Category: MLF BIG-5

May 30, 2020  by FLW Communications

FLORENCE, Ala. – Major League Fishing (MLF) Bass Pro Tour angler Jacob Wheeler of Harrison, Tennessee, brought five bass to the scale weighing 17 pounds, 11 ounces to win the three-day Toyota Series at Pickwick Lake event Saturday in Florence, Alabama. Wheeler’s three-day total of 15 bass weighing 56-8 earned him the win by a 5-pound, 8-ounce margin over second-place angler Buddy Gross of Chickamauga, Georgia, and earned Wheeler the top payout of $38,545 in the second tournament of the 2020 Toyota Series Central Division season.

“I truthfully can’t even believe that just happened,” said Wheeler, the reigning MLF World Champion who earned the first Toyota Series win of his career. “I’ve competed at all levels, and it is so tough to win one of these Toyota Series events. A lot of pros compete in them, but they also have the great local fisherman that know their home bodies of water so well. They’re extremely hard to win, so to come out today with the victory – I am tremendously tickled.”

Wheeler said that he had no magic spot on Pickwick Lake, but estimated he fished around 30 different places throughout the week, throwing a variety of baits.

“I tried to find little 3- to 5-fish schools that were a little out of the way off the beaten path, and then when a community hole opened up I’d stop in there and try to catch a few fish. I caught fish from 10 feet to 30 feet, and I was constantly changing my baits based on where I was fishing,” Wheeler said.

Wheeler said that his key baits this week were a Rapala DT20 crankbait (Caribbean Shad), a Texas-rigged Googan Baits Mondo Worm and a 6-inch Lunker Log stick bait, and an Accent Ol’ Big Spinnerbait. He also mixed in some other baits, including a scrounger and a swimbait.

“My electronics setup was a huge deal for me this week, as well,” Wheeler went on to say. “Instead of signing with one company, I’m running Lowrance, Garmin and Humminbird units this year and that really helped me tremendously when I was finding those 3 to 5 fish schools.”

The top 10 pros on Pickwick Lake finished:

 1st: Jacob Wheeler of Harrison, Tenn., 15 bass, 56-8, $38,545

 2nd: Buddy Gross of Chickamauga, Ga., 15 bass, 51-0, $14,936

 3rd: Michael Bean of Bowling Green, Ky., 15 bass, 49-9, $11,563

 4th: Michael Brewer of Lawrenceburg, Tenn., 10 bass, 48-13, $9,636

 5th: Justin Atkins of Florence, Ala., 15 bass, 48-12, $8,673

 6th: Marshall Deakins of Dunlap, Tenn., 15 bass, 47-15, $7,709

 7th: Brent Anderson of Kingston Springs, Tenn., 15 bass, 46-4, $6,745

 8th: John Murray of Spring City, Tenn., 13 bass, 44-15, $5,782

 9th: Jimmy Washam of Covington, Tenn., 13 bass, 39-11, $4,959

 10th: Ricky Robinson of Greenback, Tenn., 10 bass, 36-14, $3,854

A complete list of results can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Seth Davis of Harrison, Tennessee, took home an extra $1,000 as the highest finishing FLW PHOENIX BONUS member. Boaters are eligible to win up to an extra $35,000 per event in each Toyota Series tournament if all requirements are met. More information on the FLW PHOENIX BONUS contingency program can be found at PhoenixBassBoats.com.

Washam brought an 8-pound, 9-ounce largemouth bass to the scale Friday – the largest fish weighed by a boater in the event – to earn the day’s Big Bass award of $141.

Josh Lockard of Somerset, Kentucky, won the Co-angler Division Saturday with a three-day total of 15 bass weighing 48 pounds, 7 ounces. For his win, Lockard took home the top prize package of a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower outboard motor, worth $33,500.

The top 10 co-anglers on Pickwick Lake finished:

 1st: Josh Lockard of Somerset, Ky., 15 bass, 48-7, $33,500

 2nd: Phil Williams Jr. of Jamestown, Ky., 13 bass, 36-13, $4,868

 3rd: Nathan Woodruff of Iuka, Miss., 14 bass, 33-14, $3,894

 4th: Chris Quaintance of Muscle Shoals, Ala., 11 bass, 32-4, $3,502

 5th: Clint Pegg of Columbus, Miss., 12 bass, 31-14, $2,921

 6th: Andrew Gordon of Columbus, Miss., 12 bass, 29-11, $2,434

 7th: Todd Lee of Jasper, Ala., 11 bass, 29-1, $1,947

 8th: Benton Peoples of Bardstown, Ky., 11 bass, 26-8, $1,704

 9th: Bryan Dowdy of Florence, Ala., 11 bass, 25-10, $1,460

 10th: Samuel Maxwell of Vincennes, Ind., 10 bass, 23-12, $1,217

Quaintance weighed in the largest bass in the co-angler division on Thursday, bringing a 7-pound, 3-ounce bass to the stage. He earned the days Co-angler Big Bass award of $95.

