Hot Springs’ Bearden Wins Strike King Co-Angler Division
MOUNT IDA, Ark. (March 9, 2021) – Boater Chris Darby of Hot Springs, Arkansas, wins the Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine at Lake Ouachita Presented by Abu Garcia in Mount Ida, Arkansas. Darby earned $4,915 for his victory at the event.
TOP 10 RESULTS
| RANK | BOATER NAME/HOMETOWN | BASS | WEIGHT | AWARD |
| 1st | Chris Darby of Hot Springs, Ark. | 5 | 16-9 | $4,915 |
| 2nd | Jamey Black of Sheridan, Ark. | 5 | 16-0 | $2,958 |
| 3rd | Jimmy Mize of Ben Lomond, Ark. | 5 | 15-0 | $1,393 |
| 3rd | Dustin Huggins of Russellville, Ark. | 5 | 15-0 | $1,393 |
| 5th | James Stricklin, Jr. of Fort Smith, Ark. | 5 | 14-12 | $942 |
| 5th | Stephen Tyson of Camden, Ark. | 5 | 14-12 | $942 |
| 7th | Brian Bean of Hot Springs, Ark. | 5 | 14-1 | $819 |
| 8th | Bill Hughan of Little Rock, Ark. | 5 | 14-0 | $737 |
| 9th | Wayne Dixon of Morrilton, Ark. | 5 | 13-12 | $655 |
| 10th | John Clark of Pine Bluff, Ark. | 4 | 13-11 | $573 |
| RANK | STRIKE KING CO-ANGLER NAME/HOMETOWN | BASS | WEIGHT | AWARD |
| 1st | Grant Bearden of Hot Springs, Ark. | 5 | 13-14 | $2,309 |
| 2nd | Steve Meredith of Jessieville, Ark. | 5 | 12-11 | $1,155 |
| 3rd | Kevin Beatty of Rison, Ark. | 5 | 12-3 | $770 |
| 4th | Aaron Calvert of Russellville, Ark. | 5 | 10-15 | $539 |
| 5th | Todd Christen of Conway, Ark. | 5 | 9-10 | $462 |
| 6th | Melinda Hays of Hot Springs, Ark. | 4 | 9-1 | $423 |
| 7th | Reagan Brown of Hot Springs, Ark. | 5 | 8-8 | $385 |
| 8th | Bill Hockaday of Nashville, Ark. | 3 | 8-5 | $346 |
| 9th | Chuck Harney of Perryville, Ark. | 4 | 8-3 | $308 |
| 10th | Stephen Cagle of Ratcliff, Ark. | 5 | 8-0 | $269 |
| AWARD | NAME | CONTINGENCY | PAYOUT |
| Boater Big Bass | Trent Owens of Amity, Ark. | 6-pound, 12-ounce bass | $750 |
| Strike King Co-Angler Berkley Big Bass | Brandon Guice of Conway, Ark. | 6-pound, 5-ounce bass | $340 |
| Phoenix MLF BIG5 Bonus | Jamey Black of Sheridan, Ark. | Eligible Phoenix Boat* | $500 |
| ANGLER | BAIT | COLOR |
| Boater | KC School’em Umbrella Rig | Did Not Divulge |
| Strike King Co-Angler | – jerkbait – carolina rig |
– Did Not Divulge – Did Not Divulge |
| EVENT | DATE | LOCATION | HOST |
| Arkie Division – Phoenix Bass Fishing League Regional Championship | Oct. 7-9 | Lake Norfork, Mountain Home, Ark. | Mountain Home Area Chamber of Commerce |
| Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American | June 3-5 | Douglas Lake, Dandridge, Tenn. | Jefferson County Department of Tourism |
The top six finishers in each regional will then qualify for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American.
The top 45 boaters and Strike King co-anglers plus tournament winners from each Phoenix Bass Fishing League division will also earn priority entry into the Toyota Series, the pathway to the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit and ultimately the MLF Bass Pro Tour.
For complete details and updated information visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine on MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook , Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
