Hochstetler Cracks 22-9 on St. Clair
Michigan Division shows out for season opener
Ryan Hochstetler of Shipshewana, Indiana, brought a five-bass limit to the scale Saturday weighing 22 pounds, 9 ounces to win the Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine event at Lake St. Clair in Harrison Township, Michigan. For his victory, Hochstetler earned a total of $6,972.
The tournament was the first of five events in the Michigan Division presented by A.R.E. Truck Caps.
“I was fishing in Anchor Bay, north of the North Channel,” says Hochstetler, who earned his first career victory in FLW competition. “I was fishing a shallow weedline in 4 to 6 foot of water.”
Hochstetler's key baits were a Duo Realis Spybait and a drop-shot with a Duo Realis V-Tailshad.
“I found these fish two weeks ago, and they stayed there along with the bait,” Hochstetler goes on to say. “I put in a lot of hard work for this, so winning feels really good.”
The top 10 boaters:
1st: Ryan Hochstetler of Shipshewana, Ind., five bass, 22-9, $6,972
2nd: Dawson Johnson of Luck, Wis., five bass, 21-14, $2,236
3rd: Mike Raber of Wolcottville, Ind., five bass, 21-8, $1,492
4th: Mark Modrak of China Township, Mich., five bass, 21-6, $1,043
5th: Hayden Scott of Ann Arbor, Mich., five bass, 21-3, $894
6th: Troy Stokes of Brownstown, Mich., five bass, 20-13, $820
7th: Beau Bickford of Findlay, Ohio, five bass, 20-9, $708
7th: Tim Gillies of Union City, Mich., five bass, 20-9, $708
9th: Tom Beale of St. Clair Shores, Mich., five bass, 20-7, $596
10th: Tony Mitchell of Plainwell, Mich., five bass, 20-3, $496
10th: Russel Buffa of Fenton, Mich., five bass, 20-3, $496
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Gary Solomon of Clinton Township, Michigan, claimed the day’s Boater Big Bass Award of $650 after bringing a 6-pound, 1-ounce bass to the scale.
Hochstetler was also 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.
Ireland wins co-angler title
Nicholas Ireland of Davison, Michigan, won the Co-angler Division and $2,571 Saturday after catching five bass weighing 20 pounds, 7 ounces.
The top 10 co-anglers:
1st: Nicholas Ireland of Davison, Mich., five bass, 20-7, $2,571
2nd: Joseph Sittler of Fort Wayne, Ind., five bass, 20-6, $1,125
3rd: Scott Lutz of Bremen, Ind., five bass, 19-7, $752
4th: Calvin Fitch of Kokomo, Ind., five bass, 19-4, $525
5th: Trent Norman of Union, Ky., five bass, 19-3, $450
6th: Kendra Mueller of Pinckney, Mich., five bass, 18-4, $393
6th: Tony Grubb of Ann Arbor, Mich., five bass, 18-4, $393
8th: Nicholas Veselka of Fishers, Ind., five bass, 17-15, $337
9th: Evan Ellis of Greentown, Ind., five bass, 17-13, $300
10th: Logan Roller of Tremont, Ill., five bass, 17-10, $262
Ireland also caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, weighing in at 5 pounds, 12 ounces. The catch added to his winnings as he earned the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $322.
The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the Michigan 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. 15-17 Phoenix Bass Fishing League Regional Championship on the Mississippi River in La Crosse, Wisconsin, hosted by Explore La Crosse. 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.