The Toyota Series at Pickwick Lake was hosted by Florence/Lauderdale Tourism. It was the second of three regular-season tournaments in 2020 for Central Division anglers. For a complete schedule, visit FLWFishing.com.

The Toyota Series consists of eight divisions – Central, Eastern, Northern, Plains, Southeastern, Southern, Southwestern and Western – each holding three regular-season events, along with the International division. Anglers who fish all three qualifiers in any of the eight divisions and finish in the top 25 will qualify for the no-entry-fee Toyota Series Championship for a shot at winning $235,000 cash, including a $35,000 FLW PHOENIX Bonus for qualified anglers. The winning co-angler at the championship earns a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower outboard. The 2020 Toyota Series Championship will be held Dec. 3-5 on Lake Cumberland in Burnside, Kentucky, and is hosted by the Somerset Tourist & Convention Commission and the Burnside Tourism Commission.

BENTON, Ky. (May 8, 2020) – FLW, the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, announced today a revised 2020 Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit schedule, which will return June 23-26 on Lake Chickamauga. The regular season will conclude on the Detroit River, Aug. 11-14. The Tackle Warehouse TITLE, the FLW Pro Circuit Championship will remain on the St. Lawrence River, but will now take place Aug. 24-29. The 2020 Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit regular-season schedule has been shortened from seven events to six. After completing three events in the original 2020 schedule, FLW suspended the Pro Circuit on March 22 in an abundance of caution surrounding the coronavirus pandemic.

2020 Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Updated Schedule:

• June 23-26                  Lake Chickamauga   Dayton, Tenn.

Hosted by Fish Dayton and the Rhea Economic & Tourism Council

• July 29- Aug. 1          Mississippi River       La Crosse, Wis.        

Hosted by the La Crosse County Convention & Visitors Bureau

• Aug. 11-14                  Detroit River             Trenton, Mich.

Hosted by the Detroit Sports Commission

2020 Tackle Warehouse TITLE, the FLW Pro Circuit Championship:

• Aug. 24-29                  St. Lawrence River   Massena, N.Y.          

Hosted by the Town of Massena

By its nature, the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit allows for social distancing as anglers compete in individual boats on thousands of acres of water. Fans are encouraged to watch the tournaments and daily weigh-ins online from their homes through expanded live on-the-water broadcasts rather than attend weigh-ins, in an effort to avoid crowds. FLW will livestream all four days, instead of only the final two days as previously done, and the on-the-water camera crew will also be expanded to help capture more of the action. The events will proceed with marshals unless COVID-19 mitigation guidance in the host community at the time of each event dictates otherwise.

“It’s an understatement to say that these are historic times in professional bass fishing, but that’s exactly what we’re dealing with – a situation our industry has never faced before,” said FLW Executive Vice President and General Manager Kathy Fennel. “We had no choice but to shift some of our previous host commitments to finish out the 2020 season, but we are confident that the revamped schedule will make for a very exciting conclusion to the season. We will return to Lake Hartwell, Cherokee Lake and Lake Dardanelle in the future.

The abbreviated season for both MLF and FLW enabled FLW to extend invitations to Major League Fishing’s (MLF) Pros for the three final events, which will grow the field and create “Super Tournaments.” All current Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit anglers will retain their spots on the roster, but the field size will be expanded to include any MLF pros who commit to compete in all three events.

“The major changes to the remainder of our season offered us the opportunity to create what will arguably be the most memorable bass fishing tournaments in history,” Fennel said. “FLW has extended an invitation to all MLF Pros to compete with us.

“As we discussed how FLW should emerge from the quarantine period, we realized that we could work together with MLF to give both organizations’ anglers more opportunities to earn money and represent their sponsors for the remainder of this season. We’re going to give fans an incredible show, with the best anglers in the world fishing for five-bass limits. FLW and MLF will come out of quarantine even stronger.”

