Category: MLF BIG-5

GUNTERSVILLE, Ala. (Aug. 31, 2020) – Boater Josh Butler of Hayden, Alabama, brought a two-day total of 10 bass to the scale this weekend weighing 32 pounds, 3 ounces to win the Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine Choo Choo Division Super-Tournament at Lake Guntersville presented by Fish-Intel. Butler earned a total of $15,533 for his victory, including the lucrative $7,000 FLW PHOENIX BONUS contingency award.

“Of the 10 fish that I weighed in, I caught them on probably six different baits,” said Butler, who earned his first career victory in FLW competition. “I had a smorgasbord. I caught them on a crankbait, a spoon, a drop-shot rig, a shaky-head rig and a swimbait. Total junk fishing.”

Butler said that he fished down-lake, covering 8 to 10 different spots from the State Park down to the dam.

“I caught them all out deep, 18 to 25 foot,” Butler said. “That’s how I love to fish – I live and die out deep.  I’ve been so close in the past – a couple of top-3 finishes, a bunch of top-5s, so I’m so glad to finally get the monkey off my back and earn a win.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament as follows:

            1^st:       Josh Butler of Hayden, Ala., 10 bass, 32-3, $15,533

            2^nd:      Rusty Cooper of Gurley, Ala., 10 bass, 31-13, $3,766

            3^rd:       Jay Fagan of Lebanon, Tenn., 10 bass, 30-14, $2,510

            4^th:       Kyle Pridgen of Panama City, Fla., 10 bass, 30-6, $1,758

            5^th:       Ryan Salzman of Huntsville, Ala., 10 bass, 29-12, $2,669

            6^th:       Jordan Wiggins of Cullman, Ala., 10 bass, 29-11, $1,381

            7^th:       Ethan Franklin of Empire, Ala., nine bass, 29-9, $1,255

            8^th:       Derek Remitz of Grant, Ala., 10 bass, 28-5, $1,130

            9^th:       Jim Leary of Guntersville, Ala., 10 bass, 28-4, $1,004

            10^th:     Jeff Cannon of Douglasville, Ga., 10 bass, 27-14, $879

Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Salzman brought a 7-pound, 10-ounce largemouth bass to the scale to win the Boater Big Bass award of $1,162.

Butler took home an extra $7,000 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.

Benjamin Fouts of Morehead, Kentucky, won the Co-angler Division and $3,766 Saturday after catching a two-day total of nine bass weighing 23 pounds, 10 ounces.

The top 10 co-anglers finished as follows:

            1^st:       Benjamin Fouts of Morehead, Ky., nine bass, 23-10, $3,766

            2^nd:      Hayden O’Barr of Gurley, Ala., 10 bass, 21-10, $2,383

            3^rd:       Luke Mason of Somerville, Ala., eight bass, 21-9, $1,255

            4^th:       Bryce Morrison of Collierville, Tenn., seven bass, 20-9, $879

            5^th:       Gage Tankersley of Dayton, Tenn., eight bass, 19-8, $753

            6^th:       Robert Barnett of Flintstone, Ga., eight bass, 18-11, $691

            7^th:       Reese Petitti of Birmingham, Ala., seven bass, 17-10, $628

            8^th:       Kevin Lankford of Hollywood, Ala., seven bass, 17-2, $565

            9^th:       Jake Stines of Plant City, Fla., seven bass, 15-15, $502

            10^th:     Randy Hill of Athens, Ala., seven bass, 15-12, $439

Jon Lawson of Cartersville, Georgia, caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, a fish weighing in at 5 pounds, 12 ounces. The catch earned him the Co-angler Big Bass award and added $581 to his winnings.

The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine Super-Tournament on Lake Guntersville presented by Fish-Intel was hosted by the Marshall County Convention & Visitors Bureau. It was the fifth and final qualifying event in the 2020 Choo Choo Division.

Now 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 advance to 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.

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.

NORTH EAST, Md. (Aug. 31, 2020) Boater Richard Leadbeater of Haddon Heights, New York, brought a two-day total of 10 bass to the scale weighing 32 pounds, 10 ounces to win the Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine Northeast Division Super-Tournament at the Chesapeake Bay. For his victory, Leadbeater earned $4,122 for his efforts.

“I’m so pumped – this feels unreal,” said Leadbetter, who was fishing in his first career event as a BFL boater. “I was fishing on the south end of a big grass flat, for the most part. I also mixed in a little bit of backwater fishing.

“Timing the tide was really the key,” Leadbetter continued. “I made some good adjustments throughout the day – knowing when the time was right to get out of certain areas and into others.”

Leadbetter said that he caught his fish on a Z-Man Evergreen ChatterBait Jack Hammer and a War Eagle spinnerbait.

