Day: February 11, 2020

Bonaire’s Denney Wins Co-angler Division

ALEXANDER CITY, Ala. (Feb. 10, 2020) – Boater Dusty Robinson of Eclectic, Alabama, brought a five-bass limit to the scale Saturday weighing 13 pounds, 4 ounces to win the 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine event at Lake Martin in Alexander City, Alabama. For his victory, Robinson earned a total of $5,686, including a $1,000 Mercury contingency award.

“I started my day out with a spinnerbait in my hand, and I didn’t put it down throughout the entire day,” said Robinson, who earned his first career Phoenix Bass Fishing League victory. “I caught around 20 keepers all day long, fishing in the Hog Pen Slough area – around the D.A.R.E. Power Park.”

Robinson’s key lure was a 3/8-ounce purple shad-colored War Eagle Spinnerbait with a white Zoom Split Tail Trailer.

“I caught them anywhere from 6 inches to 8 feet deep,” Robinson said. “The Hog Pen Slough is a main feeder creek, about mid-river. I was targeting the blowdowns and rocky secondary points. If I didn’t get bit on the bank, I’d slow roll it all the way back to the boat.

“The bite was really hot from 9:30 to 10:30 (a.m.), then there was a lull until about 1:15 (p.m.). Then it really picked up again,” Robinson continued. “The key was definitely slowing down and being patient.

“I’ve been battling against these hammers in the Bama Division for three years now, and I’ve been one bite away from the win a couple of times. It was shocking that the weights were this low – I didn’t expect to win – but it was an awesome day and I’m glad I did.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament as follows:

            1^st:       Dusty Robinson of Eclectic, Ala., five bass, 13-4, $5,686

            2^nd:      Thomas Frink of Cedartown, Ga., five bass, 12-12, $2,843

            3^rd:       Kip Balkcom of Auburn, Ala., five bass, 12-2, $1,562

            4^th:       Brad Jones of Sylacauga, Ala., five bass, 12-0, $1,093

            5^th:       Mason Franklin of Mulga, Ala., five bass, 11-12, $898

            6^th:       Steven Ingram of Tallassee, Ala., five bass, 11-12, $898

            7^th:       Anthony Goggins of Clanton, Ala., five bass, 11-6, $742

            8^th:       Ken Morris of Childersburg, Ala., five bass, 11-6, $942

            9^th:       Robert Werner of Spanish Fort, Ala., five bass, 11-5, $625

            10^th:     Greg Bearden of Oxford, Ala., five bass, 11-3, $547

Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Chris Rutland of Wetumpka, Alabama, brought a 4-pound, 3-ounce bass to the scale to win the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $690.

Frink took home an extra $500 as the highest finishing FLW PHOENIX BONUS member. Boaters are eligible to win up to an extra $7,000 per event in each Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine tournament if all requirements are met. More information on the FLW PHOENIX BONUS contingency program can be found at PhoenixBassBoats.com.

Mark Denney of Bonaire, Georgia, won the Co-angler Division and $2,493 Saturday after catching a five-bass limit weighing 11 pounds, 2 ounces.

The top 10 co-anglers finished as follows:

            1^st:       Mark Denney of Bonaire, Ga., five bass, 11-2, $2,493

            2^nd:      Lew Moore of Roanoke, Ala., five bass, 11-1, $1,517

            3^rd:       Andrew Fisher of Anniston, Ala., five bass, 10-8, $781

            4^th:       Jacob Hays of Marbury, Ala., five bass, 10-6, $547

            5^th:       Justin Foster of Zebulon, Ga., five bass, 10-0, $469

            6^th:       Jim Laster of Newnan, Ga., five bass, 9-13, $410

            7^th:       Scott Carpenter of Childersburg, Ala., five bass, 9-13, $410

            8^th:       Bill Gaston of Sylacauga, Ala., five bass, 9-10, $351

            9^th:       Gary Marlowe of Montgomery, Ala., five bass, 9-9, $312

            10^th:     Chance Hebert of Woodstock, Ga., five bass, 9-5, $273

Moore caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, a fish weighing in at 4 pounds even. The catch earned him the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $345.

The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine on Lake Martin was hosted by the Alexander City Chamber of Commerce. It was the opening event of five qualifying tournaments in the Bama division.

The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the Bama division based on point standings, along with the five winners of each qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 8-10 Bass Fishing League Regional Championship on Lake Chickamauga in Dayton, Tennessee, hosted by the Rhea Economic and Tourism Council. Boaters will compete for a $60,000 prize package, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro bass boat with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard and $10,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new 18-foot Phoenix bass boat with a 200-horsepower outboard.

