5,200
10^th:       Chris Digino, Dallas, Texas, 15 bass, 45-14, $4,000

Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Pro Kyle Minke of Lindstrom, Minnesota, won the $500 Day 1 Berkley Big Bass award in the pro division Tuesday with a largemouth weighing 6 pounds, 10 ounces. Reinkemeyer and Ben Verhoef of Osage Beach split Wednesday’s $500 Berkley Big Bass award, as both weighed in a 6-pound, 7-ounce bass to each take home a $250 bonus.

Jelinek took home an extra $1,000 as the highest finishing Phoenix MLF Bonus member. Boaters are eligible to win up to an extra $35,000 per event in each Toyota Series tournament if all requirements are met. More information on the Phoenix MLF Bonus contingency program can be found at PhoenixBassBoats.com.

Alan Bernicky of Joliet, Illinois, won the Strike King Co-angler Division Thursday with a three-day total of 12 bass weighing 34 pounds even. Bernicky took home the top prize package worth $33,700, including a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower Mercury outboard motor.

The top 10 Strike King co-anglers on Lake of the Ozarks finished:

1^st:          Alan Bernicky, Joliet, Ill., 12 bass, 34-0, Phoenix 518 Pro boat w/115-hp Mercury outboard + $5,000
2^nd:         Hank Goen, Columbia, Mo., 11 bass, 31-4, $5,000
3^rd:         Jeff Moss, Oronogo, Mo.., 11bass, 31-2, $4,000
4^th:         Jason Swanson, Waterloo, Iowa, 13 bass, 27-12, $3,500
5^th:         Dan Bowman, Osage Beach, Mo., 11 bass, 26-11, $3,000
6^th:         Tom Shewey, Climax Springs, Mo., 11 bass, 26-3, $2,500
7^th:         Jason Sandidge, Centerton, Ark., 11 bass, 25-13, $2,000
8^th:         Scott Parsons, Rogers, Ark., nine bass, 25-3, $1,750
9^th:         Dennis Young, Olathe, Kan., nine bass, 24-8, $1,500
10^th:       Anthony Scoma, Spring Hill, Kan., nine bass, 23-10, $1,250

The Day 1 Berkley Big Bass $150 award winner in the Strike King co-angler division, was Mark Reynolds of Warrensburg, Missouri, with a 5-pound, 3-ounce bass, while the Day 2 $150 award went to Joseph Blackburn of Dixon, Missouri, with a 6-pound, 10-ounce largemouth.

The Toyota Series Presented by A.R.E. at Lake of the Ozarks Presented by Smart Digital was hosted by the Tri-County Lodging Association. It was the first tournament in the Toyota Series Plains Division Presented by Outlaw Ordnance. The next event for Toyota Series anglers will take place on March 31-April 2 – the Toyota Series Presented by A.R.E. at Dale Hollow Lake in Byrdstown, Tennessee, hosted by the Byrdstown-Pickett County Chamber of Commerce. For a complete schedule, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com.

The 2022 Toyota Series Presented by A.R.E. consists of six divisions – Central, Northern, Plains Presented by Outlaw Ordnance, Southern, Southwestern Presented by Outlaw Ordnance and Western – each holding three regular-season events, along with the International and Wild Card divisions. Anglers who fish in any of the six divisions and finish in the top 25 – or the top 12 from the Wild Card division – will qualify for the no-entry-fee Toyota Series Presented by A.R.E. Championship for a shot at winning up to $235,000 cash. The winning Strike King co-angler at the championship earns a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower Mercury outboard. The 2022 Toyota Series Presented by A.R.E. Championship will be held Nov. 3-5 on Lake Guntersville in Guntersville, Alabama, and is hosted by Marshall County Tourism and Sports.

Proud sponsors of the 2022 MLF Toyota Series Presented by A.R.E. 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, Outlaw Ordnance, Phoenix, Polaris, Power-Pole, Strike King, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, Wiley X and YETI.