As has been the case throughout the 2020 season leading up to the shelter-at-home orders that paused competitive fishing, numerous MLF pros had elected to fish other FLW tournaments. Jacob Wheeler, Jordan Lee, Marty Robinson and Michael Neal have all represented their sponsors at Toyota Series events earlier this year. The 2020 Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit “Super Tournaments” will also offer the chance for fans to tune in and see major stars from MLF compete in the traditional five-bass format against FLW’s top pros. FLW has asked that MLF pros indicate their intent to fish by May 15, 2020.

Assuming a 200-boat field, the total purse in each tournament will expand from $820,000 to $1,279,000, for an increase of $1,377,000 over three events. The first-place prize will increase from $100,000 to $125,000, and FLW will pay out $10,000 through 100th place. Contingency prizes will also remain in effect, meaning qualified FLW PHOENIX BONUS pros fish for a top award of $160,000 in each tournament.

MLF pros who choose to compete in the final three Pro Circuit “Super Tournaments” will fish for prize money only. No points will be awarded toward any championship or title to MLF competitors. Only the original Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit anglers will compete for the Angler of the Year (AOY) title throughout the remainder of the season. AOY points in the final events will be awarded based on Pro Circuit anglers finishing order. The top-finishing FLW pro will receive “first-place points” regardless of where he finishes in the overall standings, and so on.

Qualification into the Tackle Warehouse TITLE, the FLW Pro Circuit Championship, is also open only to the original Pro Circuit field based on the anglers’ finishing order in the season-long, points standings. The TITLE remains a six-day, MLF-style catch-weigh-immediately-release tournament.

Kentucky’s Bailey Wins Co-angler Division

KODAK, Tenn. (March 10, 2020) – Boater Bobby Chambers of Newport, Tennessee, brought five bass to the scale Saturday totaling 18 pounds, 14 ounces to win the 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine event at Douglas Lake in Kodak, Tennessee. For his victory, Chambers earned a total of $3,337.

“I fished from Dandridge to the river, way up the lake,” said Chambers, who earned his first career victory in just his fifth event. “I had the boat sitting in 6 to 8 feet and was casting to the bank. Most of the fish were coming shallow – around 2-foot-deep – and they were holding to any cover near the bank.

“I caught them on a little bit of everything,” Chambers continued. “I caught some on a spinnerbait, some on a ChatterBait and some on a Rapala DT6 crankbait. Most of my fish came on a custom-painted Strike King Red Eye Shad lipless crankbait.

“I really didn’t plan on going out that far, but I had found those fish earlier in the week and knew that I was going to have to do something. We stuck it out there and the bite got better as the day went on and the sun came out. It had the fish moving up.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament as follows:

            1^st:       Bobby Chambers of Newport, Tenn., five bass, 18-14, $3,337

            2^nd:      Eddie Ball of Newport, Tenn., five bass, 16-7, $1,668

            3^rd:       Dylan Fehr of Crossville, Tenn., five bass, 15-6, $1,312

            4^th:       Chris Ferguson of Wittensville, Ky., five bass, 14-11, $779

            5^th:       Bryan Leonard of Blountville, Tenn., five bass, 14-8, $767

            6^th:       Taylor Humberd of Spring City, Tenn., five bass, 14-5, $612

            7^th:       Brett Rodefer of Knoxville, Tenn., five bass, 14-3, $966

            8^th:       Kevin Edwards of Knoxville, Tenn., five bass, 13-12, $501

            9^th:       Kyle Smith of Elizabethton, Tenn., five bass, 13-8, $417

            9^th:       Justin Coffey of Rockwood, Tenn., five bass, 13-8, $417

Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Rodefer brought a 5-pound, 15-ounce bass to the scale to win the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $410.

Jim Neece Jr. of Bristol, Tennessee, was the 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.

Jarrod Bailey of Salyersville, Kentucky, won the Co-angler Division and $1,668 Saturday after catching five bass weighing 18 pounds, 6 ounces.

