Eclectic’s Robinson Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event on Lake Martin
Bonaire’s Denney Wins Co-angler Division
ALEXANDER CITY, Ala. – Boater Dusty Robinson of Eclectic, Alabama, brought a five-bass limit to the scale Saturday weighing 13 pounds, 4 ounces to win the 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine event at Lake Martin in Alexander City, Alabama. For his victory, Robinson earned a total of $5,686, including a $1,000 Mercury contingency award.
“I started my day out with a spinnerbait in my hand, and I didn’t put it down throughout the entire day,” said Robinson, who earned his first career Phoenix Bass Fishing League victory. “I caught around 20 keepers all day long, fishing in the Hog Pen Slough area – around the D.A.R.E. Power Park.”
Robinson’s key lure was a 3/8-ounce purple shad-colored War Eagle Spinnerbait with a white Zoom Split Tail Trailer.
“I caught them anywhere from 6 inches to 8 feet deep,” Robinson said. “The Hog Pen Slough is a main feeder creek, about mid-river. I was targeting the blowdowns and rocky secondary points. If I didn’t get bit on the bank, I’d slow roll it all the way back to the boat.
“The bite was really hot from 9:30 to 10:30 (a.m.), then there was a lull until about 1:15 (p.m.). Then it really picked up again,” Robinson continued. “The key was definitely slowing down and being patient.
“I’ve been battling against these hammers in the Bama Division for three years now, and I’ve been one bite away from the win a couple of times. It was shocking that the weights were this low – I didn’t expect to win – but it was an awesome day and I’m glad I did.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament as follows:
1st: Dusty Robinson of Eclectic, Ala., five bass, 13-4, $5,686
2nd: Thomas Frink of Cedartown, Ga., five bass, 12-12, $2,843
3rd: Kip Balkcom of Auburn, Ala., five bass, 12-2, $1,562
4th: Brad Jones of Sylacauga, Ala., five bass, 12-0, $1,093
5th: Mason Franklin of Mulga, Ala., five bass, 11-12, $898
6th: Steven Ingram of Tallassee, Ala., five bass, 11-12, $898
7th: Anthony Goggins of Clanton, Ala., five bass, 11-6, $742
8th: Ken Morris of Childersburg, Ala., five bass, 11-6, $942
9th: Robert Werner of Spanish Fort, Ala., five bass, 11-5, $625
10th: Greg Bearden of Oxford, Ala., five bass, 11-3, $547
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Chris Rutland of Wetumpka, Alabama, brought a 4-pound, 3-ounce bass to the scale to win the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $690.
Frink took home an extra $500 as the highest finishing FLW PHOENIX BONUS member. Boaters are eligible to win up to an extra $7,000 per event in each Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine tournament if all requirements are met. More information on the FLW PHOENIX BONUS contingency program can be found at PhoenixBassBoats.com.
Mark Denney of Bonaire, Georgia, won the Co-angler Division and $2,493 Saturday after catching a five-bass limit weighing 11 pounds, 2 ounces.
The top 10 co-anglers finished as follows:
1st: Mark Denney of Bonaire, Ga., five bass, 11-2, $2,493
2nd: Lew Moore of Roanoke, Ala., five bass, 11-1, $1,517
3rd: Andrew Fisher of Anniston, Ala., five bass, 10-8, $781
4th: Jacob Hays of Marbury, Ala., five bass, 10-6, $547
5th: Justin Foster of Zebulon, Ga., five bass, 10-0, $469
6th: Jim Laster of Newnan, Ga., five bass, 9-13, $410
7th: Scott Carpenter of Childersburg, Ala., five bass, 9-13, $410
8th: Bill Gaston of Sylacauga, Ala., five bass, 9-10, $351
9th: Gary Marlowe of Montgomery, Ala., five bass, 9-9, $312
10th: Chance Hebert of Woodstock, Ga., five bass, 9-5, $273
Moore caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, a fish weighing in at 4 pounds even. The catch earned him the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $345.
The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine on Lake Martin was hosted by the Alexander City Chamber of Commerce. It was the opening event of five qualifying tournaments in the Bama division.
The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the Bama division based on point standings, along with the five winners of each qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 8-10 Bass Fishing League Regional Championship on Lake Chickamauga in Dayton, Tennessee, hosted by the Rhea Economic and Tourism Council. Boaters will compete for a $60,000 prize package, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro bass boat with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard and $10,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new 18-foot Phoenix bass boat with a 200-horsepower outboard.
The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American.
The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American will be held April 30 through May 2 at Lake Hartwell in Anderson, South Carolina and is hosted by Visit Anderson. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers plus tournament winners from each Phoenix Bass Fishing League division earn priority entry into the FLW Series, the pathway to the FLW Pro Circuit and ultimately the MLF Bass Pro Tour, where top pros compete with no entry fees.
For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine on FLW’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
About FLW
FLW is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, providing anglers of all skill levels the opportunity to compete for millions in prize money across five tournament circuits. Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, FLW and its partners conduct more than 290 bass-fishing tournaments annually around the world, including the United States, Canada, China, Italy, South Korea, Mexico, Namibia, Portugal, South Africa, Spain, and Zimbabwe.
FLW tournament fishing can be seen on the Emmy-nominated “FLW” television show while Bass Fishing magazine delivers cutting-edge tips from top pros. Acquired by Major League Fishing in late 2019, FLW is expanding its programming in 2020 to the Outdoor Channel and the Sportsman Channel as well as on-demand at MyOutdoorTV (MOTV).
For more information visit FLWFishing.com and follow FLW at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
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