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament as follows:

            1^st:       Richard Leadbeater of Haddon Heights, N.Y, 10 bass, 32-10, $4,122

            2^nd:      Zachary Page of Smyrna, Del., 10 bass, 24-4, $2,061

            3^rd:       Harry Nurk of Elkton, Md., eight bass, 24-2, $1,374

            4^th:       Luke Shrader of Barrington, N.J., 10 bass, 23-3, $962

            5^th:       Marcus Griffin of Northeast, Md., seven bass, 19-0, $824

            6^th:       Anthony Cicero III of Elizabethtown, Pa., seven bass, 18-15, $756

            7^th:       Steven Wiseman of Bryans Road, Md., seven bass, 18-13, $687

            8^th:       Barton Wines of Marshall, Va., seven bass, 18-8, $618

            9^th:       Al Fiorille of Mount Airy, Md., nine bass, 18-1, $550

            10^th:     Ryan Bauman of Fleetwood, Pa., six bass, 18-0, $938

Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Bauman earned the day’s $457 Boater Big Bass award with a 6-pound, 1-ounce bass.

Joseph Thompson of Coatesville, Pennsylvania, 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.

Moo Bae of West Friendship, Maryland, earned the win in the Co-angler Division Saturday after catching a two-day total of six bass weighing 15 pounds, 8 ounces. Bae earned $2,061 for his victory.

The top 10 co-anglers finished as follows:

            1^st:       Moo Bae of West Friendship, Md., six bass, 15-8, $2,061

            2^nd:      Henry McKee of Haddon Heights, N.J., six bass, 14-10, $1,260

            3^rd:       Adam Simpson of Gaithersburg, Md., four bass, 10-7, $686

            4^th:       Tim Nichols of Pittsgrove, N.J., four bass, 9-9, $481

            5^th:       Kenny Ibberson of Lindenwold, N.J., three bass, 8-7, $412

            6^th:       Travis Miller of Colchester, Conn., two bass, 7-3, $578

            7^th:       Chris Sanno of Landisburg, Pa., two bass, 6-4, $344

            8^th:       Chad McDonald of Berkeley Springs, W. Va., three bass, 6-0, $309

            9^th:       Fred Serge of Lamberville, N.J., two bass, 5-4, $275

            10^th:     Aaron Wilkie of North Bennington, Vt., two bass, 4-7, $740

McKee earned the event’s Co-angler Big Bass Award of $229 with, a fish weighing in at 5 pounds even.

The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine on the Chesapeake Bay was the fifth and final qualifying event in the 2020 Northeast Division.

Now the top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the Northeast Division based on point standings, along with the five winners of each qualifying event, will advance to the Oct. 8-10 Phoenix 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.

The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American will be held Nov. 11-13 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.

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STURGEON BAY, Wis. (Aug. 26, 2020) – Fishing conditions were a little tougher Wednesday at the Tackle Warehouse TITLE presented by Toyota, the FLW Pro Circuit Championship on Lake Michigan in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin. Luckily for pro Kurt Mitchell of Milford, Delaware, he caught so many bass on Monday that it truly didn’t matter. After catching 119 pounds, 10 ounces on Monday, Mitchell added another three bass for 8 pounds, 5 ounces on Wednesday to win the Qualifying Round with a two-day cumulative total of 36 fish for 127-15.

Pro Evan Barnes of Hot Springs, Arkansas, finished the round in second place with 29 bass totaling 90 pounds even. Alpine, California pro Rusty Salewske was one of the big movers of the day, catching the most weight – 13 bass for 44 pounds, 6 ounces – to vault from 16^th place into seventh with a two-day total of 64-7, while local pro Matthew Stefan of Junction City, Wisconsin, remained in the hunt for $200,000, catching a two-day total of 20 bass weighing 68-5 – good for sixth place.

The top 10 pros from Group A now advance to Friday’s Knockout Round, where they’ll be joined by the top 10 pros from Group B after Thursday’s competition day. Tournament weights are zeroed, and anglers will compete to finish in the top 10 for the opportunity to advance to the sixth and final day of competition on Saturday. 

“Today was a much tougher day for me, but that’s fine because I didn’t fish any areas that I knew were holding bass. I pretty much spent the day practicing and looking for new areas for the Knockout Round,” said Mitchell, who has four career top-10 finishes in FLW competition. “The bad news is that I didn’t really find anything new, but that is okay. There are hundreds of fish right here, so I’m going to keep pounding away at them and try to figure them out each every day.”

Barnes said he was going to spend his “off day” on Thursday scouring the local tackle stores.

“I need to find a good tackle shop tomorrow because I’m running out of drop-shot baits,” Mitchell said. “I’ve thrown so many Yamamoto Shad Shape Worms that I’m almost out.