The top 10 co-anglers finished as follows:

            1^st:       Jarrod Bailey of Salyersville, Ky., five bass, 18-6, $1,668

            2^nd:      Brian Pilon of Greeneville, Tenn., five bass, 13-3, $834

            3^rd:       Ben Arnold of LaFollette, Tenn., five bass, 12-0, $558

            4^th:       Bill King of Greenback, Tenn., three bass, 11-14, $389

            5^th:       Terri Davis of Chilhowie, Va., four bass, 11-7, $334

            6^th:       Jessee Roberts of Big Stone Gap, Va., five bass, 11-2, $306

            7^th:       Johnny Lytle of Seymour, Tenn., four bass, 10-8, $278

            8^th:       Jason Taylor of Harriman, Tenn., five bass, 10-6, $250

            9^th:       Jim Neece Sr. of Bristol, Va., four bass, 9-13, $222

            10^th:     Hunter Price of Morristown, Tenn., two bass, 8-14, $297

Price caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, weighing in at 6 pounds, 12 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $102.

The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine on Douglas Lake was the first of five qualifying events in the Volunteer Division.

The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the Volunteer 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 the James River in Richmond, Virginia, hosted by Richmond Region Tourism. 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.

West Virginia’s Sansom Wins Co-angler Division

BYRDSTOWN, Tenn. (March 10, 2020) – Boater Andrew Haunert of Blue Ash, Ohio, brought a five-bass limit to the scale weighing 19 pounds, 10 ounces to win the 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine event at Dale Hollow Reservoir in Byrdstown, Tennessee. For his victory, Haunert earned a total of $5,103.

The tournament was the first of five events in the Music City Division presented by A.R.E. Truck Caps.

“It feels awesome to get the win. I just got a new boat – it’s actually Hank Parker’s old Ranger – and hopefully it continues to bring me good luck,” said Haunert, who earned his first career victory in FLW competition.

“I caught my fish mid-lake, and I stayed there all day throwing a jig,” Haunert continued. “I was fishing in 15 to 20 feet of water, and I pretty much grinded it out in the same spot all day. I kept leaving them and then coming back, and it kept producing.”

Haunert said he caught his fish on a ½-ounce Stan Sloan’s Zorro jig with a Zoom Twin Tail trailer.

“The key was persistence – I knew the fish weren’t biting everywhere, so I stayed in the water that I knew was productive and just kept at it.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament as follows:

            1^st:       Andrew Haunert of Blue Ash, Ohio, five bass, 19-10, $5,103

            2^nd:      Scott Brummett of Brentwood, Tenn., five bass, 17-15, $2,232

            3^rd:       Hunter Bouldin of McMinnville, Tenn., five bass, 17-0, $1,489

            4^th:       J.B. King of Byrdstown, Tenn., five bass, 15-15, $1,041

            5^th:       Jimmy Gayhart of Sadieville, Ky, five bass, 15-7, $855

            5^th:       Tim McDonald of Prestonsburg, Ky, five bass, 15-7, $855

            7^th:       Brian Copeland of Rickman, Tenn., five bass, 14-15, $744

            8^th:       Jayson Johnson of Smithville, Tenn., five bass, 14-14, $632

            8^th:       Robert Reagan of Byrdstown, Tenn., five bass, 14-14, $632

            10^th:     Josh Tramel of Smithville, Tenn, five bass, 14-12, $721

Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Haunert also earned the day’s $640 Boater Big Bass award with his largest fish, a 5-pound, 1-ounce bass.

Eric Moore of Union, Kentucky, 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.

Mick Sansom of Salt Rock, West Virginia earned the win in the Co-angler Division Saturday after catching a five-bass limit weighing 14 pounds, 6 ounces. Sansom earned $2,197 for his victory.

The top 10 co-anglers finished as follows:

            1^st:       Mick Sansom of Salt Rock, W.Va., five bass, 14-6, $2,197

            1^st:       Brandon Barker of Nancy, Ky., five bass, 13-6, $1,098

            3^rd:       Douglas Lyon of Cincinnati, Ohio, five bass, 13-5, $733

            4^th:       Lucas Devere of Berea, Ky., five bass, 12-4, $513

            5^th:       Brad Goetz of Montello, Wis., five bass, 11-14, $439

            6^th:       Ryan Mealer of Spring Hill, Tenn., four bass, 11-11, $403

            7^th:       Brian Gentry of Smyrna, Tenn., five bass, 11-9, $366

            8^th:       Matthew Poss of Smithville, Tenn., five bass, 11-3, $330

            9^th:       Timothy Ernst of Winchester, Ky., four bass, 10-14, $293

            10^th:     Bill Haunert of Byrdstown, Tenn., four bass, 10-11, $256

Joe Gentry of Gallatin, Tennessee, caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, a fish weighing in at 5 pounds, 2 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $315.