For complete details and updated information visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the MLF Toyota Series on the MLF5 social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.

by AnglersChannel

Craven Claims Win at Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event on Lake Ouachita

MOUNT IDA, Ark. (Feb. 28, 2022) – Boater Jon Craven of Sheridan, Arkansas, caught five bass Sunday weighing 21 pounds, 14 ounces, to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine on Lake Ouachita . The tournament was the second event for the Bass Fishing League Arkie Division. Craven earned $7,296, including a $2,500 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus, for his victory.

“I started off fishing some standing timber with a little bit of grass with some rock mixed in,” said Craven, who notched his first Phoenix Bass Fishing League win. “My first fish was a 6-pounder, and the very next cast was a 5-pounder.”

Craven said the action slowed a bit, but he managed to catch two 2½-pound bass on a Queen Tackle Tungsten Hammerhead Rattling Football Jig for four fish in the livewell. He then changed strategies and targeted brush piles and rock banks. Craven said he made a stop at a steep bluff and sat in 70 feet of water and used his Garmin Panoptix LiveScope to locate a piece of standing timber in 40 feet of water that held a good fish.

“I threw the A-Rig out and got it to bite,” Craven said. “It was a 6-pound, 6-ounce fish. And that put me at 21-14 with 45 minutes left in the tournament.

“It was a grind for me,” Craven added. “I only had five keeper bites all day.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:

1st:        Jon Craven, Sheridan, Ark., five bass, 21-14, $7,296 (includes $2,500 Phoenix Bonus)
2nd:       Quincy Houchin, Mabelvale, Ark., five bass, 17-10, $1,996
2nd:       Kanon Harmon, Benton, Ark., five bass, 17-10, $2,711
4th:        Josh Hilton, Clarksville, Ark., five bass, 16-6, $1,119
5th:        Timmy Poe, Bryant, Ark., five bass, 16-1, $1,159
6th:        Justin Howard, Austin, Ark., five bass, 15-14, $839
6th:        Bryer Pennington, Prescott, Ark., five bass, 15-14, $839
8th:        Brian Bean, Hot Springs, Ark., four bass, 14-15, $719
9th:        Derek Sandlin, Mount Ida, Ark., five bass, 14-14, $639
10th:     Kevin Brown, Hot Springs, Ark., five bass, 14-13, $760

Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Harmon had a 6-pound, 7-ounce largemouth that was the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division and earned the day’s Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $715.

Timothy Preator of Hensley, Arkansas, won the Strike King Co-angler Division and $2,364 Sunday after catching five bass weighing 18 pounds, 5 ounces.

The top 10 Strike King co-anglers were:

1st:        Timothy Preator, Hensley, Ark., five bass, 18-5, $2,364
2nd:       Jonathan Simms, Hot Springs, Ark., five bass, 17-11, $1,182
3rd:       Aaron Calvert, Russellville, Ark., five bass, 14-11, $788
4th:        Briley Knowles, Texarkana, Ark., five bass, 14-9, $552
5th:        Buck Blackwell, Pine Bluff, Ark., five bass, 12-15, $673
6th:        Colton Welch, Leola, Ark., four bass, 10-3, $433
7th:        Brian (Shane) Ray, Hot Springs, Ark., three bass, 9-7, $394
8th:        Frank Reynolds, Bryant, Ark., five bass, 8-14, $355
9th:        Blake Defoor, Waldron, Ark., four bass, 8-8, $315
10th:     Nicholas Wade, Hot Springs, Ark., four bass, 8-5, $276

John McCullar of Benton, Arkansas, and Herbert Kimbrough of North Little Rock, Arkansas, each caught fish weighing in at 5 pounds, 4 ounces to split the day’s Berkley Big Bass Co-angler award. Both McCullar and Kimbrough received $176.

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. 20-22 Bass Fishing League Regional Championship on Grand Lake in Grove, Oklahoma. 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 2022 All-American will be held June 2-4 at Lake Hamilton in Hot Springs, Arkansas, and is hosted by the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism and Visit Hot Springs.