“I also plan on throwing a spybait on Friday for a little bit,” Mitchell continued. “I’ve had good luck with them on highly-pressured fish, so I think that could be a player. I’m just excited to get back out there. I’ve had a lot of fun with the Major League Fishing (MLF) format and I’m ready to get back out there again and put the hammer down.”

The top 10 pros from Group A that now advance to Friday’s Knockout Round are:

            1^st:       Kurt Mitchell of Milford, Del., 36 bass, 127-15
            2^nd:      Evan Barnes of Hot Springs, Ark., 29 bass, 90-0
            3^rd:       Casey Scanlon of Eldon, Mo., 28 bass, 89-5
            4^th:       Grae Buck of Green Lane, Pa., 23 bass, 81-11
            5^th:       Greg Bohannan of Bentonville, Ark., 22 bass, 72-2
            6^th:       Matthew Stefan of Junction City, Wis., 20 bass, 68-5
            7^th:       Rusty Salewske of Alpine, Calif., 19 bass, 64-7
            8^th:       Jon Canada of Helena, Ala., 19 bass, 63-3
            9^th:       Joshua Weaver of Macon, Ga., 20 bass, 59-13
            10^th:     Ron Nelson of Berrien Springs, Mich., 18 bass, 58-9

Complete results for the entire field can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Mitchell caught a 5-pound, 10-ounce smallmouth bass Monday – the largest fish weighed in Group A’s Qualifying Round. For that fish, Mitchell earned the $500 Berkley Big Bass Award.

Overall there were 174 bass weighing 559 pounds, 13 ounces caught by the 25 pros in Group A Wednesday.

The Tackle Warehouse TITLE presented by Toyota, the FLW Pro Circuit Championship, is hosted by Destination Sturgeon Bay. The six-day event features the top 50 professional anglers from the 2020 Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit season angling for a piece of $820,000, including the first-place prize of $200,000.

Unique to the TITLE Championship, the event is being fished using the MLF catch-weigh-immediate release format. A select group of 25 pros (Group A) competed on Days 1 & 3 (Monday & Wednesday), with the other 25 pros (Group B) competing on Days 2 & 4 (Tuesday & Thursday). The top-10 pros from each group based on their cumulative two-day total will advance to Day 5 (Friday). Only the top 10 pros will continue on to the sixth and final day of competition Saturday, with the winner earning the inaugural Tackle Warehouse TITLE Championship Belt presented by Toyota.

Attendance is limited to anglers and essential staff and fans are encouraged to follow the event online through expanded broadcast coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com and read the daily coverage, live blogs and photos at FLWFishing.com.

The MLF NOW! broadcast team of Chad McKee, Marty Stone and J.T. Kenney will break down the extended action every day of competition from 7:45 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. They’re joined by FLW Live hosts Travis Moran and Todd Hollowell, who will be reporting and providing from-the-water analysis from Sturgeon Bay.

# # #

GREENVILLE, Miss. (Aug. 25, 2020) – Boater Mike Jordan of Dundee, Mississippi, brought a three-bass limit bass to the scale Saturday totaling 14 pounds, 11 ounces to win the 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine event on Lake Ferguson in Greenville, Mississippi. Jordan topped his nearest competitor, Johnny Simmons of Oxford, Mississippi, by just 7 ounces and earned $3,964 for his victory.

“It feels real good to win one,” said Jordan, who earned his first career victory in his return to the Bass Fishing League after an eight-year hiatus. “I stayed in Lake Ferguson all day and fished on both the north and south end of the lake.

“The key for me was the sunshine, hot weather and light wind,” Jordan continued. “The fish have been scattered, but those fish have pulled out in the hot, calm weather and they are finally stacked up. I caught them fishing brush tops in 12 to 14 feet of water, with a sexy shad-colored Strike King 6XD.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament as follows:

            1^st:       Mike Jordan of Dundee, Miss., three bass, 14-11, $3,964

            2^nd:      Johnny Simmons of Oxford, Miss., three bass, 14-4, $1,757

            3^rd:       Ben Webb of Mooreville, Miss., three bass, 13-0, $1,372

            4^th:       Lloyd Pickett Jr. of Bartlett, Tenn., three bass, 12-15, $820

            5^th:       Steve Hughes of Mooreville, Miss., three bass, 12-6, $703

            6^th:       Andy Graves of Clarksdale, Miss., three bass, 12-3, $644

            7^th:       Andy Coy of Corinth, Miss., three bass, 11-15, $1,086

            8^th:       Brad McCulley of Batesville, Miss., three bass, 11-11, $527

            9^th:       Marty Torrence of Crystal Springs, Miss., three bass, 11-10, $469

            10^th:     Danny Carter of Hernando, Miss., three bass, 11-9, $410

Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Jordan also brought a 5-pound, 10-ounce bass to the scale to add $450 – the day’s Boater Big Bass award – to his winnings.

