Pennsylvania’s Mellott Wins Phoenix Bass Fishing League Event on the Potomac River
MARBURY, Md. – Boater Jeff Mellott of Warfordsburg, Pennsylvania, caught five bass Saturday weighing 20 pounds, 4 ounces, to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine on the Potomac River. The tournament, hosted by the Charles County Board of Commissioners, was the second event for the Bass Fishing League Northeast Division. Mellott earned $3,842 for his victory.
“In practice it was pretty obvious that an outgoing tide was going to be key, and the tide lined up really good for the tournament for me,” Mellott said. “I started out flipping pads in Mattawoman Creek and got a couple of fish out of the pads. Once the tide was pretty much out, I transitioned over to some grass and finished up my limit.”
Mellott said he used a green-pumpkin-colored Zoom Brush Hog, pegged with a 3/8-ounce weight to flip pads. He switched to a ¼-ounce weight when he targeted the grass. Mellot said he caught 12 bass during the course of the day, nine of which were keepers.
“I had a 20-pound bag by 9 o’clock, and I was pretty sure something special was going on,” Mellott said. “But you never know on the Potomac, and somebody can always bust one of those 24- or 25-pound bags. I’ve seen it happen. Nothing’s ever in the bag when it’s the Potomac.
“This is my first year fishing as a boater, and to get a win is pretty special,” Mellott added. “I’ve had a couple as a co-angler, but to get one as a boater is something special.”
The Top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
- 1st: Jeff Mellott, Warfordsburg, Pa., five bass, 20-4, $3,842
- 2nd: John Hauserman, Ellicott City, Md., five bass, 18-2, $1,921
- 3rd: Chris Jackson, Jeffersonton, Va., five bass, 17-13, $1,282
- 4th: Charlie Reed Jr., Gloucester, Va., five bass, 17-6, $1,032
- 4th: Peter Webster, Alexandria, Va., five bass, 17-6, $832
- 6th: Lenny Baird, Stafford, Va., five bass, 16-13, $1,404
- 7th: Joe Wilkerson, Vienna, Va., five bass, 16-10, $640
- 8th: David Houchens, Bowie, Md., five bass, 16-9, $576
- 9th: Darryl Esterly, Fleetwood, Pa., five bass, 16-6, $512
- 10th: Ernie Freeman, Broad Run, Va., five bass, 16-5, $948 (includes $500 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus)
Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Alex Pirowski of Occoquan, Virginia, had a largemouth that weighed 5 pounds, 8 ounces that was the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division and earned the day’s Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $510.
Keith Allen of Midland, Virginia, won the Strike King Co-angler Division and $2,021 Saturday after catching five bass weighing 16 pounds, 8 ounces.
The Top 10 Strike King Co-anglers were:
- 1st: Keith Allen, Midland, Va., five bass, 16-8, $2,021
- 2nd: Troy Mills, Lewistown, Pa., five bass, 15-2, $1,160
- 3rd: Chris Hurley, Carlisle, Pa., five bass, 15-1, $641
- 4th: Richard Jensen, Virginia Beach, Va., five bass, 14-15, $448
- 5th: Paul Kimball, Glastonbury, Conn., five bass, 14-14, $384
- 6th: Calvin Bush, Mifflinburg, Pa., five bass, 14-11, $352
- 7th: Shawn Minch, five bass, 14-8, $320
- 8th: Scott Minch, Feasterville, Pa., five bass, 14-7, $288
- 9th: James Pesilo, five bass, 14-4, $256
- 10th: Josh Escobar, Bethany, Conn., five bass, 14-3, $213
- 10th: Nate Barker, Newmanstown, Pa., five bass, 14-3, $213
Richard Allen caught the largest bass in the co-angler Division, a fish weighing in at 4 pounds, 2 ounces, to earn the day’s Berkley Big Bass Co-angler award of $255.
After two events, Michael Duarte of Baltimore, Maryland, leads the Bass Fishing League Northeast Division Boater Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 486 points, while Richard Jensen of Virginia Beach, Virginia, leads the Strike King Co-Angler Division AOY race with 494 points.
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 the James River in Richmond, Virginia. 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 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.