Illinois’ Jezek casts Ned Rig to victory at Phoenix Bass Fishing League event at the Ohio River at Paducah Presented by FVP

Illinois’ Black wins Strike King co-angler Division

PADUCAH, Ky. – Boater Cole Jezek of Salem, Illinois, caught a five-bass limit weighing 12 pounds, 7 ounces, Saturday to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) Presented by T-H Marine on the Ohio River at Paducah Presented by FVP . The tournament was the fourth event of the season for the BFL Illini Division. Jezek earned $10,296, including the lucrative $7,000 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus, for his victory.

“I had checked some stuff out the day before, so I headed up the Tennessee River,” said Jezek. “I had won this event there previously, in 2014, so I had a gut feeling with the amount of current that was running that I knew where I wanted to start.”

Jezek began his day with a bang, and his Ned rig produced a limit by 7:20.

“I had the weight just perfect to where I was just ticking the rock, and when it got by the right rock the smallmouth were just sitting there,” Jezek said. “We went to work on them pretty quick.”

Jezek said he relocated near the dam, but the crowded conditions didn’t produce any quality bass for him. He returned to his starting spot and culled two more times. Jezek said he caught a total of eight bass – all keepers – during the tournament.

“Every fish I caught … they just kept getting bigger,” Jezek said. “At one point I had a 3.54-pound fish sitting in the livewell, and that river is tough, so I knew I was sitting in a pretty good position to have a chance to win.

“This win feels really good,” Jezek added. “My dad was there at weigh-in to share the win with me. That was his first time to be there to experience the weigh-in ceremony, so this is really special to me.”

The Top 10 boaters finished the tournament:

• 1st:        Cole Jezek, Salem, Ill., five bass, 12-7, $10,296 (includes $7,000 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus)
• 2nd:       Bryan Godwin, Marion, Ky., five bass, 11-11, $1,648
• 3rd:       James Williams, Charleston, Ill., four bass, 10-10, $1,399
• 4th:        Jerry Waters, Hampton, Ky., five bass, 10-6, $769
• 5th:        Jeremy Mull, Pawnee, Ill., five bass, 9-10, $659
• 6th:        Justin Berger, Murray, Ky., five bass, 9-1, $604
• 7th:        Daniel Hodge, Fort Knox, Ky., five bass, 8-15, $549
• 8th:        Riley Walk, Neoga, Ill., five bass, 8-14, $694
• 9th:        Coty Fowler, Brookport, Ill., five bass, 8-7, $439
• 10th:     James Jarvis, West Frankfort, Ill., four bass, 7-15, $385

Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Scott Neighbors of Makanda, Illinois, caught a bass that weighed 4 pounds, 12 ounces, and earned the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $405.

Amanda Black of Toledo, Illinois, won the Strike King co-angler division and a total of $1,648 Saturday, after bringing four bass to the scale that totaled 11 pounds, 7 ounces.

The Top 10 Strike King co-anglers finished:

• 1st:        Amanda Black, Toledo, Ill., four bass, 11-7, $1,648
• 2nd:       Earl Ross, Jr., Soddy-Daisy, Tenn., five bass, 9-8, $824
• 3rd:       Richard Skiff, Edwardsville, Ill., four bass, 7-15, $549
• 4th:        Carlton Maddox, Seymour, Ill., three bass, 7-2, $385
• 5th:        Hayden Swain, Tamaroa, Ill., five bass, 6-14, $330
• 6th:        Kim Sapetti, Chatham, Ill., three bass, 6-13, $302
• 7th:        Nate Stephens, Metropolis, Ill., three bass, 6-5, $275
• 8th:        Lucas Tanner, West Frankfort, Ill., four bass, 5-12, $247
• 9th:        Ryan Murphy, Paris, Ill., three bass, 5-10, $420
• 10th:     Dale Renth, Mascoutah, Ill., four bass, 5-9, $192

Truman Ross of Whitwell, Tennessee, earned the Berkley Big Bass co-angler award of $202, catching a bass that weighed in at 4 pounds, 1 ounce – the largest co-angler catch of the day.

After four events, Garrett McDowell of Windsor, Illinois, leads the BFL Illini Division Boater Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 973 points, while Aaron Arning of Walnut Hill, Illinois, leads the Strike King Co-Angler Division AOY race with 936 points.

The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the region based on point standings, along with the five tournament winners of each qualifying event, will qualify for the Oct. 12-14 BFL Regional tournament on Dale Hollow Lake in Byrdstown, Tennessee. Boaters will fish 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 compete for a top award of $50,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard.

The 2023 Phoenix BFL Presented by T-H Marine is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 events throughout the season, five qualifying tournaments in each division. The top 45 boaters and Strike King co-anglers from each division, along with the five qualifying event winners, will advance to one of six BFL 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 BFL All-American.

Proud sponsors of the 2023 MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine include: 13 Fishing, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, Black Rifle Coffee, E3, Epic Baits, Favorite Fishing, General Tire, Grundéns, Gill, Lew’s, Lowrance, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Mystik Lubricants, Onyx, Phoenix, Polaris, Power-Pole, Strike King, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, Wiley X and YETI.

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.