Laydowns Lead Ellis to Top
Mox wins co-angler title in Buckeye Division event
Jay Ellis of Celina, Ohio, brought a five-bass limit to the scale Saturday weighing 11 pounds, 13 ounces to win the 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine event on the Ohio River in Lawrenceburg, Indiana. For his victory, Ellis earned a total of $6,972.
The tournament was the second of five events in the Buckeye Division presented by A.R.E. Truck Caps.
“I went up river, about 15 miles, and fished in Muddy Creek,” says Ellis, who earned the first BFL victory of his career. “I caught them all on single-tree laydowns. The water levels dropped a little bit over night, and I think it pushed those fish a little farther out, off the bank.”
Ellis says he caught his fish on a black buzzbait and a Texas-rigged black-and-blue beaver-style bait.
The top 10 boaters:
1st: Jay Ellis of Celina, Ohio, five bass, 11-13, $6,972
2nd: Dick Shaffer of Rockford, Ohio, five bass, 8-2, $2,236
3rd: Kenneth Pincombe of Hamilton, Ohio, five bass, 7-8, $1,492
4th: Seth Fricke of Hamilton, Ohio, three bass, 7-1, $1,693
5th: Brian Campbell of Oxford, Ohio, five bass, 6-11, $894
6th: Chris Martinkovic of Hamilton, Ohio, four bass, 6-9, $982
6th: Chad McCarty of Tipp City, Ohio, five bass, 6-9, $782
8th: Pete Justice of Sharonville, Ohio, four bass, 6-6, $671
9th: Donald Sibley of Strasburg, Ohio, five bass, 6-5, $596
10th: Joe Farkas of Grove City, Ohio, four bass, 6-2, $522
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Fricke claimed the day’s Boater Big Bass Award of $650 after bringing a 3-pound, 15-ounce bass to the scale.
Ellis also was the highest-finishing FLW PHOENIX BONUS member and took home an extra $2,500. 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.
Mox wins co-angler title
Carter Mox of Minster, Ohio, won the Co-angler Division and $2,236 Saturday after catching five bass weighing 6 pounds, 11 ounces.
The top 10 co-anglers:
1st: Carter Mox of Minster, Ohio, five bass, 6-11, $2,236
2nd: Trapper Owens of Carlisle, Ohio, three bass, 6-4, $1,118
2nd: Cruze Eskins of Hamilton, Ohio, three bass, 5-13, $745
4th: Larry Gunville of Gahanna, Ohio, two bass, 4-13, $847
5th: Ron Weisenburger of Continental, Ohio, three bass, 4-11, $447
6th: Virgil Grant of Findlay, Ohio, three bass, 4-5, $391
6th: Kenny Smith of Austin, Ind., three bass, 4-5, $391
8th: Hunter Smith of Hamilton, Ohio, three bass, 3-15, $316
8th: Kenny Mitchell of Franklin, Ohio, two bass, 3-15, $316
10th: Brent Jones of Okeana, Ohio, two bass, 3-14, $261
Gunville caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, weighing in at 4 pounds even. The catch added to his winnings as he earned the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $325.
The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the Buckeye Division presented by A.R.E. Truck Caps based on point standings, along with the five winners of each qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 16-18 Phoenix Bass Fishing League Regional Championship on Cherokee Lake 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.