The 2020 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 co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six 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 Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American.

The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American will be held April 30 through May 2 at Lake Hartwell in Anderson, South Carolina and is hosted by Visit Anderson. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers plus tournament winners from each Phoenix Bass Fishing League division earn priority entry into the FLW Series, the pathway to the FLW Pro Circuit and ultimately the MLF Bass Pro Tour, where top pros compete with no entry fees.

Gainesville’s Grizzle Wins Co-angler Division

WALHALLA, S.C. (Feb. 10, 2020) – Boater Randy Dover of Buford, Georgia, brought five to the scale Saturday totaling 15 pounds, 10 ounces to win the 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine event at Lake Keowee in Seneca, South Carolina. For his victory, Dover earned a total of $5,627.

Weather was a factor for the Savannah River division anglers, as cold, snowy conditions hampered a lot of plans and strategies for competitors. Dover said that he did the majority of his damage close to Seneca, only a mile to a mile and a half from takeoff.

“The places that I caught them in practice really got stained, so I had to move out to clearer water,” said Dover, who earned his first career victory in just his third career Phoenix Bass Fishing League event. “I ended up catching them on roadbeds and ditches.”

Dover said his two key baits throughout the day were a Ned rig and a shaky-head rig.

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament as follows:

            1^st:       Randy Dover of Buford, Ga., five bass, 15-10, $5,627

            2^nd:      Tim Watson of Martin, Ga., five bass, 13-4, $2,345

            3^rd:       Jimmy Gooch of Jefferson, Ga., five bass, 13-4, $2,345

            4^th:       Jason Johnson of Dawsonville, Ga., five bass, 13-1, $1,813

            5^th:       Jeremy Strong of Elberton, Ga., five bass, 12-11, $1,125

            6^th:       Jayme Rampey of Liberty, S.C., five bass, 12-9, $1,942

            7^th:       Jody Holland of Clermont, Ga., five bass, 12-0, $938

            8^th:       Bo Price of Seneca, S.C., five bass, 11-14, $797

            9^th:       Russell Clark of Abbeville, S.C., five bass, 11-14, $797

            10^th:     Tyler Thompson of Easley, S.C., five bass, 11-11, $623

            10^th:     Brad Benfield of Demorest, Ga., five bass, 11-11, $623

Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Rampey brought a 5-pound, 7-ounce bass to the scale to win the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $910.

For the second week in a row, boater Jason Johnson was highest-finishing FLW PHOENIX BONUS member and took home an extra $500. Boaters are eligible to win up to an extra $7,000 per event in each Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine tournament if all requirements are met. More information on the FLW PHOENIX BONUS contingency program can be found at PhoenixBassBoats.com.

Harold Grizzle of Gainesville, Georgia, won the Co-angler Division and $3,268 Saturday after catching a five-bass limit weighing 17 pounds, 6 ounces.

The top 10 co-anglers finished as follows:

            1^st:       Harold Grizzle of Gainesville, Ga., five bass, 17-6, $3,268

            2^nd:      Fisher Rodgers of Camden, S.C., five bass, 12-6, $1,407

            3^rd:       Sawyer Redmond of Easley, S.C., five bass, 11-5, $938

            4^th:       Wendell Grantham of Athens, Ga., five bass, 10-14, $656

            5^th:       Bruce Faulkner of Seneca, S.C., five bass, 10-10, $563

            6^th:       Will White of Wake Forest, N.C., five bass, 10-9, $516

            7^th:       Stephen McCoy of Walhalla, S.C., five bass, 10-4, $469

            8^th:       Chris Wilson of Easley, S.C., five bass, 10-2, $572

            9^th:       John Wilson of Six Mile, S.C., five bass, 9-11, $351

            9^th:       Wesley Wilson of Cornelia, Ga., three bass, 9-11, $351

Grizzle also caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, weighing in at 7 pounds, 10 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $455.

The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine on Lake Keowee was hosted by Visit Oconee. It was the first of five qualifying events in the Savannah River Division.

The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the Savannah River Division based on point standings, along with the five winners of each qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 22-24 Bass Fishing League Regional Championship on Lake Lanier in Gainesville, Georgia, hosted by the Gainesville Convention & Visitors Bureau. Boaters will compete for a $60,000 prize package, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro bass boat with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard and $10,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new 18-foot Phoenix bass boat with a 200-horsepower outboard.

The 2020 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 co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six 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 Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American.

The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American will be held April 30 through May 2 at Lake Hartwell in Anderson, South Carolina and is hosted by Visit Anderson. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers plus tournament winners from each Phoenix Bass Fishing League division earn priority entry into the FLW Series, the pathway to the FLW Pro Circuit and ultimately the MLF Bass Pro Tour, where top pros compete with no entry fees.

