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1 . TOYOTA SERIES PRESENTED BY A . R . E . NORTHERN DIVISION St . Lawrence River Sept . 22 – 24
As a Northern Division rookie and native Texan , Spike Stoker wasn ’ t exactly one of the favorites to chase down the trophy in the division finale on the St . Lawrence . Between having only fished one other tournament there and having trolling motor issues for half of Day 2 , the odds weren ’ t in his favor .
Fortunately , Stoker found the winning fish that he picked off all three days of the event by spending extensive practice time on the northern waters . He hit the jackpot with one key stretch — an area with lots of chunk rock and bigger-than-average bass . His area held up over three days as his Berkley PowerBait MaxScent drop-shot and Carolinarigged Zoom Ultra Vibe Speed Craw tallied 64-12 for the $ 40,555 payday .
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2 . PHOENIX BASS FISHING LEAGUE PRESENTED BY T-H MARINE REGION 1 Lake Murray Oct . 6 – 8
Despite having never been to Lake Murray prior to the BFL Region 1 Regional tournament , Tyler Trent was confident in two things : his ability to be consistent over three days of competition and his aptitude with catching fish offshore . Both things held true for Trent , who weighed in 16-5 , 16-7 and 16-7 , respectively , to win the cash-andboat winner ’ s package worth $ 67,604 by 1 pound , 2 ounces over Matthew O ’ Connell .
Trent expected to be able to catch a lot of fish on topwater offerings throughout the event but instead relied almost exclusively on a drop-shot in 20 to 30 feet of water , mostly keying on brush , cane and stumps to get the job done .
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3 . PHOENIX BASS FISHING LEAGUE PRESENTED BY T-H MARINE REGION 2 Pickwick Lake Oct . 13 – 15
For most anglers in most tournaments , weighing in just two keepers on Day 1 of a multi-day tournament would mean certain defeat . That wasn ’ t the case for Timothy Kelley , however . The Irmo , South Carolina , boater roared back from an 8-pound Day 1 performance with back-to-back stellar days ( 16-5 and 17-14 , respectively ) to edge out Drew Boggs by 15 ounces for the $ 60,868 payday and an automatic qualification into the 2023 All-American championship .
To catch his winning fish , Kelley relied on an Ima Little Stik topwater to target big bass along a bluff ledge . He spent three days positioned along a shallow flat next to the ledge , periodically picking off quality keepers to add to his winning stringer .
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4 . PHOENIX BASS FISHING LEAGUE PRESENTED BY T-H MARINE REGION 3 Mississippi River Oct . 13 – 15
One of the most prolific northern BFL anglers of the last couple decades , Mike Brueggen added his 10th BFL win ( and first Regional victory ) in the Region 3 tournament on the Mississippi River out of his home town of La Crosse , Wisconsin . Brueggen , along with upping his total of Top 10s in MLF competition to 60 , added $ 60,794 to his career earnings and secured a spot in the 2023 Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American .
Leaning on years of experience on the upper Mississippi , Brueggen spent his time in Pool 2 targeting sandy bottom in 4 to 5 feet of water with a crankbait and swim jig . While many of the spots he probed were barren , Brueggen often caught multi-
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