Coy 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.

Levi Gondreau of Seminary, Mississippi, won the Co-angler Division and $1,757 Saturday after catching three bass weighing 12 pounds, 13 ounces.

The top 10 co-anglers finished as follows:

            1^st:       Levi Gondreau of Seminary, Miss., three bass, 12-13, $1,757

            2^nd:      Jason Honnoll of Starkville, Miss., three bass, 12-12, $879

            3^rd:       Blake Jeffreys of Booneville, Miss., three bass, 12-2, $585

            4^th:       Kevin Reardon of Corinth, Miss., three bass, 11-9, $380

            4^th:       Chris Estes of Shannon, Miss., three bass, 11-9, $605

            6^th:       Keith Whipple of Iuka, Miss., three bass, 11-6, $322

            7^th:       Steve Ruth of Columbus, Miss., three bass, 11-5, $293

            8^th:       Anthony Rasberry, New Albany, Miss., three bass, 11-4, $264

            9^th:       Dusty Price of Corinth, Miss., three bass, 10-14, $234

            10^th:     David Hug of Eads, Tenn., three bass, 10-8, $205

Estes caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division – a nice 5-pound, 11-ouncer. The catch earned him the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $225.

The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine on Lake Ferguson was hosted by the Greenville/Washington County Convention and Visitors Bureau. It was the fourth of five qualifying events in the Mississippi Division.

The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the Mississippi 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 County 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 Nov. 11-13 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.

BYRDSTOWN, Tenn. (Aug. 25, 2020) – Boater Adam Wagner of Cookeville, Tennessee, brought a three-bass limit to the scale Sunday weighing 10 pounds, 2 ounces to win the 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine Music City event at Dale Hollow Lake in Byrdstown, Tennessee. For his victory, Wagner earned $11,113, including the lucrative $7,000 FLW PHOENIX Bonus contingency award.

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

“It feels good to win another one – it never gets old,” said Wagner, the 2009 BFL All-American Champion who earned his 14^th career Bass Fishing League win. “I was fishing down lake, all the way to the dam.

“I only caught four keepers on the day,” Wagner continued. “I caught them 30 to 50 feet deep. Of the three that I weighed in, I caught two on a 6-inch flutter spoon and one on a drop-shot rig.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament as follows:

            1^st:       Adam Wagner of Cookeville, Tenn., three bass, 10-2, $11,113

            2^nd:      Kyle Jolley of Livingston, Tenn., three bass, 10-1, $1,557

            3^rd:       John Hopkins of Hendersonville, Tenn., three bass, 9-1, $1,037

            4^th:       Dylan Wright of Murfreesboro, Tenn., three bass, 9-0, $674

            4^th:       Isaac Peavyhouse of Jamestown, Tenn., three bass, 9-0, $1,039

            6^th:       Hunter Bouldin of McMinnville, Tenn., three bass, 8-1, $571

            7^th:       Kevin Meeks of Smyrna, Tenn., three bass, 7-11, $519

            8^th:       William Merrick of Mount Juliet, Tenn., three bass, 7-7, $467

            9^th:       Mike Lemons of Huntington, W. Va., three bass, 6-11, $415

            10^th:     Steve Cornett of Manchester, Ky., three bass, 6-6, $563

Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Peavyhouse caught a 4-pound, 3-ounce bass to add the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $365 to his winnings.

Wagner took home an extra $7,000 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.

Kenny Botts of Alvaton, Kentucky, won the Co-angler Division and $1,557 Sunday after catching two bass weighing 7 pounds, 2 ounces.

The top 10 co-anglers finished as follows:

            1^st:       Kenny Botts of Alvaton, Ky., two bass, 7-2, $1,557

            2^nd:      Gilbert Jolley of Livingston, Tenn., three bass, 6-10, $778

            3^rd:       Ryan Heilmann of Manchester, Tenn., two bass, 5-13, $521

            4^th:       Gary Slaughter of Waddy, Ky., two bass, 5-6, $363

            5^th:       John Fitzpatrick of Baxter, Tenn., one bass, 5-1, $480

            5^th:       Jared Rudd of Salyersville, Ky., two bass, 5-1, $298

            7^th:       Jason Kirks of Clarksville, Tenn., two bass, 4-9, $259

            8^th:       Mark Talbert of Dickson, Tenn., two bass, 4-6, $233

            9^th:       Brandon Barker of Nicholasville, Ky., two bass, 4-2, $208

            10^th:     Bryan Jenkins of Franklin, Tenn., one bass, 2-14, $182

Fitzpatrick caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, a fish weighing in at 5 pounds, 1 ounce. The catch earned him the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $182.

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.

The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American will be held Nov. 11-13 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.

