Wagner, Gelles Go Back-To-Back
Detroit River kicks out impressive bags of smallmouths
It was a double-header for weekend bass anglers this past weekend in Trenton with the Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine on the Detroit River events.
Boater Heath Wagner of Angola, Ind., brought a five-bass limit to the scale weighing 22 pounds, 2 ounces to win on Saturday and earn $3,794, then pro Kyle Gelles of Pingree, Idaho, brought a five-bass limit to the scale Sunday weighing 20 pounds, 14 ounces to win $4,003.
The double-header events were the third and fourth of five events in the Michigan Division presented by A.R.E. Truck Caps.
“I ran to St. Clair and fished deep,” says Wagner, who earned his sixth career BFL win – all on the Detroit River and Lake St. Clair. “It took me a day to find them, but the key was using my electronics to locate them. Every fish that I caught came watching my graph.
“I caught them all on a drop-shot rig with a variety of baits – mostly Z-Man,” Wagner continues. “I fished a Z-Man TRD and a Strike King Z-Too. I even caught one on the famous Ned rig.”
The top five boaters on Saturday:
1st: Heath Wagner of Angola, Ind., five bass, 22-2, $3,794
2nd: Alex Redwine of Cincinnati, Ohio, five bass, 21-14, $1,897
3rd: Daniel Sepeck of Norwood, Ohio, five bass, 21-8, $1,265
4th: Tom Beale of St. Clair Shores, Mich., five bass, 21-5, $885
5th: Angel Rosario of Kalamazoo, Mich., five bass, 20-4, $727
5th: Scott Allen of New Philadelphia, Ohio, five bass, 20-4, $727
Complete results for Saturday’s event can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Kyle Greene of Ortonville, Michigan, earned the day’s Boater Big Bass Award of $495 after bringing a 6-pound, 2-ounce bass to the scale.
Devon Banks of West Bloomfield, Michigan, was the 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.
Laupp wins Saturday co-angler title
Zach Laupp of Plainwell, Mich., won the Co-angler Division and $1,897 Saturday after catching five bass weighing 22 pounds, 9 ounces.
The top five co-anglers on Saturday:
1st: Zach Laupp of Plainwell, Mich., five bass, 22-9, $1,897
2nd: Austin Freed of Wolcottville, Ind., five bass, 19-7, $949
3rd: Michael Lukich of Chillicothe, Ill., five bass, 18-5, $633
4th: Mark Lyons of Marion, Ind., five bass, 18-1, $443
5th: Trent Norman of Union, Ky., five bass, 18-0, $379
Jeff Copley of Marengo, Ohio, caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, weighing in at 6 pounds, 1 ounce and earned him Saturday’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $247.
Gelles claims Sunday title
On Sunday winning boater Kyle Gelles did not go to Lake St. Clair, but instead fished the mouth of the Detroit River.
“I didn’t want to run all the way up the river today and deal with St. Clair, so I stuck tight and caught some good fish,” says Gelles, a rookie on the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit who finished the season ranked No. 55. “The key to my win was maximizing my fishing time.
“I caught my fish on a variety of baits – everything from a spy bait to a tube to a drop-shot rig to a crankbait,” Gelles continues. “A lot of my big fish came on the drop-shot rig, throwing the Berkley PowerBait MaxScent Flat Worm. I just covered a lot of water and tried to catch the good ones.”
The top five boaters on Sunday:
1st: Kyle Gelles of Pingree, Idaho, five bass, 20-14, $4,003
2nd: Mike Raber of Wolcottville, Ind., five bass, 20-2, $1,777
3rd: Terry McWilliams of Greenfield, Ind., five bass, 20-0, $1,185
4th: Dayton Land of Coatesville, Ind., five bass, 19-4, $829
5th: Angel Rosario of Kalamazoo, Mich., five bass, 19-3, $711
Complete results for Sunday’s event can be found at FLWFishing.com.
Bill Crapsey of Monroe, Michigan, earned Sunday’s $455 Boater Big Bass award with a 5-pound, 8-ounce bass.
Cody Kelley of Portage, Michigan, took home an extra $500 as the highest finishing FLW PHOENIX BONUS member.
Hall wins Sunday co-angler award
Zack Hall of Birch Run, Michigan, earned the win Sunday in the Co-angler Division after catching five bass weighing 22 pounds, 3 ounces. For his victory Hall earned $1,777.
The top five co-anglers Sunday:
1st: Zack Hall of Birch Run, Mich., five bass, 22-3, $1,777
2nd: Logan Roller of Tremont, Ill., five bass, 19-11, $888
3rd: Corey Gue of Huntington, W. Va., five bass, 18-2, $592
4th: Nathan O’Hara of Warsaw, Ind., five bass, 18-0, $415
5th: Craig Fanning of Elwood, Ill., five bass, 17-7, $355
Ken Ramsey of Cassopolis, Michigan, caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, weighing in at 5 pounds, 7 ounces. The catch earned him Sunday’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $227.
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.