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.

by AnglersChannel

Anderson Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event on Pickwick Lake

COUNCE, Tenn. (Feb. 28, 2022) – Boater Brent Anderson of Kingston Springs, Tennessee, caught five bass Saturday weighing 21 pounds even to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine on Pickwick Lake . The tournament, hosted by Hardin County Convention and Visitors Bureau, was the second event for the Bass Fishing League Choo Choo Division. Anderson earned $12,618, which included the lucrative $7,000 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus, for his victory.

“I ran to the mid-lake section and fished pretty much from Waterloo down to State Line Islands, and targeted mud lines where clear water was running into all of the mud,” Anderson said. “I used a Z-Man (Evergreen) Chatterbait Jack Hammer and targeted anything from 1 to 6 feet deep.”

Anderson said he used a combination of white, chartreuse/white and black/blue ChatterBaits, depending on water color to catch “about 20 keepers.”

“Where the mud started I would stay with the dark, and as it cleared up I would go to the light colors,” Anderson said. “A lot of what I was fishing I would run multiple times, and I would switch colors on my second trip.”

Anderson now has nine Phoenix Bass Fishing League wins under his belt.

“It’s a relief to start your year off with a win and have that momentum,” Anderson said. “The years I’ve done that have turned out to be really good years.

“I just try not to take these wins for granted,” Anderson added. “I’ve been doing this a long time, and they’re a lot harder to come by now. Guys are a lot better, technology is a lot better and information is a lot easier to gain. You never know when a win might be your last one.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:

1st:        Brent Anderson, Kingston Springs, Tenn., five bass, 21-0, $12,618, (includes $7,000 Phoenix Bonus)
2nd:       Chris Kirksey, Fairmount, Ga., five bass, 17-12, $2,309
3rd:       Blake Fritts, Florence, Ala., four bass, 16-13, $2,219
4th:        Nick Stickland, Sulligent, Ala., five bass, 16-11, $1,078
5th:        Garrett Warren, Hoover, Ala., five bass, 16-3, $924
6th:        Steve Stewart, Donalsonville, Ga., five bass, 15-8, $847
7th:        Brandon Bright, Crossville, Ala., two bass, 15-6, $770
8th:        Justin Atkins, Florence, Ala., five bass, 15-0, $693
9th:        Mickey Beck, Lebanon, Tenn., five bass, 14-9, $616
10th:     Chris Youngblood, Kingston, Ga., five bass, 14-7, $539

Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Fritts had a 6-pound, 5-ounce largemouth that was the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division and earned the day’s Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $680.

Johnny Suratt of Lawrenceburg, Tennessee, won the Strike King Co-angler Division and $2,640 Saturday after catching four bass weighing 14 pounds, 8 ounces.

The top 10 Strike King co-anglers were:

1st:        Johnny Suratt, Lawrenceburg, Tenn., four bass, 14-8, $2,640
2nd:       Ethan Wheeler, Mayfield, Ky., four bass, 13-8, $960
2nd:       Jose Serna, Albertville, Ala., three bass, 13-8, $960
4th:        Craig Johnson, Trinity, Ala., five bass, 13-4, $538
5th:        Nicholas Gresens, Decatur, Ga., five bass, 12-7, $461
6th:        Teddy Baggett, Nashville, Tenn., five bass, 12-3, $423
7th:        Caleb Edgerton, Dayton, Ohio, three bass, 9-14, $584
8th:        Bob Thompson, Florence, Ala., three bass, 9-1, $346
9th:        Jason Long, Calhoun, Ga., three bass, 7-14, $307
10th:     Randall Kramer, Signal Mountain, Tenn., two bass, 7-3, $269

Suratt also caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, a fish weighing in at 6 pounds, 7 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Berkley Big Bass Co-angler award of $335.

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. 6-8 Bass Fishing League Regional Championship on Lake Murray in Prosperity, S.C. 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 2022 All-American will be held June 2-4 at Lake Hamilton in Hot Springs, Arkansas, and is hosted by the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism and Visit Hot Springs.

