Stephens Claims Erie Title
Wilt wins co-angler title
Whitney Stephens of Waverly, Ohio, brought a two-day total of 10 bass to the scale over the weekend weighing 29 pounds even to win the Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine Buckeye Division Super-Tournament event on Lake Erie. For his victory, Stephens earned a total of $6,011.
The tournament was the fifth and final qualifying event in the 2020 Buckeye Division presented by A.R.E. Truck Caps.
According to post-tournament reports Stephens caught his winning fish on the north end of Sandusky Bay, flipping an unnamed creature bait.
The top 10 boaters:
1st: Whitney Stephens of Waverly, Ohio, 10 bass, 29-0, $6,011
2nd: Chris Martinkovic of Hamilton, Ohio, 10 bass, 28-3, $3,706
3rd: Allex Conner of Delaware, Ohio, nine bass, 25-12, $2,002
4th: Dick Shaffer of Rockford, Ohio, 10 bass, 25-4, $1,403
5th: Seth Fricke of Hamilton, Ohio, 10 bass, 25-4, $1,202
6th: Brian Campbell of Oxford, Ohio, 10 bass, 24-12, $1,102
6th: Scott Manson of Covington, Ohio, 10 bass, 23-10, $1,002
8th: Kevin Spears of New Boston, Ohio, nine bass, 22-7, $902
9th: Michael Nesbitt of Saint Paris, Ohio, eight bass, 21-11, $802
10th: John Barnett of Huntsville, Ohio, nine bass, 21-2, $701
Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.
David Spivey of Hamilton, Ohio, brought a 5-pound, 4-ounce bass to the scale to claim the Boater Big Bass Award of $825.
Wilt wins co-angler title
Zachary Wilt of Saint Paris, Ohio, won the Co-angler Division and $3,006 after catching eight bass weighing 21 pounds, 1 ounce.
The top 10 co-anglers:
1st: Zachary Wilt of Saint Paris, Ohio, eight bass, 21-1, $3,006
2nd: Derrick Sadlowski of Steubenville, Ohio, eight bass, 21-0, $1,503
3rd: James Ross of Akron, Ohio, seven bass, 19-14, $1,004
4th: Ron Weisenburger of Continental, Ohio, eight bass, 18-8, $701
5th: Ryan Zwick of Oxford, Ohio, seven bass, 18-3, $601
6th: Rob Webber of Elyria, Ohio, eight bass, 16-13, $551
7th: Evan Eldred of Gaines, Mich., seven bass, 16-12, $501
8th: Steve Sorrell of Beavercreek, Ohio, five bass, 14-11, $451
9th: Jordon Smith of Middletown, Ohio, six bass, 14-5, $401
10th: Don Ward of Loveland, Ohio, six bass, 13-15, $351
Ken Barker of Middletown, Ohio, caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, weighing in at 4 pounds, 2 ounces. The catch earned him the Co-angler Big Bass award of $412.
Now the top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the Buckeye Division presented by A.R.E. Truck Caps based on point standings, along with the five winners of each qualifying event, advance to the Oct. 16-18 Phoenix Bass Fishing League Regional Championship on Cherokee Lake in Jefferson City, Tennessee, hosted by the Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce. 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.