The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine on Dale Hollow Reservoir was hosted by Star Point Resort.

The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the Music City 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 and 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.

Hollywood’s Hoy Wins Co-angler Division

MCCORMICK, S.C. (March 10, 2020) – Boater Kyle Austin of Ridgeville, South Carolina, brought five bass to the scale totaling 13 pounds, 15 ounces to win the 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine event at Clarks Hill Lake Saturday in McCormick, South Carolina. For his victory, Austin earned $3,426.

“I was fishing mainly on the bottom end of the lake, fishing a mixture of muddy and clean water,” said Austin, who earned his first career victory in FLW competition. “I was trying to find creeks that were muddy at the base but had clean water in the backs.

“I was catching them a few different ways,” Austin continued. “I caught two in the morning out deep, then a couple up shallow and a couple off boat ramps – I was just kind of hodge-podging around.

“My first two fish came on a Carolina rig with a black Zoom Lizard, with a chartreuse tail. Two of my fish came on a Treeshaker spinnerbait and one came on a Treeshaker bladed jig. I caught a few non-keepers on a Rat-L-Trap.

“The key to my victory was probably just fishing my style of fishing,” Austin went on to say. “I like to not be on anything. I like to drive as fast as I can down the lake and fish whatever looks good.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament as follows:

            1^st:       Kyle Austin of Ridgeville, S.C., five bass, 13-15, $3,426

            2^nd:      Jeff Bailey of Inman, S.C., three bass, 13-7, $1,713

            3^rd:       Nick Gant of Myrtle Beach, S.C., five bass, 11-14, $1,141

            4^th:       Brayden Rakes of Winston-Salem, N.C., four bass, 11-3, $799

            5^th:       Nelson Walker of Manning, S.C., five bass, 9-9, $685

            6^th:       Charles Cannington of Moncks Corner, S.C., five bass, 9-8, $828

            7^th:       Timmy Thompkins of Myrtle Beach, S.C., five bass, 9-6, $514

            7^th:       Michael Campbell of Pineville, S.C., five bass, 9-6, $514

            7^th:       Ross Burns of Columbia, S.C., five bass, 9-6, $614

            10^th:     Jerry Pelfrey of Laurens, S.C., three bass, 9-1, $400

Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Roger Farr of Little Mountain, South Carolina, 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.

Robbie Mills of Appling, Georgia, brought a 6-pound, 14-ounce bass to the scale to win the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $430.

Jack Daniel Hoy of Hollywood, South Carolina, won the Co-angler Division and $1,928 Saturday after catching a five-bass limit weighing 13 pounds, 15 ounces.

The top 10 co-anglers finished as follows:

            1^st:       Jack Daniel Hoy of Hollywood, S.C., five bass, 21-2, $1,928

            2^nd:      Casey Griffith of Guyton, Ga., four bass, 10-11, $1,006

            3^rd:       Taylor Barnette of Landrum, S.C., three bass, 9-11, $485

            3^rd:       John Joyce II of Inman, S.C., five bass, 9-11, $485

            5^th:       Lonnie Drusch of Sumter, S.C., five bass, 8-10, $443

            6^th:       Brian Ruppe of Irmo, S.C., four bass, 8-4, $314

            7^th:       Stephen Britt of Chapin, S.C., five bass, 8-2, $285

            8^th:       Danny Bickley of Chapin, S.C., five bass, 6-15, $257

            9^th:       Travis Ruff of Connelly Springs, N.C., three bass, 6-14, $228

            10^th:     Terry Coleman of Sumter, S.C., five bass, 6-10, $200

Hoy also earned the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $215 after bringing a bass weighing 6 pounds, 13 ounces to the scale.

The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine on Clarks Hill Lake was the second of five events in the South Carolina Division.

The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the South Carolina Division based on point standings, along with the five winners of each qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 16-18 Bass Fishing League Regional Championship on Lake Cherokee in Jefferson City, Tennessee, hosted by the Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce. 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.

Chattanooga’s Bradford Wins Co-angler Division

HIXSON, Tenn. (March 9, 2020) – Boater Derek Hicks of Rocky Face, Georgia, brought a five-bass limit to the scale Saturday weighing 22 pounds, 10 ounces to win the 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine event at Lake Chickamauga in Hixson, Tennessee. Hicks earned a total of $5,519 for his victory.