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.

by AnglersChannel

Burroughs Earns Victory at Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event on Santee Cooper

by AnglersChannel

Brumfield Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event on Lake Lanier

Boater Jerry Brumfield of Cumming, Georgia, and Strike King Co-Angler Jonathan Gregory of Somerset, Kentucky, were champions at the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine on Lake Lanier.

by AnglersChannel

Bethel University Wins Eighth-Annual MLF Abu Garcia College Fishing Open at Lake Chickamauga

DAYTON, Tenn. (Feb. 28, 2022) – The Bethel University duo of Hunter Fillmore of Waynesville, Ohio and Dylan Fogarty of Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania won the eighth-annual Abu Garcia College Fishing Presented by YETI Open tournament at Lake Chickamauga on Friday. The team’s two-day cumulative total of 10 bass weighing 45 pounds, 9 ounces, gave them a whopping 14-pound, 3-ounce-margin over the second-place team, Georgetown College’s Conner Johnson of Paris, Kentucky and Jordan Nicely of Mount Vernon, Kentucky, who brought 10 bass to the stage weighing 31-6. The Bethel victory earned the duo a $33,500 prize package, including a new Phoenix 518 Pro boat with a 115-horsepower Mercury outboard, and an automatic berth into the 2023 Abu Garcia College Fishing National Championship.

A total of 275 teams competed in the event on Lake Chickamauga, setting the record for the most teams in Major League Fishing history to compete in the College Fishing Open. With the number of teams competing, the Bethel duo said they were surprised to realize they had such a large lead on the final day of the event.

“We honestly just got lucky,” said Fogarty. “We spent a whole day graphing Lake Chickamauga, from the dam all the way up to Sale Creek. This one spot we found is unlike anything we’ve ever seen – just one patch of grass, about the size of a boat – and we managed to pull over 45 pounds out of it.

“After we got a good limit on Day 1, we just stuck around the area to see if we could cull, and kept an eye on the place, but no one else showed up.”

The pair headed back to their lucky spot on Day 2, where they found conditions had changed – the formerly clean water was dirty and the water level had risen, pushing the grass down even deeper.

“The water had come up about a foot and a half or so, pushing the grass down to about 8 feet of water,” said Fillmore. “We had been fishing with a lipless crankbait on the first day, but switched over to vibrating jigs on Day 2, and had our limit by 11:30 a.m.,” said Fillmore.

Their key baits were a Z-Man ChatterBait Jack Hammer and a Queen Tackle Switch Blade Tungsten Bladed Jig in ½-ounce models, with red skirts and a white Yamamoto Zako , which they dyed orange. The pair said once Fogarty reeled in the 9-5, they had a pretty good idea they would be in first place.

“We knew we were sittin’ good but had no idea we had that large of a lead,” said Fillmore. “This is Bethel’s first Open win and it feels great.”

The 27 teams that advanced to the 2023 Abu Garcia College Fishing National Championship were:

