Choate Wins Strike King Co-Angler Division

GREERS FERRY, Ark. (April 11, 2022) – Boater Josh Ray of Alexander, Arkansas, caught five bass Saturday weighing 13 pounds, 8 ounces, to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine on Greers Ferry Lake . The tournament was the third event for the Bass Fishing League Arkie Division. Ray earned $13,024, including the lucrative $7,000 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus, for his victory.

“It took all day to grind them out,” Ray said. “I found the fish in practice, but I only caught nine or 10 keepers all day.

“I’m somewhat familiar with Greers Ferry,” Ray added. “I’ve been coming up here pretty regularly for tournaments.”

Ray said his fish fell for a shaky-head tipped with a green-pumpkin trick worm in 20 to 25 feet of water. He said he focused on deep brush in the mid-lake area.

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:

1st:          Josh Ray, Alexander, Ark., five bass, 13-8, $13,024 (includes $7,000 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus)
2nd:        Chuck Hamby, Little Rock, Ark., five bass, 13-4, $2,093
2nd:        Brian Bean, Hot Springs, Ark., five bass, 13-4, $2,093
4th:         Justin Hake, Conway, Ark., five bass, 13-1, $1,947
5th:         Bradley McDaniel, Wynne, Ark., five bass, 10-11, $1,005
6th:         Terry Cordum, Cotter, Ark., five bass, 10-10, $921
7th:         Cody Davis, Higden, Ark., five bass, 10-9, $837
8th:         Spencer Shuffield, Hot Springs, Ark., five bass, 10-8, $754
9th:         Kevin Brown, Hot Springs, Ark., five bass, 10-5, $1,028
9th:         Jamey Black, Sheridan, Ark., five bass, 10-5, $628

Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.Hake had a largemouth that weighed 5 pounds, 7 ounces that was the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division and earned the day’s Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $775.

Brian Choate of Conway, Arkansas, won the Strike King Co-angler Division and $2,512 Saturday after catching five bass weighing 12 pounds, 4 ounces.The top 10 Strike King co-anglers were:

1st:          Brian Choate, Conway, Ark., five bass, 12-4, $2,512
2nd:        Dustin Forsythe, Amity, Ark., five bass, 11-3, $1,256
3rd:        Randy Allen, Russellville, Ark., five bass, 10-11, $1,038
4th:         Joseph Aguilar, Bauxite, Ark., five bass, 9-10, $586
5th:         Jody Jones, Harvey, Ark., five bass, 9-6, $602
6th:         Jonathan Dotson, Dover, Ark., five bass, 9-2, $461
7th:         Rusty Allen, Russellville, Ark., five bass, 8-14, $398
7th:         Kyle Huneycutt, Malvern, Ark., five bass, 8-14, $398
9th:         Terry Owens, Danville, Ark., five bass, 8-11, $335
10th:      Kelby Humble, Rogersville, Mo., five bass, 8-9, $293

Clay Hardin of McGehee, Arkansas, caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, a fish weighing in at 3 pounds, 10 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Berkley Big Bass Co-angler award of $387.After three events, Brian Bean of Hot Springs, Arkansas, leads the Bass Fishing League Arkie Division Boater Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 742 points, while Jonathan Simms of Hot Springs, Arkansas, leads the Strike King Co-Angler Division AOY race with 735 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. 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.