GILBERTSVILLE, Ky. (Aug. 25, 2020) – It was a tournament double-header for bass anglers this past weekend in Gilbertsville with the Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine event on Kentucky and Barkley Lakes events.

Boater Gary Singleton of Dickson, Tennessee, caught a three-bass limit totaling 10 pounds, 15 ounces to earn the win Saturday and earn $5,289, then boater David Young of Mayfield, Kentucky, brought three bass to the scale on Sunday weighing 9 pounds, 11 ounces to earn the win and $3,592.

“I ran about 60 miles south, fishing secondary bars,” said Singleton, who earned his first career BFL victory. “I threw a white ¾-ounce Hoppy’s spinnerbait all day long.”

The top five boaters on Saturday were:

            1^st:       Gary Singleton of Dickson, Tenn., three bass, 10-15, $5,289

            2^nd:      Kane Hackemack of Georgetown, Ind., three bass, 9-12, $1,897

            3^rd:       Jordan Hartman of Murray, Ky., three bass, 9-11, $1,265

            4^th:       David Carroll of Manitou, Ky., three bass, 9-2, $885

            5^th:       Ramie Colson Jr. of Cadiz, Ky., three bass, 9-1, $759

Complete results for Saturday can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Singleton brought a 5-pound, 8-ounce bass to the scale to add Saturday’s Boater Big Bass award of $495 to his winnings.

Edward Gettys of Paris, Tennessee, was the highest-finishing FLW PHOENIX BONUS member and took home an extra contingency payout of $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.

Barry Gunter of Trafalgar, Indiana, won the Co-angler Division and $2,144 Saturday after catching three bass weighing 11 pounds, 4 ounces.

The top five co-anglers Saturday finished as follows:

            1^st:       Barry Gunter of Trafalgar, Ind., three bass, 11-4, $2,144

            2^nd:      Andrew Dunford of Christopher, Ill., three bass, 8-6, $949

            3^rd:       Brad Blanton of Leitchfield, Ky., three bass, 7-4, $633

            4^th:       Johnny Brantley of Medon, Tenn., two bass, 6-12, $443

            5^th:       Todd Robert Mowery of Munford, Tenn., three bass, 6-6, $379

Gunter caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division Saturday, weighing in at 5 pounds, 8 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $247.

On Sunday, winning boater David Young overcame some equipment issues and still managed to earn the victory.

“I went from the dam to Paris (Tennessee),” said Young, who earned his 11^th career win in Bass Fishing League competition. “I threw a (Heddon Zara) Spook on the main lake and caught some fish, then after that I went fishing docks and random stuff – flipping a beaver and throwing a green-pumpkin-colored lizard.

“The key was moving around – well floating around,” Young went on to say. “I had some trolling motor trouble out there that I had to deal with, but it worked out in the end.”

The top five boaters on Sunday finished:

            1^st:       David Young of Mayfield, Ky., three bass, 9-11, $3,592

            2^nd:      Ramie Colson Jr. of Cadiz, Ky., three bass, 9-9, $1,796

            3^rd:       Gary Singleton of Dickson, Tenn., three bass, 9-2, $1,201

            3^rd:       Charles Jones of Beech Bluff, Tenn., three bass, 8-7, $838

            5^th:       Patrick Ross of Almo, Ky., three bass, 8-3, $1,218

Complete results for Sunday’s event on Kentucky Lake can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Lance Freeman of Eddyville, Kentucky, claimed the day’s Boater Big Bass Award of $460 after bringing a 5-pound, 13-ounce bass to the scale.

Ross was the highest-finishing FLW PHOENIX BONUS member and took home an extra $500.

Ryan Scott of Owensboro, Kentucky, and Chuck Ledbetter of Fort Campbell, Kentucky, tied for the win in the Co-angler Division Sunday after both anglers brought in three bass totaling 7 pounds, 7 ounces. For their wins, each angler brought home $1,347.

The top five co-anglers finished as follows:

            1^st:       Ryan Scott of Owensboro, Ky., two bass, 7-7, $1,347

            1^st:       Chuck Ledbetter of Fort Campbell, Ky., three bass, 7-7, $1,347

            3^rd:       Travis Emerson of Mayfield, Ky., three bass, 6-2, $598

            4^th:       Bobby Wade of Mayfield, Ky., two bass, 4-14, $389

            4^th:       Alexis Joyce of Clarksville, Tenn., one bass, 4-14, $619

Joyce caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, weighing in at 4 pounds, 14 ounces. The catch earned the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $230.

The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine on Kentucky and Barkley Lakes events were hosted by the Kentucky Lake Convention & Visitors Bureau. The events were the third and fourth of five qualifying tournaments in the LBL division.

The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the LBL Division based on point standings, along with the five winners of each qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 8-10 Phoenix 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 Nov. 11-13 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.

