Dixon, Houchin Win on Dardanelle
Arkie Division hosts weekend double-header
It was a double-header for bass anglers this past weekend in Russellville with the Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine on Lake Dardanelle events. FLW, the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, rescheduled the events after the coronavirus pandemic forced the organization to pause competition in mid-March.
Boater Wayne Dixon of Morrilton, Arkansas, brought three bass to the scale totaling 10 pounds, 11 ounces to win Saturday’s event and earn $5,127, but Mabelvale’s Quincy Houchin was the big winner on the weekend. Houchin finished second Saturday – good for $3,139 – then backed it up with a win on Sunday, which earned him the top prize of $12,309, including the lucrative $7,000 FLW PHOENIX Bonus contingency award.
Houchin also cashed the Boater Big Bass Award in both days of competition, weighing a 4-pound, 11-ouncer on Saturday to win $575 and a 5-pound, 10-ounce bass on Sunday to earn $505.
“The key was staying consistent with it,” Houchin says. “I figured out a little something – certain targets and how they lined up on the bank – and that was key this weekend.”
“The tough conditions played to my advantage,” says Dixon, who picked up his second career FLW win Saturday. “I fished on the lower end of the lake, fishing rock and brush that was 5 to 15 feet deep. I caught seven keepers on multiple different baits.”
The top five boaters on Saturday:
1st: Wayne Dixon of Morrilton, Ark., three bass, 10-11, $5,127
2nd: Quincy Houchin of Mabelvale, Ark., three bass, 10-7, $3,139
3rd: Larry Gragg of Pine Bluff, Ark., three bass, 10-1, $1,377
4th: Travis Mosley of Benton, Ark., three bass, 9-12, $963
5th: Jessie Clark of Bonnerdale, Ark., three bass, 9-4, $791
5th: Justin Hake of Conway, Ark., three bass, 9-4, $791
Complete results for Saturday can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Houchin was the highest-finishing FLW PHOENIX BONUS member and took home an extra $500 Saturday. 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.
Allen wins co-angler title Saturday
Randy Allen of Russellville, Arkansas, won the Co-angler Division and $2,059 Saturday after catching three bass weighing 10 pounds even.
The top five co-anglers Saturday:
1st: Randy Allen of Russellville, Ark., three bass, 10-0, $2,059
2nd: Geoffrey Lancaster of Conway, Ark., three bass, 8-13, $1,030
3rd: Bradley McDaniel of Wynne, Ark., three bass, 8-11, $969
4th: Ethan Sutton of Hot Springs, Ark., three bass, 7-14, $480
5th: William Davis of Booneville, Ark., three bass, 7-11, $412
Bradley McDaniel of Wynne, Arkansas, caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division Saturday, weighing in at 5 pounds, 1 ounce. The catch earned him the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $282.
Houchin wins boater title on Sunday
On Sunday, Houchin says he caught his fish throwing a black buzzbait and flipping an unnamed black-and-blue-colored Beaver-style bait.
“I started at the same place I caught a big one on Saturday and never caught a fish,” Houchin says. “I started working my way upriver and I ended up finding them. They bit much more aggressively today (Sunday).”
The top five boaters on Sunday:
1st: Quincy Houchin of Mabelvale, Ark., three bass, 13-14, $12,309
2nd: Charles Williams of Clarksville, Ark., three bass, 10-13, $1,902
3rd: Derek Sandlin of Mount Ida, Ark., three bass, 10-10, $1,267
4th: Scott Hardin of Little Rock, Ark., three bass, 10-9, $888
5th: Steve Howard of Conway, Ark., three bass, 10-5, $729
5th: Josh Hilton of Clarksville, Ark., three bass, 10-5, $729
Complete results for Sunday’s event on Lake Dardanelle can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Houchin was also Sunday’s highest-finishing FLW PHOENIX BONUS member and took home an extra $7,000 for winning the tournament.
Allen tops co-anglers in Sunday
Jared Allen of Conway, Arkansas, won the Co-angler Division and $1,902 Sunday after catching three bass weighing 11 pounds, 13 ounces.
The top five co-anglers Sunday:
1st: Jared Allen of Conway, Ark., three bass, 11-13, $1,902
2nd: Johnny Payne of Leslie, Ark., three bass, 11-7, $1,203
3rd: Buck Blackwell of Pine Bluff, Ark., three bass, 10-10, $634
4th: Alvin Williams of Hartman, Ark., three bass, 7-13, $444
4th: Bradley McDaniel of Wynne, Ark., three bass, 7-4, $380
Payne caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, weighing in at 5 pounds, 13 ounces. The catch earned the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $252.
The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine Double-Header on Lake Dardanelle was hosted by Russellville Advertising & Promotions. It was the second and third 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 ExploreBranson.com. 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.