“Lake Chickamauga is my home waters, so it feels pretty nice to get a win here,” said Hicks, who earned his second career victory in Bass Fishing League competition. “I fished the lower end of the lake all the way to above Dayton – about 25 different spots in that 20-mile stretch.

“I was targeting shallow rock – 1½- to 3-feet-deep,” Hicks continued. I caught my fish on three baits – a 5/8-ounce Stan Sloan Zorro Bango Blade spinnerbait, a Sonny McFarland Flat-Shad crankbait and a homemade 5/8-ounce brown jig.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament as follows:

            1^st:       Derek Hicks of Rocky Face, Ga., five bass, 22-10, $5,519

            2^nd:      Seth Davis of Harrison, Tenn., five bass, 21-4, $4,345

            3^rd:       Justin Freeman of Dayton, Tenn., five bass, 19-0, $1,837

            4^th:       Steve Barnes of Harrison, Tenn., five bass, 18-3, $1,288

            5^th:       Brian Hatfield of Spring City, Tenn., five bass, 18-2, $1,104

            6^th:       Chase Henley of Kingston, Tenn., five bass, 17-11, $1,012

            7^th:       Brian Elder of Locust Grove, Ga., five bass, 17-8, $920

            8^th:       Derrick Blake of Rockwood, Tenn., five bass, 17-5, $782

            8^th:       Kevin Drake of Cleveland, Tenn., five bass, 17-5, $782

            10^th:     Jay Fagan of Lebanon, Tenn., five bass, 16-15, $644

Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Davis brought an 8-pound, 7-ounce bass to the scale to win the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $885.

Davis also 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.

Jeff Bradford of Chattanooga, Tennessee, won the Co-angler Division and $2,760 Saturday after catching a five-bass limit weighing 21 pounds, 1 ounce.

The top 10 co-anglers finished as follows:

            1^st:       Jeff Bradford of Chattanooga, Tenn., five bass, 21-1, $2,760

            2^nd:      Adam Godsey of Harriman, Tenn., five bass, 14-15, $1,380

            3^rd:       Joshua Jernigan of Rocky Top, Tenn., five bass, 14-1, $918

            4^th:       Elliott Gault of Leesburg, Ala., four bass, 12-15, $644

            5^th:       Wayne Hancock of Cumming, Ga., three bass, 12-12, $552

            6^th:       Thomas Pierce of Calhoun, Ga., two bass, 12-11, $506

            7^th:       Tony Pendley of Oakman, Ala., five bass, 12-7, $460

            8^th:       Ryan Wallace of Odenville, Ala., three bass, 10-8, $564

            9^th:       Shane Browder of Lynnville, Ind., four bass, 9-4, $368

            10^th:     Gene Delk of Georgetown, Tenn., three bass, 9-2, $322

Adam Hickman of Caledonia, Mississippi, caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, a fish weighing in at 8 pounds even. The catch earned him the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $442.

The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the Choo Choo Division based on point standings, along with the five winners of each qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 16-18 Bass Fishing League Regional Championship on Lake Cherokee in Jefferson City, Tennessee, hosted by the Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce. 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

South Carolina’s Hall Wins Co-angler Division

KISSIMMEE, Fla. (March 10, 2020) – Boater Clay Batson of Bradenton, Florida, brought a huge five-bass limit to the scale Saturday weighing 34 pounds, 8 ounces to win the 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine event at Lake Toho in Kissimmee, Florida. For his victory, Batson earned a total of $4,740.

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

“I was fishing on the north end of Lake Toho,” said Batson, who earned his first career victory in FLW competition. “Targeting hyacinth mats mixed in with pads, flipping a black and blue-colored Missile Baits D-Bomb with a 1¼-ounce weight.

“The key to my victory was that the mats and pads had to be adjacent to open lanes,” Batson continued. “The fish were using those access lanes as highways. All my fish were females that were staging for the spawn. The heavy cover had to be up next to an access lane.”

The Florida angler said that a positive attitude kept his mind in check and was a big factor in his win.