ANDERSON, S.C. (Aug. 25, 2020) – It was a double-header for weekend bass anglers this past weekend in Anderson with the Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine on Lake Hartwell presented by Fish-Intel events.

Boater Trent Palmer of Cumming, Georgia, brought a three-bass limit to the scale weighing 13 pounds, 3 ounces to win on Saturday and earn $5,915, then local boater Derek Freeman of Anderson, South Carolina, brought a three-bass limit to the scale Sunday weighing 10 pounds even to win $7,263.

“I ran about 6½ miles from takeoff and caught around two dozen keepers throughout the day,” Palmer said.

The top five boaters on Saturday were:

            1^st:       Trent Palmer of Cumming, Ga., three bass, 13-3, $5,915

            2^nd:      Mark Bradley of Wellford, S.C., three bass, 11-8, $3,208

            3^rd:       Tyler Thompson of Easley, S.C., three bass, 10-12, $1,640

            4^th:       Tony Holliday of Piedmont, S.C., three bass, 10-5, $1,147

            5^th:       Bo Price of Seneca, S.C., three bass, 10-3, $983

Complete results for Saturday’s event can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Bradley earned the day’s Boater Big Bass Award of $750 after bringing an 8-pound, 1-ounce largemouth bass to the scale.

Scott Allgood of Fair Play, South Carolina, 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.

Spencer Waldrop of Easley, South Carolina, won the Co-angler Division and $2,469 Saturday after catching three bass weighing 6 pounds, 10 ounces.

The top five co-anglers on Saturday were:

            1^st:       Spencer Waldrop of Easley, S.C., three bass, 6-10, $2,469

            2^nd:      Cody Coker of Comer, Ga., three bass, 5-10, $1,235

            3^rd:       Harold Addison II of Columbia, S.C., three bass, 5-8, $823

            4^th:       Tony Everhart of Gaffney, S.C., three bass, 5-7, $576

            5^th:       Josh Watts of Dahlonega, Ga., three bass, 5-0, $494

Tommy Cowart of Ila, Georgia, caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, weighing in at 4 pounds, 1 ounce and earned him Saturday’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $372.

On Sunday, winning boater Derek Freeman threw a topwater bait to earn his win.

“I ran up a lot of the rivers, and burned through 40 to 45 gallons of gas,” said Freeman, a former College Fishing angler for Clemson University. “I was due for a win. I finished second here in a college event, and second in a BFL on Hartwell last year, so I was ready to get a W.

“I mainly threw topwater baits – a Whopper Plopper and a (Heddon) Zara Spook out deep. I caught five keepers.”

The top five boaters on Sunday were:

            1^st:       Derek Freeman of Anderson, S.C., three bass, 10-0, $7,263

            2^nd:      William Fordree of Six Mile, S.C., three bass, 9-11, $2,381

            3^rd:       Randy Dover of Buford, Ga., three bass, 9-1, $1,585

            4^th:       David Nichol of Gainesville, Ga., three bass, 8-14, $1,111

            5^th:       Danny Kirk of Bartow, Ga., three bass, 8-13, $1,663

Complete results for Sunday’s event can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Kirk earned Sunday’s $710 Boater Big Bass award with a 6-pound bass.

Freeman was also the highest finishing FLW PHOENIX BONUS member and took home an extra contingency award of $2,500.

Van Connor of Travelers Rest, South Carolina, earned the win Sunday in the Co-angler Division after catching three bass weighing 9 pounds, 6 ounces. For his victory Connor earned $2,698.

The top five co-anglers Sunday finished as follows:

            1^st:       Van Connor of Travelers Rest, S.C., three bass, 9-6, $2,698

            2^nd:      Adam Thomas of Cleveland, Ga., two bass, 6-7, $1,174

            3^rd:       Garry Hutchsion of Sharpsburg, Ga., three bass, 6-4, $781

            4^th:       Will White of Wake Forest, N.C., three bass, 5-13, $548

            5^th:       Greg West of Powder Springs, Ga., three bass, 5-11, $470

Connor also caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, weighing in at 5 pounds, 14 ounces to add Sunday’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $350 to his winnings.

The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine Double-Header on Lake Hartwell was hosted by the Anderson Convention & Visitors Bureau. The tournaments were the third and fourth of five 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 Nov. 11-13 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.

STURGEON BAY, Wis. (Aug. 25, 2020) – Pro angler John Cox of DeBary, Florida, is having a heck of a week. Fresh off of a third-place finish at a major tournament on Lake St. Clair last weekend, Cox drove straight to Sturgeon Bay to compete in the Tackle Warehouse TITLE presented by Toyota, the FLW Pro Circuit Championship. Despite having absolutely no practice time for the event, Cox caught 18 bass weighing 66 pounds, 5 ounces, Tuesday to lead Group B after their first day of competition.

