Dover Wins on Keowee
Grizzle claims co-angler prize in Savannah River Division opener
Boater Randy Dover of Buford, Georgia, brought five to the scale Saturday totaling 15 pounds, 10 ounces to win the 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine event at Lake Keowee in Seneca, South Carolina. For his victory, Dover earned a total of $5,627.
Weather was a factor for the Savannah River Division anglers, as cold, snowy conditions dampered a lot of plans and strategies for competitors. Dover says that he did the majority of his damage close to Seneca, only a mile to a mile and a half from takeoff.
“The places that I caught them in practice really got stained, so I had to move out to clearer water,” says Dover, who earned his first career victory in just his third career Phoenix Bass Fishing League event. “I ended up catching them on roadbeds and ditches.”
Dover's two key baits throughout the day were a Ned rig and a shaky head.
The top 10 boaters:
1st: Randy Dover of Buford, Ga., five bass, 15-10, $5,627
2nd: Tim Watson of Martin, Ga., five bass, 13-4, $2,345
3rd: Jimmy Gooch of Jefferson, Ga., five bass, 13-4, $2,345
4th: Jason Johnson of Dawsonville, Ga., five bass, 13-1, $1,813
5th: Jeremy Strong of Elberton, Ga., five bass, 12-11, $1,125
6th: Jayme Rampey of Liberty, S.C., five bass, 12-9, $1,942
7th: Jody Holland of Clermont, Ga., five bass, 12-0, $938
8th: Bo Price of Seneca, S.C., five bass, 11-14, $797
9th: Russell Clark of Abbeville, S.C., five bass, 11-14, $797
10th: Tyler Thompson of Easley, S.C., five bass, 11-11, $623
10th: Brad Benfield of Demorest, Ga., five bass, 11-11, $623
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Rampey brought a 5-pound, 7-ounce bass to the scale to win the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $910.
For the second week in a row, boater Jason Johnson was highest-finishing FLW PHOENIX BONUS member and took home an extra $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.
Harold Grizzle of Gainesville, Georgia, won the Co-angler Division and $3,268 Saturday after catching a five-bass limit weighing 17 pounds, 6 ounces.
The top 10 co-anglers:
1st: Harold Grizzle of Gainesville, Ga., five bass, 17-6, $3,268
2nd: Fisher Rodgers of Camden, S.C., five bass, 12-6, $1,407
3rd: Sawyer Redmond of Easley, S.C., five bass, 11-5, $938
4th: Wendell Grantham of Athens, Ga., five bass, 10-14, $656
5th: Bruce Faulkner of Seneca, S.C., five bass, 10-10, $563
6th: Will White of Wake Forest, N.C., five bass, 10-9, $516
7th: Stephen McCoy of Walhalla, S.C., five bass, 10-4, $469
8th: Chris Wilson of Easley, S.C., five bass, 10-2, $572
9th: John Wilson of Six Mile, S.C., five bass, 9-11, $351
9th: Wesley Wilson of Cornelia, Ga., three bass, 9-11, $351
Grizzle also caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, weighing in at 7 pounds, 10 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $455.
The 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine on Lake Keowee was hosted by Visit Oconee. It was the first of five qualifying events in the Savannah River Division.
The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the Savannah River 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 Lake Lanier in Gainesville, Georgia, hosted by the Gainesville Convention & Visitors Bureau. 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.