“It’s been a very tough year, but I just kept practicing and grinding and knew that one day, my luck would change. Today, it all came together,” Batson went on to say. “I didn’t lose any fish fishing that thick cover – that is rare. I got them all in the boat and it was a blessed day. I’ve been doing this a long time and always wanted to get one of these wins. It feels awesome.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament as follows:

            1^st:       Clay Batson of Bradenton, Fla., five bass, 34-8, $4,740

            2^nd:      Marlon Crowder of Tampa, Fla., five bass, 24-15, $2,000

            3^rd:       Thomas Clark of Wildwood, Fla., five bass, 20-14, $1,334

            4^th:       Trevor Brown of Deltona, Fla., five bass, 18-11, $933

            5^th:       Arthur Jackson of Kissimmee, Fla., five bass, 16-11, $800

            6^th:       Blaine Partee of Oviedo, Fla., five bass, 15-2, $833

            7^th:       Dan Blanchard of Kissimmee, Fla., five bass, 15-1, $667

            8^th:       Anthony Ford of New Smyrna, Fla., five bass, 14-11, $600

            9^th:       Robert Crosnoe of Inverness, Fla., five bass, 13-15, $533

            10^th:     Kyle Gelles of Pingree, Idaho, five bass, 13-8, $467

Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Batson’s big 11-pound, 6-ounce kicker also won the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $540.

Eddie Carper of Valliant, Oklahoma, 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.

Sean Hall of North Augusta, South Carolina, won the Co-angler Division and $2,000 Saturday after catching a five-bass limit weighing 14 pounds, 6 ounces.

The top 10 co-anglers finished as follows:

            1^st:       Sean Hall of North Augusta, S.C., five bass, 14-6, $2,000

            2^nd:      Alan Clayton of Live Oak, Fla., five bass, 13-13, $1,000

            3^rd:       Mike Tucker of Yalaha, Fla., five bass, 13-0, $666

            4^th:       Steve Proctor of Minneola, Fla., four bass, 11-6, $467

            5^th:       Dale Tomlinson of Lake Worth, Fla., four bass, 10-15, $550

            6^th:       Wesley Hall of Glen St. Mary, Fla., five bass, 10-10, $367

            7^th:       Charles Owens of Rockledge, Fla., five bass, 9-12, $333

            8^th:       Aymon Wilcox of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., five bass, 9-11, $300

            9^th:       Jason Suvak of Lauderhill, Fla., five bass, 9-10, $267

            10^th:     Steve Smith of Jacksonville, Fla., four bass, 9-9, $233

Ryan Meyer of Orlando, Florida caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, a fish weighing in at 8 pounds, 2 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $270.

The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine on Lake Toho was hosted by Experience Kissimmee.

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.

Conway’s Allen Wins Co-angler Division

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. (March 2, 2020) – Boater Josh Ray of Alexander, Arkansas, brought a five-bass limit to the scale Saturday totaling 18 pounds, 14 ounces to win the 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine event at Lake Hamilton in Hot Springs, Arkansas. For his victory, Ray earned a total of $12,350, including the lucrative $7,000 FLW PHOENIX Bonus contingency award.

“It feels good to win, and to win in a Phoenix boat makes it that much sweeter,” said Ray, who earned his second career win in Bass Fishing League competition. “I caught them all over the lake today – three on an Alabama rig and two on a brown football-head jig. I just got lucky and had six or seven good bites.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament as follows:

            1^st:       Josh Ray of Alexander, Ark., five bass, 18-14, $12,350

            2^nd:      Quincy Houchin of Mabelvale, Ark., five bass, 16-5, $2,175

            3^rd:       Brian Bean of Hot Springs, Ark., five bass, 13-15, $1,651

            4^th:       Chris Darby of Hot Springs, Ark., five bass, 13-10, $1,015

            5^th:       John Carroll of Cabot, Ark., five bass, 13-4, $1,585

            6^th:       Travis Mosley of Benton, Ark., five bass, 12-15, $798

            7^th:       Mark Hensiek of England, Ark., five bass, 12-12, $725

            8^th:       Russell Richmond of Sheridan, Ark., five bass, 12-11, $653

            9^th:       Dustin Huggins of Russellville, Ark., five bass, 12-4, $580

            10^th:     Steve Howard of Conway, Ark., five bass, 12-3, $508

Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Carroll brought a 6-pound, 9-ounce bass to the scale to win the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $615.

Ray was the highest-finishing FLW PHOENIX BONUS member and took home an extra $7,000. 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.

Jared Allen of Conway, Arkansas, won the Co-angler Division and $2,175 Saturday after catching four bass weighing 10 pounds, 10 ounces.

