Girdner Tops Strike King Co-Angler Division

PRATTVILLE, Ala. (Oct. 2, 2023) – Boater Blake Davenport of Jemison, Alabama, caught 10 bass weighing 26 pounds, 10 ounces, to win the two-day MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine on the Alabama River Presented by Southern Petroleum Services in Prattville, Alabama. The tournament, hosted by the City of Prattville, was the fifth and final regular-season event for the Bass Fishing League Bama Division Presented by Mystik Lubricants. Davenport earned $4,668 for his victory.

“I found something up the river on channel swings where the fish were up, and I caught them all on a white ¼-ounce Crusher Lures Crusher Pro Buzzbait,” Davenport said.

Davenport said the buzzbait accounted for 15 to 20 keepers Saturday and 30 to 40 keepers on the second day of competition. He said he lives 40 minutes from the river, and he felt his familiarity with the fishery gave him confidence in the tournament.

“When I culled the last time with a 3-pounder, I thought the tournament was over,” said Davenport. “I’ve worked so hard for this, and it’s finally come to fruition. What went down this weekend was nothing short of special.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:

1st:          Blake Davenport, Jemison, Ala., 10 bass, 26-10, $4,668
2nd:        Kyle Dorsett, Springville, Ala., 10 bass, 23-1, $2,334
3rd:        Keith Poche, Pike Road, Ala., 10 bass, 22-5, $1,857
4th:         Cal Burton, Dadeville, Ala., 10 bass, 21-15, $1,089
5th:         Jason Nixon, Wetumpka, Ala., 10 bass, 20-13, $934
6th:         Chris Payne, Vance, Ala., eight bass, 20-4, $1,356 (includes $500 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus)
7th:         David Wesson, Southside, Ala., 10 bass, 19-3, $778
8th:         Jake Akin, Heflin, Ala., 10 bass, 18-3, $1,247
9th:         Chad Boykin, Robertsdale, Ala., 10 bass, 17-8, $622
10th:      Henry McPherson, Tuscaloosa, Ala., nine bass, 16-4, $545

Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Jake Akin of Heflin, Alabama, caught a bass weighing 5 pounds even that was the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division to earn the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $547.

Justin Girdner of Wetumpka, Alabama, won the Strike King Co-angler Division and $2,270 Sunday after catching a two-day total of eight bass weighing 14 pounds, 15 ounces.

The top 10 Strike King co-anglers were:

1st:          Justin Girdner, Wetumpka, Ala., eight bass, 14-15, $2,270
2nd:        Chad Macks, Robertsdale, Ala., six bass, 13-12, $1,401
3rd:        Michael Petras, Biloxi, Miss., seven bass, 11-3, $550
4th:         Johhny Albritton, Cullman, Ala., five bass, 10-8, $530
5th:         Danny Smith, Tyrone, Ga., seven bass, 10-0, $454
6th:         Ethan McDonald, Livingston, Tenn., six bass, 9-0, $416
7th:         Ben Caldwell, Hartselle, Ala., six bass, 8-8, $378
8th:         Michael McLaurin, Chickamauga, Ga., six bass, 7-11, $341
9th:         Gunter Williams, Linden, Ala., six bass, 7-7, $303
10th:      Bobby Biggun, Cleveland, Ga., four bass, 7-6, $265

Chad Macks of Robertsdale, Alabama, caught the largest bass in the Strike King Co-angler Division, a fish weighing in at 4 pounds, 1 ounce. The catch earned him the Berkley Big Bass Co-angler award of $266.

With the regular season now complete, boater Chris Payne of Vance, Alabama, won the 2023 Bass Fishing League Bama Division Presented by Mystik Lubricants Boater Angler of the Year (AOY) race with a five-event total of 1,282 points to earn the $1,000 boater AOY award. Chad Macks of Robertsdale, Alabama, won the 2023 Strike King Co-Angler Bama Division Presented by Mystik Lubricants AOY race with 1,329 points and earned the $500 Strike King Co-angler of the Year award.

Now, the top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the division based on point standings, along with the five winners of each qualifying event, will advance to compete in the Oct. 12-14 Bass Fishing League Regional Championship on Dale Hollow Lake in Byrdstown, Tennessee. Boaters will fish 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 compete for a top award of $50,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard.

The 2023 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 Strike King co-anglers from each division, along with the five qualifying event winners, will advance to one of six BFL Regional tournaments 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 BFL All-American.

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

Proud sponsors of the 2023 MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine include: 13 Fishing, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, Black Rifle Coffee, E3, Epic Baits, Favorite Fishing, General Tire, Grundéns, Gill, Lew’s, Lowrance, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Mystik Lubricants, 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 Bass Fishing League updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF5’s social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.