CLANTON, Ala. (April 4, 2022) – Boater Kyle Dorsett of Springville, Alabama, caught five bass Saturday weighing 15 pounds, 7 ounces, to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine on Lake Mitchell . The tournament was the second event for the Bass Fishing League Bama Division. Dorsett earned $5,498 for his victory.
“We had about an hour fog delay, and I really didn’t have any expectations,” Dorsett said. “I had practiced a couple of days, and the sun was out then, but I had never even caught a 3-pounder.
“After the fog delay Saturday I went to my spot and there were two boats sitting on it, so I just picked up a jig and went fishing,” Dorsett added. “I fished the way I like to fish.”
Dorsett said his bass came on a Dirty Jigs Swim Jig and a Dirty Jigs Scott Canterbury Flippin’ Jig. He said he focused on fishing Lake Mitchell from the boat ramp mid-lake to the Coosa River.
“This win feels awesome,” Dorsett said. “This is my third BFL win, but it’s been a while. It’s just awesome to win against this caliber of fishermen.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
1st: Kyle Dorsett, Springville, Ala., five bass, 15-7, $5,498
2nd: Chad Hall, Cullman, Ala., five bass, 13-1, $1,873
2nd: Austin Shields, Lake View, Ala., five bass, 13-1, $1,873
4th: Dennis Barnes, Boaz, Ala., five bass, 12-14, $1,050
5th: Danny Grantham, Bay Minette, Ala., five bass, 12-13, $900
6th: Michael Smith, Andalusia, Ala., five bass, 12-4, $987
6th: Cory Gardner, Estill Springs, Tenn., five bass, 12-4, $787
8th: Robbie Robinson, Mobile, Ala., five bass, 12-3, $675
9th: Dusty Robinson, Eclectic, Ala., five bass, 12-0, $600
10th: Austin Archer, Anniston, Ala., five bass, 11-10, $1,025 (includes $500 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus)
Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Tyler Smith of Selma, Alabama, had a 4-pound, 6-ounce largemouth that was the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division and earned the day’s Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $645.
Mike Langdale of Sycamore, Georgia, won the Strike King Co-angler Division and $2,249 Saturday after catching five bass weighing 13 pounds, 12 ounces.
The top 10 Strike King co-anglers were:
1st: Mike Langdale, Sycamore, Ga., five bass, 13-12, $2,249
2nd: Joseph Chilcott, Crestview, Fla., five bass, 13-3, $1,447
3rd: Lonnie Hill, Pine Mountain, Ga., five bass, 11-2, $852
4th: Rodney Thompson, Highland Home, Ala., five bass, 10-8, $525
5th: Daniel Buswell Jr., Fayetteville, Ga., five bass, 10-1, $450
6th: Dennis Sandoval, Decatur, Ala., five bass, 9-14, $762
7th: Anthony Davis, McCalla, Ala., five bass, 9-9, $337
7th: Michael Corbett, Oxford, Ala., five bass, 9-9, $337
7th: Sam Fish, Alexander City, Ala., five bass, 9-9, $337
10th: Gary Marlowe, Montgomery, Ala., five bass, 9-7, $249
10th: Jeffery McCoy, Montgomery, Ala., five bass, 9-7, $249
Chilcott caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, a fish weighing in at 4 pounds, 14 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Berkley Big Bass Co-angler award of $322.
After two events, Dusty Robinson of Eclectic, Alabama, leads the Bass Fishing League Bama Division Boater Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 487 points, while Mike Langdale of Sycamore, Georgia, and Daniel Buswell, Jr., of Fayetteville, Georgia, are tied for the lead in the Strike King Co-Angler Division AOY race, both with 487 points.
The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the region based on point standings, along with the five winners in each qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 13-15 Bass Fishing League Regional Championship on 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.
