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strike king co-angler program : opportunities abound in 2022
It ’ s a little-disputed fact that the Strike King Co-Angler program – which provides cash rewards and high-level tournament access and experience to MLF anglers fishing the Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine and Toyota Series – is one of the best programs in tournament bass fishing .
It ’ s certainly one of the fastest growing . After a record year for Strike King Co-Anglers in 2021 ( Toyota Series co-angler participation rose 11 percent year-over-year while BFL entries were up 20 percent ), the 2022 co-angler roll has continued through the midway point of the calendar with another 17-percent increase in unique anglers in the Toyota Series .
If you ask North Carolina Strike King Co-Angler Jeremy Bouldin , he ’ ll tell you that the burgeoning number of co-anglers is warranted , and that fishing from the back of the boat ( no matter what the level ) is an option that every up-and-coming bass angler should explore .
“ I ’ d recommend it to anybody who ’ s trying to learn and move up the ladder in tournament bass fishing ,” said Bouldin . “ It ’ s a great steppingstone to get your feet wet . On the Toyota Series , where there ’ s a pretty good number of guys fishing for a living , it gives you a chance to experience how these guys who do it for a living operate . ( Fishing as a co-angler ) makes sense .”
In Bouldin ’ s case in 2022 , it ’ s made a lot of sense . Fishing his first year as a Strike King Co-Angler at the Toyota Series level ,
Jeremy Bouldin
the North Carolina angler picked up back-to-back wins in the Central Division , claiming the co-angler title at the Dale Hollow Lake event in late March and winning again at Lake Chickamauga in early May .
He finished third in the Central Division Strike King Co-Angler of the Year standings in his first year at that level – Alabama angler Randy Wiggins earned the $ 2,000 bonus from Strike King for winning the division ’ s C-AOY race – and qualified to fish the 2022 Toyota Series Championship on Lake Guntersville Nov . 3-5 .
“ I ’ ve been telling myself that I need to fish the Toyota Series as a boater , but I decided that I should fish it this year as a co-angler and see how it goes , for the experience as much as anything ,” Bouldin said . “ I assumed it would be
like a big BFL , but it ’ s a lot more than that . It takes a different mentality and mindset than fishing as a weekend angler . I can take that experience and what I ’ ve learned ( in 2022 ) and go fish it as a boater next season .”
the strike king c0-angler benefit
Co-anglers competing in the six divisions of the Toyota Series and 24 divisions of Phoenix Bass Fishing League have earned points throughout the 2022 season toward the C-AOY standings in their respective divisions . Co- Angler of the Year winners in Toyota Series divisions take home $ 2,000 apiece ( courtesy of Strike King ) while BFL C-AOY champs earn a $ 500 bonus .
With more than 50 BFLs remaining on the 2022 schedule from June through October and a few Toyota Series events leading up to the November Championship still open , multiple opportunities exist for Strike King Co-Anglers .
Find entry information on the Toyota Series and Phoenix Bass Fishing League pages on the web at MajorLeagueFishing . com .
PHOTOS BY COBI PELLERITO
10 MAJORLEAGUEFISHING . COM | JUNE-JULY 2022