The tournament, fished using the Major League Fishing (MLF) catch-weigh-immediate release format, saw a steady stream of smallmouth bass caught by the 25 pros on the water Tuesday, with anglers catching a total of 243 bass weighing 784 pounds, 6 ounces. Pro Spencer Shuffield of Hot Springs, Arkansas, who finished the season ranked No. 2 in the Angler of the Year standings, sits in second place with 19 bass totaling 61-2 – just 5 pounds, 3 ounces behind Cox.

“Coming off of the water today, I feel like I might have had a mild heart attack,” Cox joked. “It was so intense – all the way to the last second. There was no letting up – guys were catching them, bouncing out of the lead, then back into the lead, it was incredible. I had a lot of fun today.

“When we first started, I was really worried,” Cox continued. “They started catching them, instantly. I got the first SCORETRACKER® update 15 minutes in and guys had 4- and 5-pounders already and I hadn’t even had a bite. I was thinking, ‘Uh oh… no practice. This is going to be really bad.’ But then I found something where we actually got a bite and then we just hammered down and caught everything that we could.”

Cox caught his fish Tuesday on a drop-shot rig, cycling through multiple different Berkley MaxScent baits.

“I don’t catch a lot of smallmouth, normally, but the Berkley MaxScent is definitely the key to catching a lot,” Cox said. “I was mixing it up with the Flat Worm and the Flat Nose Minnow, and I even ended up throwing the General some.

“I just tried to catch as much as I could today, because I know how much they move around and they could be gone when we get back out there,” Cox went on to say. “I really wanted to catch at least 60 pounds, so now on Thursday I’m going to have to figure out if I should go practice and fish new stuff or if I try to protect that area.

“With a day off to think about it, I’m going to be a wreck tomorrow. I’m ready to get back out there right now.”

The top 10 pros after day two (Group B) on Sturgeon Bay are:

            1^st:       John Cox of DeBary, Fla., 18 bass, 66-5
            2^nd:      Spencer Shuffield of Hot Springs, Ark., 19 bass, 61-2
            3^rd:       Joey Cifuentes of Clinton, Ark., 18 bass, 60-6
            4^th:       Matt Becker of Finleyville, Pa., 15 bass, 51-1
            5^th:       Dylan Hays of Hot Springs, Ark., 16 bass, 49-13
            6^th:       Wade Strelic of Alpine, Calif., 15 bass, 43-8
            7^th:       Clark Reehm of Elm Grove, La., 11 bass, 39-14
            8^th:       Mitch Crane of Columbus, Miss., 11 bass, 32-15
            9^th:       Jacob Wall of New Hope, Ala., 10 bass, 32-14
            10^th:     Christopher Brasher of Longview, Texas, 11 bass, 31-14

Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Reehm caught the largest fish of the day Tuesday – a 5-pound, 11-ounce smallmouth bass. If that bass remains the largest weighed from Group B after Thursday’s competition, Reehm will take home the $500 Berkley Big Bass Award.

The Tackle Warehouse TITLE presented by Toyota, the FLW Pro Circuit Championship, is hosted by Destination Sturgeon Bay. The six-day event features the top 50 professional anglers from the 2020 Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit season angling for a piece of $820,000, including the first-place prize of $200,000.

Unique to the TITLE Championship, the event is being fished using the MLF catch-weigh-immediate release format. A select group of 25 pros (Group A) will compete on Days 1 & 3 (Monday & Wednesday), with the other 25 pros (Group B) competing on Days 2 & 4 (Tuesday & Thursday). The top-10 pros from each group based on their cumulative two-day total will advance to Day 5 (Friday). Only the top 10 pros will continue on to the sixth and final day of competition Saturday, with the winner earning the inaugural Tackle Warehouse TITLE Championship Belt presented by Toyota.

Attendance is limited to anglers and essential staff and fans are encouraged to follow the event online through expanded broadcast coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com and read the daily coverage, live blogs and photos at FLWFishing.com.

The MLF NOW! broadcast team of Chad McKee, Marty Stone and J.T. Kenney will break down the extended action every day of competition from 7:45 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. They’re joined by FLW Live hosts Travis Moran and Todd Hollowell, who will be reporting and providing from-the-water analysis from Sturgeon Bay.

Television coverage of the Tackle Warehouse TITLE presented by Toyota event will be showcased across six two-hour episodes, premiering at 7 p.m. EDT, Oct. 9 on the Outdoor Channel. Episodes premiere in Friday night primetime slots on the Outdoor Channel, with additional re-airings on the Outdoor Channel and the Sportsman Channel.

STURGEON BAY, Wis. (Aug. 24, 2020) – Pro angler Kurt Mitchell of Milford, Delaware, caught a total of 33 bass weighing 119 pounds, 10 ounces, to grab the early lead Monday after day one of the Tackle Warehouse TITLE presented by Toyota, the FLW Pro Circuit Championship on Lake Michigan in Sturgeon Bay.