1^st:            Bethel University – Hunter Fillmore, Waynesville, Ohio, and Dylan Fogarty, Mechanicsburg, Pa., 10 bass, 45-9
2^nd:           Georgetown College – Conner Johnson, Paris, Ky., and Jordan Nicely, Mount Vernon, Ky., seven bass, 31-6
3^rd:           Tarleton State University – Reagan Nelson, Athens, Texas, and Collin Reyes, Saginaw, Texas, 10 bass, 28-14
4^th:           Louisiana State University – Bryan Bergeron, Port Allen, La., and Heath Pinell, Plaquemine, La., 10 bass, 28-3
5^th:           Bryan College – Conner Giles, Riceville, Tenn., and Christian Wright, Clinton, Tenn., eight bass, 28-2
6^th:           Blue Mountain College – Tyler Hill and Bryant Marsh, both of Corinth, Miss., six bass, 25-6
7^th:           Bryan College – Mason Cizek, Knoxville, Tenn., and Rob Lindsey, Harrison, Tenn., seven bass, 25-1
8^th:           Bethel University – Austin Aikins, Lower Burrell, Pa., and Sean O’Brien, McKenzie, Tenn., seven bass, 24-2
9^th:           University of Montevallo – Cade Holcomb, Helena, Ala., and Grayson Morris, Birmingham, Ala., eight bass, 24-1
10^th:        Catawba Valley Community College – Lane Bailey and Justin Eggers, both of Granite Falls, N.C., six bass, 22-5
11^th:        Drury University – Hunter Baird, Springfield, Mo., and Cole Breeden, Eldridge, Mo., nine bass, 21-11
12^th:        University of Montevallo – Adam Carroll, Carrollton, Ga., and Trey Dickert, Taylors, S.C., six bass, 21-9
13^th:        Emmanuel College – Dylan Akins, Flowery Branch, Ga., and Chase Carey, Hoschton, Ga., eight bass, 20-11
14^th:        Columbia State Community College – Hunter Jones and Ryan Prince, both of Mount Pleasant, Tenn., six bass, 20-5
15^th:        Blue Mountain College – Lake Norsworthy, Brandon, Miss., and Nick Staub, Germantown, Tenn., seven bass, 19-14
16^th:        University of North Carolina – Samuel Dunson, Chapel Hill, N.C., and Jake Monti, Mooresville, N.C., five bass, 19-11
17^th:        Louisiana State University – Jeremy Severic, Bossier City, La., and Blakely Young, Hallsville, Texas, seven bass, 19-1
18^th:        East Texas Baptist University – Kaden Proffitt, Pittsburg, Texas, and Cason Ragsdale, Winnsboro, Texas, five bass, 18-15
19^th:        McKendree University – Tyler Christy, Bolingbrook, Ill., and Trey Schroeder, Crestwood, Mo., eight bass, 18-14
20^th:        Bethel University – Matthew Cummings, Union City, Tenn., and Levi Mullins, Nineveh, Ind., six bass, 18-9
21^st:         Emmanuel College – Seth Jenkins, Townville, S.C. and TJ McKenzie, Andrews, S.C., eight bass, 18-8
22^nd:        McKendree University – Jack Stephens, St. Louis, Mo., and Maxwell Trotter, Decatur, Ill., seven bass, 18-0
23^rd:        University of Nebraska – Cade Ludwig, Lincoln, Neb., and Hunter Suchsland, Kearney, Neb., seven bass, 17-9
24^th:        Tarleton State – Kreed Averhoff, Hico, Texas, and Jordan Kalsbeek, Stephenville, Texas, six bass, 17-8
25^th:        Emmanuel College – Cole Holloway, Madison, Ga., and Taylor McMullen, Oxford, Ga., five bass, 17-2
26^th:        Blue Mountain College – John Berry, Mt. Olive, Miss., and Blake Bullock, Seminary, Miss., six bass, 17-0
27^th:        University of North Alabama – Ty James, Iuka, Miss., and Walker Sahagun, Trussville, Ala., four bass, 16-10

Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

The Abu Garcia College Fishing Presented by YETI Open tournament was hosted by Fish Dayton and the Rhea Economic & Tourism Council. The next event for MLF collegiate anglers will be a Southeastern Conference tournament, scheduled for March 4 on Lake Guntersville in Guntersville, Alabama.

Abu Garcia College Fishing Presented by YETI teams compete in three regular-season qualifying tournaments in one of five conferences – Central, Northern, Southern, Southeastern and Western. The top ten teams from each division’s three regular-season tournaments and the top 20 teams from the annual Abu Garcia College Fishing Open advance to the following year’s Abu Garcia College Fishing Presented by YETI National Championship. One additional team will automatically qualify for the National Championship for every 10 teams over 200 competing.

Proud sponsors of the 2022 MLF Abu Garcia College Fishing Presented by YETI include: 4WP, 13 Fishing, Abu Garcia, 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, Strike King, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, Wiley X and YETI.

For complete details and updated information visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Abu Garcia College Fishing Presented by YETI on MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.

by AnglersChannel