The top 10 co-anglers finished as follows:

            1^st:       Jared Allen of Conway, Ark., four bass, 10-10, $2,175

            2^nd:      Steve Duggan of Pearcy, Ark., five bass, 9-12, $1,088

            3^rd:       Jody Jones of Harvey, Ark., five bass, 9-8, $726

            4^th:       Chris Cusick of Hot Springs, Ark., four bass, 9-4, $507

            5^th:       Kanon Harmon of Benton, Ark., four bass, 7-14, $435

            6^th:       Justin Wagner of Mena, Ark., four bass, 7-10, $399

            7^th:       Glenn Russell of Sherwood, Ark., four bass, 7-6, $363

            8^th:       Luke Hendrixson of Conway, Ark., three bass, 6-11, $326

            9^th:       Terry Dugger of Little Rock, Ark., three bass, 5-8, $290

            10^th:     Robert Bogard Jr. of Conway, Ark., three bass, 5-7, $241

            10^th:     Jordan Pirraglia of Booneville, Ark., three bass, 5-7, $241

Joshua Elmore of Hot Springs caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, weighing in at 4 pounds, 13 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $307.

The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine on Lake Hamilton was the first of five qualifying events in the Arkie Division.

The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the Arkie 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 Table Rock Lake in Branson, Missouri, hosted by Explore Branson. 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.

Trout’s Pearson Wins Co-angler Division

ZWOLLE, La. (March 2, 2020) – Boater George Jeane Jr. of Evans, Louisiana, brought a five-bass limit to the scale Saturday weighing 24 pounds, 2 ounces to win the 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine event at Toledo Bend Reservoir in Zwolle, Louisiana. For his victory, Jeane earned a total of $5,911.

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

“I was in the mid-lake area, fishing ditches and drains with standing timber in it,” said Jeane, who pushed his career earnings to more than $310,000 in FLW competition. “I started off catching them on a sexy blueback herring-colored (Strike King) 10XD, than I went to a P.J.’s jig and a Carolina-rigged 6-inch lizard.

“The key was definitely the 6-pound, 14-ounce kicker that I caught later in the day,” Jeane went on to say. “It’s been awhile since I won one of these. I’ve had a Tour-level win, a Series win, and now this is my second BFL win. It feels good.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament as follows:

            1^st:       George Jeane Jr. of Evans, La., five bass, 24-2, $5,911

            2^nd:      Dwight Abshire of Santa Fe, Texas, five bass, 19-6, $2,561

            3^rd:       Bart Stanisz of Brookeland, Texas, five bass, 17-8, $1,705

            4^th:       John LaFitte of Keithville, La., five bass, 17-0, $1,195

            5^th:       Josh Champagne of Breaux Bridge, La., five bass, 16-9, $1.024

            6^th:       Leon Stone of Carthage, Texas, five bass, 16-5, $939

            7^th:       Scotty Villines of Ponca, Ark., five bass, 15-9, $854

            8^th:       Daniel Blanton of Huntington, Texas, five bass, 15-6, $725

            8^th:       Jim Dillard of West Monroe, La., five bass, 15-6, $725

            10^th:     Kyle Dragulski of Lufkin, Texas, five bass, 15-5, $598

Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Jeane’s 6-pound, 14-ounce kicker was also the largest bass weighed on the day and earned him the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $790.

Dicky Newberry of Houston, Texas, 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.

Travis Pearson of Trout, Louisiana, won the Co-angler Division and $2,561 Saturday after catching a five-bass limit weighing 12 pounds, 13 ounces.

The top 10 co-anglers finished as follows:

            1^st:       Travis Pearson of Trout, La., five bass, 12-13, $2,561

            2^nd:      Grayson Honeycutt of Temple, Texas, five bass, 12-7, $1,280

            3^rd:       Loren Rives of Austin, Texas, four bass, 12-2, $854

            4^th:       Brandt Dillon of Houston, Texas, four bass, 11-12, $598

            5^th:       Randy Hitt of Belton, Texas, four bass, 10-12, $512

            6^th:       Ken Ford of Benton, Ark., five bass, 10-10, $469

            7^th:       Jordan Ebarb of Stonewall, La., five bass, 10-7, $427

            7^th:       Cody Laird of Goodrich, Texas, five bass, 10-3, $384

            9^th:       Ron Aulds of Choudrant, La., five bass, 10-2, $341

            9^th:       Bradley Mock of Ragley, La., five bass, 10-1, $299

Don Johnson of Lufkin, Texas caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, a fish weighing in at 6 pounds, 3 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $395.

The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the Cowboy 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 Table Rock Lake in Branson, Missouri, hosted by Explore Branson. 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.