The tournament, fished using the Major League Fishing (MLF) catch-weigh-immediate release format, showcased Mitchell lighting up the SCORETRACKER® all day long and establishing a commanding 56-pound, 10-ounce lead over second-place pro Grae Buck of Green Lane, Pennsylvania, who caught 17 bass totaling 63 pounds even. The six-day event features the top 50 professional anglers from the 2020 Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit season angling for a piece of $820,000, including the first-place prize of $200,000.

The 25 anglers that competed Monday in Group A will take Tuesday off before returning to the water on Wednesday to finish their two-day Qualifying Round. The 25 anglers in Group B will have their first day of competition Tuesday on Sturgeon Bay.

“It was just a phenomenal day for me – one of those days where nothing goes wrong and everything works like it’s supposed to,” said Mitchell, a five-year veteran of the Pro Circuit who is fishing in his second championship event. “It was my first time fishing at Sturgeon Bay, my first time fishing the MLF format, and now my first time leading a pro event after the first day.”

Mitchell said that he caught the majority of his weight from one area, a current break that he had found in practice. He caught his fish using two key baits – a drop-shot rig with a Yamamoto Shad Shape Worm and a Keitech Swimbait with a 3/8-ounce Dirty Jigs Matt Stefan Guppy Swimbait Jig Head.

“It wasn’t really anything special, just basic smallmouth tactics and baits,” Mitchell said. “I just got on some groups of fish that wanted to bite. The bigger ones seemed to come on the Keitech, but I caught more on the shad shape worm. I had no idea that I was going to catch that much.

“I’m not sure exactly what I’m going to do when I get back out there on Wednesday,” Mitchell went on to say. “I might try out some new areas, or I might just go sit on my best spot to make sure no one else fishes it. Either way, I can’t wait to get back out there.”

The top 10 pros after day one (Group A) on Sturgeon Bay are:

            1^st:       Kurt Mitchell of Milford, Del., 33 bass, 119-10
            2^nd:      Grae Buck of Green Lane, Pa., 17 bass, 63-0
            3^rd:       Evan Barnes of Hot Springs, Ark., 20 bass, 61-10
            4^th:       Casey Scanlon of Eldon, Mo., 17 bass, 57-0
            5^th:       Matthew Stefan of Junction City, Wis., 14 bass, 47-1
            6^th:       Greg Bohannan of Bentonville, Ark., 12 bass, 39-7
            7^th:       Joshua Weaver of Macon, Ga., 12 bass, 37-1
            8^th:       James Niggemeyer of Van, Texas, 10 bass, 33-4
            9^th:       Troy Morrow of Eastonollee, Ga., 10 bass, 31-9
            10^th:     Jon Canada of Helena, Ala., nine bass, 26-12

Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Overall there were 228 bass weighing 750 pounds, 8 ounces caught by the 25 pros in Group A on Monday. Mitchell also caught the largest fish of the day – a chunky 5-pound, 10-ounce smallmouth bass.

The Tackle Warehouse TITLE presented by Toyota, the FLW Pro Circuit Championship, is hosted by Destination Sturgeon Bay. The total purse for the event is more than $820,000, including a top prize of $200,000.

Unique to the TITLE Championship, the event is being fished using the MLF catch-weigh-immediate release format. A select group of 25 pros (Group A) will compete on Days 1 & 3, with the other 25 pros (Group B) competing on Days 2 & 4. The top-10 pros from each group based on their cumulative two-day total will advance to Day 5. Only the top 10 pros will continue on to the sixth and final day of competition, with the winner earning the inaugural Tackle Warehouse TITLE Championship Belt presented by Toyota.

Attendance is limited to anglers and essential staff and fans are encouraged to follow the event online through expanded broadcast coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com and read the daily coverage, live blogs and photos at FLWFishing.com.

The MLF NOW! broadcast team of Chad McKee, Marty Stone and J.T. Kenney will break down the extended action every day of competition from 7:45 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. They’re joined by FLW Live hosts Travis Moran and Todd Hollowell, who will be reporting and providing from-the-water analysis from Sturgeon Bay.

Television coverage of the Tackle Warehouse TITLE presented by Toyota event will be showcased across six two-hour episodes, premiering at 7 p.m. EDT, Oct. 9 on the Outdoor Channel. Episodes premiere in Friday night primetime slots on the Outdoor Channel, with additional re-airings on the Outdoor Channel and the Sportsman Channel.

The 2020 Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit featured a field of 150 of the top professional anglers in the world competing at six regular-season events around the country. The top 50 anglers in the Angler of the Year (AOY) standings after the six events qualified t/o compete in this event, the inaugural Tackle Warehouse TITLE presented by Toyota.

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