Hot Springs’ Brian Bean Earns Win at Phoenix Bass Fishing League Tournament on Lake Hamilton

Kentucky’s Freeman Wins Strike King Co-Angler Division

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Local Hot Springs angler Brian Bean brought five bass to the stage Saturday weighing 17 pounds, 15 ounces, to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine on Lake Hamilton. The event was the season-opening tournament for the Bass Fishing League Arkie Division. For his win, Bean earned $6,139.

According to post-tournament reports, Bean caught his fish in the mid-to-upper-lake area of Lake Hamilton, targeting deep brush in 15-30 feet of water with an umbrella rig, rigged with Tennessee Shad-colored Berkley Power Swimmer swimbaits.

The Top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:

1st:        Brian Bean, Hot Springs, Ark., five bass, 17-15, $6,139
                2nd:       Josh Ray, Alexander, Ark., five bass, 14-13, $3,152 (includes $500 Phoenix MLF Bonus)
                3rd:       Kevin Brown, Hot Springs, Ark., five bass, 13-9, $2,168
                4th:        Scott Hardin, Little Rock, Ark., five bass, 13-6, $1,238
                5th:        Brayden Nichols, Blanchard, La., five bass, 12-15, $1,061
                6th:        Chris Huselton, Conway, Ark., five bass, 12-8, $972
                7th:        Spencer Shuffield, Hot Springs, Ark., five bass, 12-0, $884
                8th:        Ethan Sutton, Hot Springs, Ark., five bass, 11-7, $796
                9th:        Robert Jacuzzi, Little Rock, Ark., five bass, 11-6, $707
                10th:     Matt Baker, Glenwood, Ark., five bass, 11-5, $619

Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Bean’s 6-pound, 1-ounce bass earned the day’s Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $835.

Lance Freeman of Eddyville, Kentucky, won the Strike King Co-angler Division and $2,652 Saturday after catching five bass weighing 14 pounds, 3 ounces.

The Top 10 Strike King co-anglers were:

1st:        Lance Freeman, Eddyville, Ky., five bass, 14-3, $2,652
                2nd:       Caden Fuller, Waldron, Ark., two bass, 8-12, $1,743
                3rd:       Jonathan Simms, Hot Springs, Ark., three bass, 8-2, $887
                4th:        Perry Dawson, Rockwood, Tenn., three bass, 7-9, $619
                5th:        Darrin Franklin, Hot Springs, Ark., three bass, 7-6, $530
                6th:        Kevin Keown, Lonoke, Ark., five bass, 6-13, $486
                7th:        Stephen Tyson, Sr., Camden, Ark., two bass, 6-12, $442
                8th:        Brooks Robertson, Hot Springs, Ark., four bass, 6-8, $398
                9th:        Todd Garner, Pocola, Okla., five bass, 6-7, $331
                9th:        Travis McKee, Fayetteville, Ark., three bass, 6-7, $331

Fuller caught a bass weighing 7 pounds, 3 ounces – the largest bass in the Co-angler Division – to earn him the day’s Berkley Big Bass Co-angler award of $417.

The Top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the region based on point standings, along with the five winners in each qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 20-22 Bass Fishing League Regional Championship on Grand Lake in Grove, Oklahoma. Boaters will compete for a top award of $60,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard and $10,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard.

The 2022 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 Strike King co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six Regional Championships 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. The 2022 All-American will be held June 2-4 at Lake Hamilton in Hot Springs, Arkansas, and is hosted by the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism and Visit Hot Springs.

The Top 45 boaters and Strike King co-anglers plus tournament winners from each Phoenix Bass Fishing League division will also earn priority entry into the MLF Toyota Series, the pathway to the MLF Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit, and ultimately the MLF Bass Pro Tour.

Proud sponsors of the 2022 MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine include: 4WP, 13 Fishing, Abu Garcia, AFTCO, A.R.E. Truck Caps, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, Black Rifle Coffee, E3, Epic Baits, Favorite Fishing, Gary Yamamoto Baits, General Tire, Lew’s, Lowrance, Lucas Oil, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Onyx, Phoenix, Polaris, Power-Pole, Revital Outdoors, Strike King, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, Wiley X, YETI and Yo-Zuri.

For complete details and updated tournament information, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular Bass Fishing League updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF5’s social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.Coming