Bradenton’s Hibbs Wins Co-angler Division

CLEWISTON, Fla. (Feb. 10, 2020) – Boater Thomas Littich of Cape Coral, Florida, brought a five-bass limit to the scale Saturday weighing 23 pounds, 14 ounces to win the 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine event at Lake Okeechobee in Clewiston, Florida. For his victory, Littich earned a total of $7,220, including a $2,500 FLW PHOENIX BONUS contingency award.

The tournament was the second of five events in the Gator Division presented by A.R.E. Truck Caps.

“I’ve fished these tournaments for six years, and this is the first time that I’ve gotten to hold one of these fancy winner trophies up,” said Littich, who was fishing in his 36^th career Bass Fishing League event. “The feeling that I got when I knew I had the win was absolutely awesome.

“I started my day up north, near the Monkey Box area, then I ended up around Observation Shoal,” Littich continued. “Those were the two main areas that I fished. I bounced to one spot about halfway down the shoal, then came back in at the end of the day.”

Littich said that he caught his fish on a variety of baits. His first bass – a 7-pounder – came on a Z-Man ChatterBait. An hour and a half later, Littich boated a 6-pounder on a black and blue-colored Yamamoto Senko. Another key bite came late in the day flipping a Gambler Burner Craw with a 3/8-ounce weight.

“The key was not getting out of my own head,” Littich went on to say. “It was a very slow bite this morning, so I had to take my time and not get worried.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament as follows:

            1^st:        Thomas Littich of Cape Coral, Fla., five bass, 23-14, $7,220

            2^nd:       Jerry Stalvey Jr. of Palatka, Fla., five bass, 22-15, $3,055

            3^rd:       Jared McMillan of Belle Glade, Fla., five bass, 19-7, $1,574

            4^th:       Mike Vititoe of Lakeworth, Fla., five bass, 17-3, $1,101

            5^th:       Mike Davis of Alachua, Fla., five bass, 17-0, $944

            6^th:       Alex Terescenko of West Palm Beach, Fla., five bass, 15-14, $865

            7^th:       Christopher Hunter of Hilliard, Fla., five bass, 15-11, $787

            8^th:       Garrett Thomas of Mulberry, Fla., five bass, 15-0, $708

            9^th:       Jared Howell of Hilliard, Fla., five bass, 14-13, $629

            10^th:      Cedric Perry of Cross City, Fla., five bass, 14-12, $551

Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Stalvey Jr. brought an 8-pound, 13-ounce bass to the scale to win the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $695.

Littich took home an extra $2,500 as the highest finishing FLW PHOENIX BONUS member. Boaters are eligible to win up to an extra $7,000 per event in each Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine tournament if all requirements are met. More information on the FLW PHOENIX BONUS contingency program can be found at PhoenixBassBoats.com.

Timothy Hibbs of Bradenton, Florida, won the Co-angler Division and $2,510 Saturday after catching a five-bass limit weighing 15 pounds, 7 ounces.

The top 10 co-anglers finished as follows:

            1^st:        Timothy Hibbs of Bradenton, Fla., five bass, 15-7, $2,510

            2^nd:       Moses Wilson of Clewiston, Fla., five bass, 13-13, $1,180

            3^rd:       Brandon Prophitt of Orlando, Fla., five bass, 12-13, $787

            4^th:       Bryan Ray of Lake Leelanau, Mich., five bass, 12-12, $551

            5^th:       Scott Farnham of Port St. Lucie, Fla., five bass, 10-5, $472

            6^th:       Jay McNamara of Issaquah, Wash., five bass, 9-14, $433

            7^th:       David Wickham of Fruitland Park, Fla., five bass, 9-13, $373

            7^th:       Jason Gonzalez of Loxahatchee, Fla., five bass, 9-13, $473

            9^th:       Joshua Tackett of Orange City, Fla., five bass, 9-9, $295

            9^th:       Sean Wiggins of Pinellas Park, Fla., five bass, 9-9, $295

Vidal Melendrez of Miami, Florida caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, a fish weighing in at 6 pounds, 12 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $347.

The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine on Lake Okeechobee was hosted by the Hendry County Tourism Development Council.

The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the Gator Division presented by A.R.E. based on point standings, along with the five winners of each qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 22-24 Bass Fishing League Regional Championship on Lake Lanier in Gainesville, Georgia, hosted by the Gainesville Convention & Visitors Bureau. Boaters will compete for a $60,000 prize package, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro bass boat with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard and $10,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new 18-foot Phoenix bass boat with a 200-horsepower outboard.